Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Last year we put in two 4x8 raised beds and I did two more in the ground. Another two were herbs all of about 4x8



this is later in the year:




This year we added 4 more raised bed and I rearranged my herbs. We also added a compost bin and I moved my thornless blackberries to each side of it.









Here are some of my spring flowers, the iris are from my mom who got them from her mom.





A round flower bed that came with the house, but I think they only thing original are the hostas, which have been divided.



and a gratuitous pool pic, from 2 years ago when the pool was freshly painted and we had just put up the gazebo.



Right now EVERYTHING is a mess! We are re-roofing our garage so everything inside the garage is outside, and I still need to install supports on my bed before I plant my tomatoes and cucs and stuff!! Loads to do but it will be well worth it in the end.

Wow! Your gardens look beautiful. Bonus points for the pool :)

Nice! That's an impressive amount of work. What kind of wood did you use for the raised beds? They look deep.

I'm very envious of your garden and all of your space! beautiful work!

Well, we moved here in February of 2000 and its not really until the last few years we have done anything to the yard or house really. I always had a garden, first chain link, which was the previous owners dog run. The whole backyard was chain link and no trees. Then we added the willows along the fence, to try to give us more privacy. We let the pool go south and were thinking of filling it in, but that much dirt was to expensive. Its a 20x40 concrete pool. Then we had troubles with the neighbors, so we but up a wood fence partly around the backyard and then a couple of years later we finished it and brought it up to the front of the house in the side yard. The dog passed away so I was able to open up the garden more and not have to fence it in.

We have clay soil and quack grass. I spent years trying to pull it out, burn it and eventually herbicide it. I just could NEVER get it all out. If one little piece was left it would start growing again. I have been in tears many times sometimes from pain of the body and some from frustration!

So last year we decided to do the raised beds, they have OSB bottoms to keep out the quack grass. The boards are 2x12x8 untreated pine boards. I figure they will last at least 5-10 years, then I'll worry about what to do. We filled them with top soil, 25 40 lb bags per bed. Maple leaves, peat moss, soybean meal, wood ashes, and rock phosphate. I need to test the soil to see what I need to amend it, but its rather chunky the first year. All in good time!