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Humusy
material like peat moss traps moisture in the soil while sand provides
good drainage. Anna recommends a soil mixture of one part peat moss, one
part loam, and one part course sand. Getting the right sand is
important.
The sand typically used in children's sand boxes is too fine. Limestone
screenings sold at building supply stores packs down too much. So Anna
often orders builders' sand which is mixed with gravel. This is a
formula meant to be mixed with cement to make concrete.
"The ideal sand is river sand, ", says Anna. "But it's
hard to get. River sand has rounded edges that are good at trapping
pockets of air."
Using a wheel barrow, Anna mixes the peat moss, sand and loam in small
batches. Alternatively, she has tried layering the peat moss, sand and
loam
"If I'm really desperate, I just put in the layers and then when I
plant something, I just dig in that particular area and mix up the soil
and hope the worms come and till the rest of it!"
On the rocks
"Try to get rocks from your area -- they'll look the most
natural" says Anna. Even granite is suitable for rock gardens if
it's indigenous to your area. Although not as porous as limestone or
sandstone, granite is better for acid-loving plants. No matter what type
of rock you choose, it should all be the same type. Don't mix limestone
and granite, for instance, in the same bed.
"Get as big a rock as you can move", says Anna. "Or, as
big a rock as your spouse can move! Rocks tend to be graded in the trade
as a one-man, two-man or three-man rock."
With the help of levers, Anna manages to move a two-man rock without the
help of her spouse. "When you're moving rocks you want to try not
to get any marks on them," she says.However, sometimes it's
hard to avoid marking them, so Anna has a remedy.
"You can hide whitish marks to a certain extent to 'weather them
in', by using a mixture of buttermilk and moss and rubbing it into the
rock." To speed up the weathering process, she has also rubbed in a
solution of composted manure and water. |
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