Keeping Weeds Out of Flower Beds

Question:

How can I, a physically disabled women, keep grass and weeds out of my front flower bed (consisting of over 200 gladiola bulbs). The flower bed is surrounding my front deck. Also, I have many other plants and flowers throughout the yard? The grass, weeds and wire grass just about ate them all up this past year.

There is too much demand on our watering supply to water daily, so I had a deep layer of mulch (that the bulbs wear planted/set into which would and did retain the moisture for the flowers).

I hired help to plant the bulbs in mulch that had been sitting for a two to four years BUT the grass, weeds etc. came up making the flower beds looking nasty/dirty and unkept.

I do not recall my grandparents having any trouble with their bulbs being over run by grass and weeds. Perhaps I was too young to notice them out daily weeding to notice why their flower beds always looked fantastic!

Please help with some sort of deterrent for me to use for this problem.

Laying a layer of water soaked newspaper and covering it with more mulch was suggested to stop the weeds/grass from growing. I haven't tried this yet, has anyone of you done this sort of thing or anything else to be a deterrent to weeds & grass growing in the flower beds?

Any help or suggestion will be greatly appreciated and used next spring in 2007 as I am sure that the over 200 gladiola bulbs will nearly double (or I am hoping they will).

Thanks and God bless you & yours.

Hardiness Zone: 7b

Paula

Answer:

Hi Paula,

Smothering weeds by using layers of newspapers, cardboard or a thick layer of mulch is certainly one suggestion I would recommend for keeping your plantings from becoming overrun by weeds. If you use organic mulch, like wood chips, leaves, pine needles or compost, you'll need to apply it at least 3 to 4 inches thick and select a type of material that will neutralize the pH of your soil. I would avoid using straw, because it often contains weed seeds, which will only make your job that much harder.

Another strategy you might consider is to crowd out the weeds by planting a ground cover once your glad bulbs pop through. Not only will a ground cover help crowd out the weeds and prevent them from getting sun, but the right ground cover plants will also provide some interest until your gladiolus get into full swing. You might even consider trying a dwarf grass for this purpose.

There are also several lightweight tools available that are designed specifically to make gardening chores easier for the physically disabled. These include long-handled tools with clip-on, twist-on or snap-on heads that allow gardeners to work from a seated position. Many come with cushioned, adjustable handles that are ergonomically designed for a firm, stress-free grip. A long-handled cutter or shears would allow you to keep the weeds trimmed down around your bulbs for a tidier look.

Another option I would urge you to consider is to contact your county extension agency about the possibility of getting help from your county or state's Master Gardener program. These programs are often looking for volunteer gardening opportunities for their members to participate in. Other groups that may be able to offer you volunteer assistance are 4-H groups, Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troops, school groups or church groups.

Finally, here is a good link to information on gardening for the disabled.

http://livingwell.tripod.com/handigardning.html

Ellen