Perenial garden design
Then because of the snow cover all winter, she doesn’t need to start weeding until June. There’s not a lot of open space for weeds to take hold. First of all, she designs each bed so plantings are full, but not crowding one another. Weeds are usually the biggest task in an organic garden, but Roberts’ planting strategies and low-fuss maintenance calendar keep them at bay with little stress. “Synthetic fertilizers are derived from the petroleum industry, and they can leave behind toxins such as petroleum, arsenic, and lead.” Instead, she uses an organic product with ingredients high in minerals such as greensand and glacial rock dust, along with the more common organic ingredients such as blood, bone, alfalfa, and kelp meals. “We grow everything without the use of synthetic fertilizers,” she says. We also add more compost to the beds every year.” Compost has some nutrients, but to give plants an extra boost, she uses organic fertilizer. “When planting, we dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and add shrimp compost or manure, mixing it well. Roberts also credits a healthy soil with getting her plants off to a strong, pest-free start. “We use the natural defense of nature to take control.” By using a combination of native plants and well-adapted perennials, she invited wildlife such as birds, toads and frogs into the garden beds to eat unwanted insects and keep pests under control. “Biodiversity is the key to our success,” says Roberts.
#Perenial garden design free#
Yet veteran gardeners know that without careful planning, keeping a 24-acre parcel free of invasive weeds and pests could be a full-time job. įrom the start, Roberts knew she wanted the garden to be fully organic.
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Visit Plant Paradise Country Gardens on the web at. It was a roaring success, with visitors to the garden declaring, “I’m in paradise!” The inspiration for their nursery and botanical garden was complete, and they devoted themselves full-time to their new endeavor. As their recording careers were wrapping up in 2004, they looked around their property and realized they had so many potted plants needing dividing that it made sense to have a plant sale. Little did they realize how true that would become.
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“We used to joke that I was working on my retirement fund,” says Roberts. It was a joy for her to research the different varieties, acquire the seeds, and care for them until they were large enough to plant in the garden. Over the course of their successful musical careers, gardening was a constant thread which grounded them and brought them together.Īfter purchasing their expansive creekside property, Roberts began growing thousands of perennials from seed.
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“It’s always been in my DNA.” Former recording artists Lorraine and RJ Roberts have plenty of experience making a living doing something they love. “Gardening is my passion,” says Lorraine Roberts.