A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 crepemyrtle

I need some ideas and plants to put on my 2 crepemrtle trees. I have they are bare on the bottom and need some colorful plants. It gets full sun 10 hours. Some colorful plants that will last till fall if possible. My 2nd question is how to make a bed for my crepe, cause im going to add the plants. I need the basics on how to prepare a bed?Do i use a spade to dig the grass? How much to dig off the grass. Do i use some kind of weedkiller for the weeds, or newspaper etc. Any ideas on how to prepare for my garden bed? I want to make a perfect circle around my crepemyrtle tree to start. Heres my picture of my crepemyrtle. go to http://community.webshots.com/user/deb789

That purple sage is gorgeous and the coleus ain't too shabby.

Are you going to raise this bed around the tree? How big of any area are you going to take in? If you're going to raise just the area around the tree, I would say put down paper and put the soil on top of it. If you want to plant all along the fence and out from the tree, I would spray with grass killer first. That's the easiest way from experience. Is that tree close enough to water because with so much sun a day you'll need to water the plants around it because the tree roots will suck up a lot of moisture. I answered your question with a question, but maybe we can figure this out.

Ok, you said you wanted a perfect circle around the crepemyrtle. The easiest way I have found is to take a length of string or light rope that is half the diameter of the circle you want. Tie a loose loop around the base of the tree. Then with orange marking paint(the can will spray upside down) slowly walk around the tree at the end of the rope/string while spraying the paint. When you connect the ends you have a perfect circle to start with.

If you use grass killer spray, make sure you protect your crepemyrtle with something like plastic or cardboard, so no spray gets on the tree. Most if not all grass killer sprays kill everything they touch.

The least work will be putting down newspaper or cardboard and then put good topsoil on top of it. However, make sure you do not pile it up to much around the tree, it may rot.

If you decide to remove the grass, there are tools specifically made for that, but I have found a good sharp shovel works well. I always take off at least an inch of dirt with the grass.

So, have you decided what kind of border yet?????

Hope some of this helps.

Okay im comfused!! Get a shovel dig out dirt then put newspaper then add dirt. Do i add the plants next, or Do i make a hole in the newpaper, then add the plants. Im stuck here can you guide me about to make the hole where the plants are gonnna be. Will the newpaper tear. Please explain!!

Sorry, did not mean to confuse you.
First, dig out the sod.
Next put down newspaper or cardboard. Now put down your good soil on top of newspaper or cardboard. When you put your plants into the ground, you may need to punch a hole into the paper depending on how deep your soil is on top, and how deep you are planting your plants. The paper will decompose over time and help your soil as well.
I hope this helps some. Good luck.