Sunday, June 6, 2010

Garden construction photos

I finally have a photo to share of our new raised bed garden.  It is a work in progress, but I think it is going fairly well so far.  Things are sprouting up nicely.  I'm hoping the soil is deep enough to produce healthy fruiting plants.  


Yesterday I set up my salad tray.  I thought I would show you the basic construction in the photo below. The screen holds in the "dirt" (but you actually use a non-soil potting mixture) and then the wire mesh gives it support.  We weren't thinking and used treated lumber.  I'd prefer not to poison myself, so I took the left over plastic from the topsoil bags used in the raised beds to line the edges before the dirt went in.  


And here is what it looks like finished.  Well, almost finished.  It started raining before I could get it planted.  I have a lettuce blend and I'm going to see if radish will grow in it as well.  You really could grow anything that doesn't produce huge root systems.  Now I'll be able to walk out onto the patio, clip off some lettuce and make a salad.  I shouldn't have to worry about slugs or rabbits eating my lettuce (although if we had more deer, I'd be nervous).  


I'm keeping the garden kinda small this year.  It is taking up a lot of my time as it is.  I may add more raised beds in the future.  A tilled up plot of earth may be necessary too tfor the larger vining plants I'd like to grow.  
I had also wanted to keep some backyard chickens but need to find/build a coop first.  It may get delayed until next year.  
I do have some vacation time coming up soon.  Two weeks in a row!!!  I'm very excited about it.  I'm going to have some time to really finish unpacking and settling into the house (we have things in the pole barn that need to be moved to the basement, etc).  Charlie and I will be going "up North" for our 5th anniversary.  I also get to spend some time in Grand Rapids, MI.  Life is good.  

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