renewing a garden

by Maggie
(Shelburne VT USA 05482)

I just bought a house in summer 2008. I am a beginner gardener trying to learn about the seemingly healthy established perennial gardens.

There seems to be a large variety of old perennials and medicinal herbs, but it is so overgrown. I have gotten a late start and I am still clearing out all the debris, decomposing leaves, sticks, etc.

In one of the gardens it just has runners of weeds and roots everywhere. The weed roots are all intertwined in the perennial roots, but the perennials, i.e. sweet peas, black eyed susans, seem to be relatively healthy.

Then I discovered the landscaping fabric / weed cloth underneath everything. I have no idea how old it is. The cloth itself is not decomposing, but all the roots of the perennials and weeds are growing all around it. There is all this old mulch on top of it and underneath the cloth too.

The mulch has not broken down too much either. There is not a lot of fine organic matter or dirt to work with.

All in all, it a matted mess. How do I get this garden ready for planting this year? If I remove the weed cloth, how do I not damage the roots? How do I save the already existing perennials and plant new plants and perennials around them? How do I get this garden back without destroying it?


Doug says you have inherited a complete mess of a garden and you have my sympathy.

Here's the honest, unfortunate deal. Keep the garden alive this summer by watering.

This fall (mid-September) , dig up every perennial.

Remove the weed fabric (this stuff should *NEVER* be put in a perennial garden)

Dig the ground to remove any weeds, rocks etc.

Clean the perennials from any weeds (there will be grass etc mixed in between the roots of the desired flowers)

Store the perennials in the shade while you're doing all this work.

Replant the perennials.

You now have a weed-free garden with restored plants and you're ready to start gardening yourself.

Good luck - sounds like a perfectly terrible thing to have to do. And those steps are the way you have to procede.