Would love to see some pics, Gary.

Could you cut back on the amount of water the misters emit?

Have had good luck with cypress mulch not washing except in torrential rains.

Rosie

Some pictures would be great.

Hi Gary. You may have to dig down and remove muck until you hit rock. Then fill in with stones and gravel to make a solid base. Then put your beds on top of that. You can still plant palms and other plants, the roots will find their way into all the cracks. You are sure the water is coming from rain and your irrigation? If it's ground water, that is a whole different subject.

hi
here is a pic of shadehouse plants being readied for
permanent homes lol have just started on the epiphyte plantings , Have placed a few ferns but most of the orchids are still in pots hanging near the chosen location.
With this kind of planting have to srart at the tree tops and work down or trample what's undeneathlol
Actually the misters have only run twice this summer more than enough rainfall in fact too much lol.
i am getting excellant drainage from the beds as intended but in spite of my almost pure sand soil I'm getting the "jungle effect anyway
can't dig down as get seepage at around a foot The ground level plantings are still undecided naturally so real paths are still tenuous . just need something that can keep the walk areas from getting muddy . that won't wash away
and pushed into the soil . On the deep shade area i've placed some scrap boards but the tend to slide .
thanks gary

Gary, are you near any Asian markets? See if you can locate one that sells the simple, unadorned type of Philippine sleeping mat which is very inexpensive. A customer who travels the Pacific Rim alerted me to this product. When placed on the ground it makes a good temporary walkway in damp areas and smothers all weed growth lasting about a year when exposed to the elements. Landscapers on the west coast should be able to find this product which helps holding hillsides and discouraging unwanted plant growth. Nursery owners should stock and inform customers of the many uses of these sleeping mats in the garden such as using as a mulch beneath tomato plants, squash, eggplant, etc.

I have a friend that sells day lilies and he has put old strips of carpet with the jute backing side up between his rows. He puts mulch on top of that in some places and nothing in others. It works well for paths to keep out the weeds and mud and has been there forever. You would have to decide if the look would be okay. It would be free and recycling.

Hi
have a lot of asian markets around but have never noticed the mats Sounds like a good idea. have used outdoor carpeting under lava rock moss beds tended to hold too much water BUt sure kept the weeds down
had some oil dri and small turface that I use for aquatic plants may take more than I want to put down though lol
Still could be incorporated into whatever permanant paths . but that's at least 2 years away depending on how severe the winter thanks for the suggestions gary

one of the best tips I have found on this forum !
thanks Nandina.

Mitch, I thought you westcoasters would jump all over the idea of Philippine sleeping mats. I did considerable research on the subject and find that the importers are mostly on your coast and that special orders for more yardage are welcome. With some experimenting I suspect you are going to be able to reduce the cost of certain landscaping procedures. Hopefully you will update us with your experiences using the matting.