New York gardener Ross (@scottishrootsnysoil) was hitting a wall when landscaping for his new flower bed, but pivoted to a new strategy, which he shared on TikTok.
“If your soil’s rocky, skip the digging and used cardboard + soil = instant new bed for bulbs! Sometimes the easier way is also the better way,” Ross wrote in the video caption.
@scottishrootsnysoil If your soil’s rocky, skip the digging and used cardboard + soil = instant new bed for bulbs! Sometimes the easier way is also the better way 🌱 Part 1 of building my new bulb bed! Follow for spring bloom updates 🌷 #gardening #springbulbs #nodiggardening #gardenasmr #backyardgarden ♬ original sound – Ross | Scottish Roots
The video shows him trying to cut into his lawn and dig, but clearly, the rocks were slowing him down a lot. A later video showed how he completed the bed with a whopping seven layers, including wood, branches, mulch, topsoil, and more.
Cardboard is a great tool for a range of gardening projects. It can be used to kill grass when you want to plant something new there. Others have used cardboard for layered mulching or adding browns to compost. Putting soil and plants on top of cardboard is no problem, since the cardboard decomposes naturally over time and is porous enough for roots, moisture, and oxygen to penetrate.
Replacing grass in the yard is a smart move considering how much it costs to water. Native plants are amazing replacements, since they have evolved for the local climate and are naturally drought-resistant. They’re also well-suited for supporting the local ecosystem, including threatened pollinators. Pollinators are vital to propping up human food systems, but heat waves and indiscriminate pesticides have led to a dive in population.
A healthy yard can equally provide erosion control thanks to deep root systems and mitigate surface flooding conditions by channeling water into the soil. As heat waves increase in severity and frequency, retaining this water will be vital for keeping plants healthy and happy.
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Ross’s TikTok followers were all aboard on the idea of working smart instead of hard.
“Great idea!” replied one community member.
“So relateable. I dug put one part and was like nopeeee the rest is getting cardboard,” said another.
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