This past weekend, I spent most of Saturday in the back garden. Most of the work involved weeding, designing the space and building up the raised beds. It's amazing how much earth you can move with a simple garden rake. It helped that the soil wasn't too compacted. Instead of framing each bed with lumber, I drove wooden stakes into the ground and used string to outline the growing areas. Not only was this more cost effective, it also involved much less work.
A major difference from the before picture don't you think?
Here's a view from the opposite end of the garden....
...as well as a semi-close up of the beds. I'm actually very pleased with how it all came together. The paths should be easy to weed with a stirrup hoe and once in while, I'll tidy up the edges of the raised beds with the garden rake.
Sunday was all about getting my summer transplants into the ground. It was a lot of work and I rushed to get everything planted before I had to catch my plane in the afternoon. I didn't quite finish but the rest can wait until when I get back. I didn't take any pictures before I left so I won't be able to post any until I return home late Thursday.
I hope you all are making major progress in your gardens!
Wow, that's great progress. I admire your straight, tidy beds. I garden similarly, but not as neatly -- I have mounded beds and use a rake to form beds, but I only occasionally put up string while forming the beds. Mostly I just approximate things, so it gets messy and uneven.
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great summer season! It's certainly off to a good start.
I'm all for cost effective and less work. Your string work looks perfect. I did a new potato bed and debated wood boxes. Like you I opted not to use them. So far the potatoes don't seem to mind. Your garden looks great, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to use stakes and twine to section off your garden. Great idea.
ReplyDeleteLooks great!
ReplyDeleteThat's my ideal garden in size, layout, and soil! Great job.
Looks great! Very neat and tidy... great alternative to raised beds using wood and I bet a lot more cost effective. :) Your transplants look great as well.
ReplyDeleteI love it! I opted to tear out my wood boxes and just mound my beds this year, too. Most of the time I'm not sorry I did, but I don't think my garden looks as pretty as it did in the boxes. My problem is that my garden space isn't quite wide enough for a layout I would like. Yours is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteI hope my garden ends up looking half as fantastic as yours. I actually like the look of using string instead of boxes - to me it makes it seem much more open and airy. I'll probably end up mounding my beds as well, and use the saved money to buy more seeds for next year. :)
ReplyDeleteWell done. This is definitely a good way to do raised beds. I opted for boxed edges though because I use the edging to anchor my hoops for grow tunnels.
ReplyDeleteI thought about doing the no sided raised beds too. I opted for sides because of the flooding rains we had last year. I figure the soil would all wash away. But no sides has a lot to say for it. You can make the carrot bed higher if you want. And you can change you mind about how things are laid out from year to year. I love to be able to change things. I used to move things around in my last garden all the time. I'm stuck with what I have for a while now.
ReplyDeleteWell it is how Martha used to do it (and possibly still does), I have always thought it looks quite neat and tidy, plus you can 'move a bed' quite easily if need be.
ReplyDeleteWow, Thomas! I am sure it was a LOT of work to get that garden into shape. The results are so neat and tidy. Weeding will be easy as well.
ReplyDeleteIt looks wonderful! Great work.
ReplyDeleteAre you cross-posting? I found your stuff at another blog and it looks fishy: http://gardeningwhenitcounts.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThat looks really great! I'll be eager to see how this works out for you as I have a garden expansion in my future.
ReplyDeleteAmazing! You continually inspire me. I hope to make our garden something close to this. Keep up the great work!
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