Can anyone suggest other ideas of what to place in this bed?
I ask because we have our Septic Tank area enclosed with railroad ties, we did this to keep people from parking on it. Seems something about the area draws people to want to park there.. The area is about 16x8 and until recently it has been a "Bed of Weeds"...I have always been afraid to plant there for fear when it had to be pumped, the workers would have to dig my bed up completely..Several weeks ago we had a company come out and pump the tank.. All they did was dig a hole in the middle, pull a plug (cover), and then put it back when done... We then put the dirt back over it. While they were here they told me that I can use it as a flower garden. The guy suggested that I just place a bird bath or a good size plant over the plug that way it can be removed for future pumps and put back.
My hubby went to the dirt pit and bought a truckload of Garden Soil.. They told him it was top-soil mixed with compost.. We removed weeds, laid down landscape weed barrier fabric and he put the soil in about 4 or so inches deep. Thinking of adding more soil to build it up a bit more and I'm not opposed to poking holes in the fabric in order to place perrenials that need to set roots.
So now I have a good size Alocasia cucullata, Chinese Taro, in a whiskey barrel planter atop the plug. I moved some different varieties of Elephant Ear to the back side of the bed.. right in the front corner I planted a Manaus Asystasia so it will trail out of the bed... There is a bench under some EE's in a back corner and a big pot of Blackie Sweet Potato vine in the other front corner. I can't really put anything in the ground that will root deeply.. I don't need the roots growing into the septic tank.. --
Forgot to mention. the bed is in the middle of my back yard. There is a huge maple to the east (back of it) so plenty of morning shade. The front of the bed gets full sun from about 2 pm, but the back of the bed is still part shaded by the maple tree for the rest of the day..
What ya think? Any suggestions? Zone 8b.
Thanks...
I ask because we have our Septic Tank area enclosed with railroad ties, we did this to keep people from parking on it. Seems something about the area draws people to want to park there.. The area is about 16x8 and until recently it has been a "Bed of Weeds"...I have always been afraid to plant there for fear when it had to be pumped, the workers would have to dig my bed up completely..Several weeks ago we had a company come out and pump the tank.. All they did was dig a hole in the middle, pull a plug (cover), and then put it back when done... We then put the dirt back over it. While they were here they told me that I can use it as a flower garden. The guy suggested that I just place a bird bath or a good size plant over the plug that way it can be removed for future pumps and put back.
My hubby went to the dirt pit and bought a truckload of Garden Soil.. They told him it was top-soil mixed with compost.. We removed weeds, laid down landscape weed barrier fabric and he put the soil in about 4 or so inches deep. Thinking of adding more soil to build it up a bit more and I'm not opposed to poking holes in the fabric in order to place perrenials that need to set roots.
So now I have a good size Alocasia cucullata, Chinese Taro, in a whiskey barrel planter atop the plug. I moved some different varieties of Elephant Ear to the back side of the bed.. right in the front corner I planted a Manaus Asystasia so it will trail out of the bed... There is a bench under some EE's in a back corner and a big pot of Blackie Sweet Potato vine in the other front corner. I can't really put anything in the ground that will root deeply.. I don't need the roots growing into the septic tank.. --
Forgot to mention. the bed is in the middle of my back yard. There is a huge maple to the east (back of it) so plenty of morning shade. The front of the bed gets full sun from about 2 pm, but the back of the bed is still part shaded by the maple tree for the rest of the day..
What ya think? Any suggestions? Zone 8b.
Thanks...