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The Leaf Garden: The Deccan Herald
Hyderabad, Feb 29: It is magical to have a tree growing just outside our bedroom window. But it does not seem so magical when its leaves pour all over the terrace . But did you know that you can use them all up and make a garden in leaves alone?
Hyderabad, Feb 29: It is magical to have a tree growing just outside our bedroom window. But it does not seem so magical when its leaves pour all over the terrace . But did you know that you can use them all up and make a garden in leaves alone?
Many organic gardeners (those who do not use harmful pesticides in their garden) have started growing their vegetables, flowers and even herbs in beds that contain only leaves and a little garden soil, stuffed into a wire frame!
After some months, the leaves break down into rich, dark, humus which you can add to your regular garden beds, to grow even more herbs like coriander and methi and flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums. Dahlias too!
To try out your very own garden out of leaves you will need lots of leaves, some kind of wire frame to hold them in place and a few stakes to support the wire. Now get lots and lots of leaves to fill up your leaf bed. You can even beg some from your neighbours, pick them up from the roads and wherever you find that leaves are becoming too much! Pack them down tight. Once the frame is filled, top the bed with three inches of soil. Now plant your seeds or seedlings in the soil on top of the leaf bed and water it. As the plants grow the roots will reach downward into the decomposing leaves to find all the nutrients they need. Weeds also don’t grow in the leaf litter that surrounds the plants, so the beds are easy to care for! To keep the soil from spilling outside the wire, tuck a barrier of grass clippings or straw around the inside edges of the frame before adding the soil. Soon your leaf bed will turn into compost to use as a potting soil!
After some months, the leaves break down into rich, dark, humus which you can add to your regular garden beds, to grow even more herbs like coriander and methi and flowers like marigolds and chrysanthemums. Dahlias too!
To try out your very own garden out of leaves you will need lots of leaves, some kind of wire frame to hold them in place and a few stakes to support the wire. Now get lots and lots of leaves to fill up your leaf bed. You can even beg some from your neighbours, pick them up from the roads and wherever you find that leaves are becoming too much! Pack them down tight. Once the frame is filled, top the bed with three inches of soil. Now plant your seeds or seedlings in the soil on top of the leaf bed and water it. As the plants grow the roots will reach downward into the decomposing leaves to find all the nutrients they need. Weeds also don’t grow in the leaf litter that surrounds the plants, so the beds are easy to care for! To keep the soil from spilling outside the wire, tuck a barrier of grass clippings or straw around the inside edges of the frame before adding the soil. Soon your leaf bed will turn into compost to use as a potting soil!