We installed this rock bed a few years ago as it was a dirt patch area. Unfortunately, due to a lack of knowledge at the time we installed weed barrier under the rocks instead of cardboard sheet mulch.
It’s now full of grass and weeds, and I’m sick of fighting it.
Would I be able to scatter seeds/plant natives in and amongst the rocks and let it flourish, or do we really need to remove everything and start from scratch?
by tomnick27
3 Comments
I think it depends on how thick the rock layer is. Wildflowers don’t need great soil but they need some.
The second one. You can put the rocks back (a lot of natives like a more gravelly soil) but that landscape fabric and the weeds will make your life hell.
I would remove the barrier. I would also remove the rocks, because they get in the way of any work you may want to do to that bed, but that’s my preference. (If you want to keep them, you can stash them in a kiddie pool for the time being.)
You will have issues with difficult-to-remove grass and weeds as long as that barrier is there. Clean out the existing grass and weeds and select natives that will do well there. What kind of sun does that spot get? What direction is it facing? What is the soil like? Does it drain well? Is it hard clay? Loam? What plants do you like, and how involved do you want to be?
I became a serious gardener more than 30 years ago, because work was so stressful. I found spending time in the garden brought back some peace into my life. However, if gardening is not for you, and you want a hands-off garden, now is the time to select low-maintenance plants. If you want to be able to have some perennials and a few annuals, now is the time to do some homework to find out what works best for that spot and your activity level.
[Take a look here](https://txmg.org/milam/files/2023/09/Native-and-adapted-Landscape-Plants.pdf) and see if there are plants that suit your spot – if you’re really feeling serious about doing some gardening (I highly recommend it to everyone) check out some books on native gardening. [I highly recommend anything by Sally and/or Andy Wasowski ](https://a.co/d/0fN7mRnV).