I have one garden that has languished for years. It has poor soil due to erosion, it's hard to water and the deer use it as a bed and breakfast. It now mostly consists of garlic and periwinkle.
Last year, I started adding manure, bucket by bucket from the barn. Then, I added milkweed seeds. I have a lot of milkweed in the yard, but I have never been able to get any to grow here. I thought the better dirt might help. I planted both common and swamp milkweed.
Well, it looks like it worked--at least for the swamp milkweed--which I think is the prettiest. I have quite a few seedlings. Once milkweed is established, it is really tough--and deer won't touch it. I doubt if they will bloom this year, but next year will be pretty.
I have only had 2 sightings of monarch butterflies in my milkweed in all these years. Sigh.. I really want some caterpillars.
I also spread some tick seed sunflowers--and they are sprouting, too. I have done it before with no results, so even though they grow in the worst places in the park, they needed better soil in my yard. The deer will nibble at them, so I don't know how well they will do, but they are another plant that doesn't need any care.
Next fall, I have a bunch of daisies I want to transplant in there. Deer don't like them, either.
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