Small place for flowers. Weeds begone!

[tloonya]

My front yard is maintenance free, stones, evergreens and all...
However I wanted to have some place for flowers and I have this maybe 5x5 feet piece of dirt that my landscapers forgot to make weed free.
I know he was buying some expensive black cellophane or whatsitsname thing but I am hearing from people that if you will get enough mulch - weeds aren't going to be coming thru.
I am not sure if it is correct. I need to cover it with something a.s.a.p. because spring is coming. I think...
or I can sprinkle it with something...however rains here washing everything off.
What to do?

[tloonya]

Not to be rude but Otto!!!!!!
What do you like, hon? The fact that I am looking how to kill the weeds?
Just FYI - I am taken. In case you were wondering...

[CarolinaKat]

I use mulch. I doesn't stop ALL weeds, but it cuts down on them significantly. It also helps retain moisture from rain so you don't have to water as often (I don't really at all) and it helps protect the bulbs over winter.

I recommend going with some bulb plants/flowers that will overwinter in your zone and come back in spring. You can get ones that bloom at Different times from variety.

[tloonya]

Apr 7, 2014 12:20:15 GMT -5 CarolinaKat said:

I use mulch. I doesn't stop ALL weeds, but it cuts down on them significantly. It also helps retain moisture from rain so you don't have to water as often (I don't really at all) and it helps protect the bulbs over winter.

I recommend going with some bulb plants/flowers that will overwinter in your zone and come back in spring. You can get ones that bloom at Different times from variety.

Ok, how think is the mulch layer and do you press it really hard with your feet so it is really there? And what if you used some weed killer spray? bad for flowers?

[CarolinaKat]

Generally if you want flowers I would avoid weed killer, it's pretty bad at telling the difference in flowers and weeds. A good way to prefent them is to cover the ground where your flower bed will be with cardboard and put the mulch on top. The cardboard breaks down slowly and it heeps things from growing. When I'm first starting a new border, I use this method.

You don't press mulch into the gound, you just pile it on thickly. I just did about 2" on my already established flower beds.

When you want to plant flowers, move the mulch to the side and plant them in the ground beneath (punching a hole in the carboard if you do this before it breaks down). Then you plant the plant and fill the mulch in around it on top of the ground and water.

Hope this makes sense

[tloonya]

Apr 7, 2014 13:24:42 GMT -5 CarolinaKat said:

Generally if you want flowers I would avoid weed killer, it's pretty bad at telling the difference in flowers and weeds. A good way to prefent them is to cover the ground where your flower bed will be with cardboard and put the mulch on top. The cardboard breaks down slowly and it heeps things from growing. When I'm first starting a new border, I use this method.

You don't press mulch into the gound, you just pile it on thickly. I just did about 2" on my already established flower beds.

When you want to plant flowers, move the mulch to the side and plant them in the ground beneath (punching a hole in the carboard if you do this before it breaks down). Then you plant the plant and fill the mulch in around it on top of the ground and water.

Hope this makes sense

It does, thanks. Plenty of cardboard here!

So, Carolina, you said 2" for established flower bed. Mine is just dirt now. So how think?

Also I favor gerbera daisies and I was planting those in the mulch with bit of the dirt from the pot I bought it in.
They grew like crazy! One year, not the next one though. I know those are annual, just saying 2 different years for same kind of flower.
Strange.

Thanks for your input.

[sarcasticgirl]

you can put down landscaping fabric, which is supposed to keep the weeds from coming up.

put a layer of soil and such on top and plant the flowers in that. 

[Otto the Orange]

I would recommend that you ask this question to Loony in her advice thread

she has given me awesome advice so far

[CarolinaKat]

Apr 7, 2014 13:29:37 GMT -5 tloonya said:

Apr 7, 2014 13:24:42 GMT -5 CarolinaKat said:

Generally if you want flowers I would avoid weed killer, it's pretty bad at telling the difference in flowers and weeds. A good way to prefent them is to cover the ground where your flower bed will be with cardboard and put the mulch on top. The cardboard breaks down slowly and it heeps things from growing. When I'm first starting a new border, I use this method.

You don't press mulch into the gound, you just pile it on thickly. I just did about 2" on my already established flower beds.

When you want to plant flowers, move the mulch to the side and plant them in the ground beneath (punching a hole in the carboard if you do this before it breaks down). Then you plant the plant and fill the mulch in around it on top of the ground and water.

Hope this makes sense

It does, thanks. Plenty of cardboard here!

So, Carolina, you said 2" for established flower bed. Mine is just dirt now. So how think?

Also I favor gerbera daisies and I was planting those in the mulch with bit of the dirt from the pot I bought it in.
They grew like crazy! One year, not the next one though. I know those are annual, just saying 2 different years for same kind of flower.
Strange.

Thanks for your input.

If you use cardboard 3 inches or so will be good. Mulch does break down over time (which is also a good thing), so you will need to re-mulch it occasionally... Most people do every year, I have LOTS of borders, so i do more like every 3 or so.

I like perennials myself, it's just easier on me, they require less care and come back year after year.