Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Re-gardening: Tanking the Inner Circle

It seems we do a lot of re-gardening.  I just can't seem to leave well enough alone.  What fun would that be?  So after a garden area has settled in for a year or so it's time to make changes even before addressing other areas that have yet to be finished for the first time.  The circle garden was fully planted in 2012 and looked great for fall that same year.


By fall of 2013 it still looked good but a little overgrown and somewhat tired so I was ready to change it up.


Winter is the best weather for big garden projects.  A few warm days in January allowed us to get busy and move all the plants, dig out the soil, scrape and level the surface.  Just the center of the circle because I have a plan.


This stock tank our renters left behind years ago has been kicking around the yard since we moved back home in 2008.  Here it's being used as a work table when we built the shed in 2009.


Then we moved it to the opposite side of the yard where it showed up in the background of photos like this one on planting the Orange Frost citrus tree in 2012.


We're ready to address the neglected area behind the garage where the tank was temporarily sitting collecting rain water for garden use, so it was time to find a permanent spot for the tank in the garden--but where?

A pond?  We considered a pond for a while, but we just couldn't commit to such a large water feature requiring that much maintenance and the bottom of the tank had begun to rust.  So, no, we're not doing a pond.  It is just the right size for the middle of the circle garden.  We considered putting it in there when we first built the garden but it stood out too much before the grasses and other plants matured.  This time it fits in nicely.



It takes a lot of dirt to fill a six foot by two foot tank so we ordered another load of topsoil.  Third year in a row and we might even need another truckload next year when we finish around the base of the deck!  A dump truck load of topsoil equals about 75 - 80 large wheelbarrows.  And yes, we move it all ourselves.


The tank required about 15 wheelbarrows of topsoil layered with leaf compost.  Now it's full of soil and I plan to let it sit for a while to settle in.  That's the plan.  I heard you're supposed to let soil and compost sit awhile before planting.  We'll see how long that lasts.


It's a good thing the weather has been so cold this winter.  Too cold to go plant shopping except when it's 80 degrees between cold fronts and we get busy doing other projects in the garden.  When it's cold outside I'm researching trailing plants for around the rim and ideas for the center.

I'm glad to have finally found a spot for the tank after five years of looking at it and continually moving it out of the way.  Now, what will I plant?  I'll show you in the Spring.

This is going to be fun.

32 comments:

  1. Oh, not even a hint of what you plan to put there? I've got a couple of stock tanks in my gravel garden, both planted with things that have a tendency to run -- one has bamboo and the other has Tetrapanax. It looks great as the centerpiece of your circle garden.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't have a plan yet and I'm working on ideas now. I'll certainly post again as soon as it's planted.

      Delete
  2. Sometimes priorities in the garden aren't entirely a matter of logic, are they? An idea takes hold and you find yourself running with it regardless of what you originally had on your "to do" list. (It seems to happen to me all the time...) Your 2013 circle garden was certainly beautiful but I'm sure you'll have great fun creating a new garden in the stock tank!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm looking forward to something new. We did need to get the tank out of the way and this was the best spot. Now we can address the neglected areas more easily.

      Delete
  3. How fun! I love stock tanks in the garden, both as ponds and planters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your stock tank pond is iconic and your tank planters were inspirational too.

      http://www.penick.net/digging/?p=19831

      Delete
  4. It looks good there. Good idea.
    I bet you'll come up with something great to plant in it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm trying to choose carefully so I can leave it for a while.

      Delete
  5. It seems you can't garden in Texas without a stock tank. I've been admiring Pam's for ages. Now you can share my envy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are very common in Texas and becoming more and more common in gardens. It's time we joined in the fun!

      Delete
  6. I like it Shirley. I have jointgrass in my small tank but I don't think it would work in your large tank. Herbs would be cool however.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to look into that even if just for the fun of saying "jointgrass" on a regular basis!

      This is the hottest spot in the back yard so I need to choose carefully.

      Delete
  7. Hi Shirley, I think this is a wonderful project! It looks great, it's certainly an inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's going to be fun and I like that my ideas have inspired you.

      Delete
  8. Perfect focal point for your garden! I can't wait to see what you plant in it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does look just right there now. I'll be back to show you when it's planted.

      Delete
  9. Shirley it looks great and will be a great feature in that garden....how I wish we could garden in winter a bit...it is a very cold and snowy winter here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our winter weather is beautiful and 70s most of the time. Every few days or so we get a cold front and temperatures drop for a couple of days then back up to the 70s which is pretty standard.

      Delete
  10. I couldn't believe it when I saw your heading. The circle garden looked fabulous to me, but when you mentioned the stock tank, my imagination went wild! What a fabulous idea! I can't wait to see what you plant in it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It will be fun and I look forward to getting it planted soon.

      Delete
  11. I love it! Excellent placement and you were smart to wait for just the right place to put it. I wish I were that patient.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patient or indecisive, there's not a lot of difference sometimes.

      Delete
  12. You've been doing some great thinking. What a versatile tank, on its way now to something wonderful. Again. You do a masterful job of repurposing, which amounts to a fine way to keep a garden fresh, new.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An interesting concept that adding old things makes the garden new. I enjoy finding old things for my new garden.

      Delete
  13. You're wise to let the soil settle. Between our normal January weather and extended cold snaps, a few of the plants I added last fall to freshly dug beds had begun to heave. I had to quickly devise a way to build up their soil level and mulch them on a day with rapidly dropping temps and no time to shop for compost, etc. I always love the excitement of a new bed. Happy plant shopping!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have also been very cold this year so I need to hold off for a while.

      Delete
  14. You would make a pond using this tank as well. But I think you've found a good decision, right place for it, in a center of your garden. Wait to know what you will plant there.
    Have a nice day, Shirley!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Nadezda, I can't wait to show you all the plants I will put in there.

      Delete
  15. The tank makes a perfect focal point for the center of you circle bed! Love it and can't wait to see how you plant it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We'll need to wait until it warms up which may be longer than usual around here.

      Delete
  16. The tank in the inner circle should make a nice focal point. It will be fun finding the perfect plant or maybe sculpture and plants to put into it. I will look forward to seeing what you come up with! Such fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm getting close to making decisions. I've have been thinking of how to put a sculpture or something in there along with plants.

      Delete

Thank you for stopping by. To comment simply open the Name/URL option, put in your name or initials and skip the URL.