Jason Hodges decided that he wanted to have a green area in his backyard; while this may sound like an easy endeavor to pursue, that notion quickly vanishes upon seeing that his entire backyard is a fenced in area floored by concrete. Undeterred by the artifice of his surroundings, Jason decided to create a raised garden space for his friends and family to enjoy the “nature’s carpeting” at home.
Jason started his garden area by laying out some lumber, favoring treated pine wood for its durability, for a futon with a headboard. While it is all well and good to have a base layer, Jason feels that he can do more to convey the idea of a natural bed and applies further lumber to apply the top frame; this effectively results in a planter bed. Satisfied with his carpentry skills Jason levels out the exterior with a sander, but recommends a plane as an alternative, before applying a healthy charcoal stain in order to give the entire project an extra bit of style and artistry.
After all of the woodworking and staining, Jason moves on to the natural carpet effect by laying down a sheet of geofabric. The geofabric stops the plants from slipping away through the nooks and crannies between each pine plank, while allowing the water to pass through without issue and the soil to stay healthy. After draping the geofabric into place, Jason fills in his craft project with soft leaf buffalo turf and then thoroughly tamps down all of the turf to ensure that it will properly foster plant development.
Jason advises that imitators should be mindful of the season they plan on growing their garden and to consider the average temperature and precipitation when thinking about whether or not to use a fertilizer. Additionally, he cautions that if someone wants to place their garden bed in an area with constant sun exposure, that person should mix some water-storing crystals into the top layer of the turf to minimize the chances of drying out the soil; each of these tiny crystals is capable of storing 100 times its own size in water, turning into a gelatinous mush when fully saturated with liquid. After properly feeding and saturating the turf, Jason rolls out his grass of choice and trims it to size with some garden shears. Jason remarks that he chose this particular variety of turf for its ease of care and pleasing tactile sensation once it grows out.
Once his garden bed is fully established, the only necessary upkeep is to give the “lawn” an occasional trim with some garden shears, both to level out the growth and down the perimeter, and a regular watering for the first few months that tapers down to 5 minutes once or twice a week.