Pre Border

Our kitchen window overlooks what we refer to as the "west garden".  It is very loamy soil and was covered with grass and blackberry vines when we moved in 7 years ago.  I spent weeks clearing it by hand; ripping out the blackberries and pulling the grasses out.  Every year the grass grows back and tries to reclaim it.  So I hired a very able helper, Zach, to clear it out for me.  Then I added some steer manure and topsoil to it and dug a trench around it to put in a brick border.  That'll keep the grass from trying anything!

Here's the garden before installing the border.