Sand Bed #1

A picture from when the sand bed was about 3 years old.

Our first sand bed was made with 4 to 8 inches (10 - 20 cm) of masonry sand (the kind used to make mortar for bricks) put down on top of the existing soil. The the grass that was there was killed first with ROUNDUP (Glyphosate). I used a lot of rocks to make small terraces and edges to allow the elevation above the existing grade. This bed has been very nice, but since it was built about 1987 many plants have died and some others are taking over. Delosperma nubigenum and some of the Phlox subulata cultivars are threatening to cover everything. I have to perform some drastic surgery this year to save some penstemons, callunas, and a Petrophytum hendersonii.

A picture from when the bed was about 8 years old. with the golden river of Delosperma nubigenum and Phlox `Schneewitchen'.

Please see the sand bed plant list for all of the kinds of plants that have done well for us.