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National Naked Gardening Day

National Naked Garden Day! It's time to strip down your garden! May 6, 2016 is National Naked Gardening Day. Are you going to join in??

I’m not quite sure I want to see it in it’s purest form. I’ll share with you our form in just a sec. According to the UPIGardeners from around the country took off their clothes and planted flowers to celebrate the 10th annual World Naked Gardening Day, organizers said. Mark Storey, 54, started the event with his friends after asking respondents in a poll what they enjoy doing naked, the New York Daily News reported. Swimming was the No. 1 response, but gardening came in at No. 2. (read full article here)

So, then, let me tell you OUR version of naked gardening. we’re using this image from Shovel Ready Garden because they did a pretty awesome job of it and I want to let you learn from them! (Learn about all the mistakes we’ve made along the way using this method).

Using Cardobard in your garden | Mom with a Prep
Photo credit: https://shovelreadygarden.blogspot.com

Naked gardening is the act of stripping off all the compost, mulch, debris and add bits of things in a garden plot that has been at it a few years. We strip down everything, reposition the timbers if need be, adjust their screws to make sure they are still well connected. Then we let it all breath, amend it and start layering it all back in. (Learn about all the mistakes we’ve made along the way using this method).

We line cardboard to help deter weeds and an icky vine that permeates our yard (thanks old owners who planted it, and thanks old renters who never bothered with the upkeep so the stuff is rampant EVERYWHERE). The cardboard gradually breaks down adding to the organic mass. We also line the edges of the bed with cardboard to keep weeds/organic matter coming in the sides of the bed. It looks a little funny in the beginning having the cardboard standing up along the edges, but it soon begins to settle into the bed and you won’t see it. Large pieces we cut down.

Then we ‘dress’ the beds again after they’ve had a chance to be naked and air out for awhile. Our amended soil includes bat guano, lava sand, compost, chicken droppings, earth worm castsings, etc.

Then in go the plants, on goes the mulch, and watering happens.

Read the great tutorial here at Shovel Ready Garden for more specific how-to on creating this kind of garden bed.

So how’s that for naked gardening? 😀  And stop trying to peek under the wrap!

And to see more on the mistakes we made and lessons we’ve learned since beginning the square foot gardening method, check out this post:

Square Foot Gardening - our favorite method of managing a garden in a small suburban landscape. But we did make a few mistakes along the way. Learn from our mistakes before you tackle your garden!

 

And for even more gardening tips and ideas, click here:

More gardening ideas from Mom with a PREP

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Katy Willis is a writer, lifelong homesteader, and master herbalist, master gardener, and canine nutritionist. Katy is a preparedness expert and modern homesteader practicing everyday preparedness, sustainability, and a holistic lifestyle.

She knows how important it is to be prepared for whatever life throws at you, because you just never know what's coming. And preparedness helps you give your family the best chance to thrive in any situation.

Katy is passionate about living naturally, growing food, keeping livestock, foraging, and making and using herbal remedies. Katy is an experienced herbalist and a member of the CMA (Complementary Medical Association).

Her preparedness skills go beyond just being "ready", she's ready to survive the initial disaster, and thrive afterward, too. She grows 100% organic food on roughly 15 acres and raises goats, chickens, and ducks. She also lovingly tends her orchard, where she grows many different fruit trees. And, because she likes to know exactly what she's feeding her family, she's a seasoned from-scratch cook and gluten-free baker.

Katy teaches foraging and environmental education classes, too, including self-sufficient living, modern homesteading, seed saving, and organic vegetable gardening.

Katy helps others learn forgotten skills, including basic survival skills and self-reliance.

She's been published on sites such as MSN, Angi, Home Advisor, Family Handyman, Wealth of Geeks, Readers Digest, and more.

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