Aesthetic soil for vegetable growing

[CubanBenny]

I am looking make the top layer of soil in my vegetable growing area more attractive layer. Nearly all of my garden is used for growing fruit and veg, so I’ve gone to quite a bit of effort to make the garden look nice as well as producing plenty food for me.

However, one element which brings down the aesthetic of the garden is the dull dark brown naked soil which is on show throughout the year. Quite a bit of soil will always be on show, for various reasons, so I was thinking a good way to improve the attractiveness is to make this soil a nice dark golden colour. I have seen this done in show gardens and it looks great.

I was wondering what people thought was the best way to achieve this sustainably. The show gardens I’ve seen have just used fresh golden peat compost.

I was thinking to just strip off the toplayer of soil in the most visible parts of my garden and replace it with a mixture I buy in. For the mixture, I was thinking of using yellow/reddish fine sand mixed in with mature straw manure. This I think would give a nice colour initially, but what would happen over time! Has anyone else tried to do something similar or has any advice for my vain pursuit 😉?

The mixture may also be too free draining for my brassicas so not sure what to do with them. They prefer a bit more clay in the mix.

[Snadger]

Around my perennial stuff in the garden I fancy using white or pink gravel as a mulch.

[CubanBenny]

Around my perennial stuff in the garden I fancy using white or pink gravel as a mulch.

Interesting. Currently I use bark around my perennials as a mulch. The decorative gravel is nice idea though. Would look better than my bark.

[veggiechicken]

Grow ground cover plants.
Anything organic, sand, straw, bark, will break down and become part of the soil. Stone chippings take longer but also become part of the soil over time unless separated from it by some impermeable layer.

Soil is beautiful - its doesn't need makeup.

[bario1]

What about Strulch? That's quite an attractive ground cover.

[CubanBenny]

Grow ground cover plants.
Anything organic, sand, straw, bark, will break down and become part of the soil. Stone chippings take longer but also become part of the soil over time unless separated from it by some impermeable layer.

Soil is beautiful - its doesn't need makeup.

I grow green manures in winter which can look nice. However that still leaves a lot of naked soil throughout the year.

You make a fair point on the organic material decomposing. It seems everything decomposes into a dull blacky brown colour. However sand doesn’t decompose, I believe. But I presume the other decomposing material will just surround it quite quickly, so it won’t be long before it turns into a dark brown mix.

[CubanBenny]

What about Strulch? That's quite an attractive ground cover.

Yes, straw mulch looks nice initially. That’s why I was thinking of going with the straw manure/yellow-red sand mix. However I find mulch is only worthwhile for my annuals.

[Jimny14]

I'm personally going to put this on the "too much like hard work" pile. Whatever you use will decompose to brown if organic, and sand will become incorporated in to the soil over time by worms etc. Whatever you put on will require replacing and will in time change to composition of your soil.

[Small pumpkin]

Just plant more so you can't see the soil

[CubanBenny]

I'm personally going to put this on the "too much like hard work" pile. Whatever you use will decompose to brown if organic, and sand will become incorporated in to the soil over time by worms etc. Whatever you put on will require replacing and will in time change to composition of your soil.

You are probably right. I will experiment with a few approaches. However, in the end they may be too hassle intensive.

[CubanBenny]

Just plant more so you can't see the soil

It's a good tip, and one which I currently apply. Planting veg closer than the seed packet says, and using intercropping is a good way to improve the attractiveness of the veg plot.

[veggiechicken]

How about astroturf?

[Snoop Puss]

Could you grow companion flowers in the summer? Would that do it for you?

[CubanBenny]

Could you grow companion flowers in the summer? Would that do it for you?

I grow quite a few companion flowers as is. And they are an important part of keeping the veg plot attractive.

[MyWifesBrassicas]

How about astroturf?

Use astroturf as a weed suppressant and water retention.
cut holes in the turf and plant your perennials through it, it'll look good