Raised Garden Beds

 I am feeling better, but I still have no stamina to get things done. I guess I might be getting old. Eddie is doing much better and is eating the new dogfood with gusto. Of course all three eat the same food, out of the same bowl. They like it and that's all that matters ... well and not making them itch.

Today I did this. Ummm, did what? With the help of HeWho can handle the weight of the big chain saw. He cut, then I carried the board to the end of the embankment and tossed it to the ground. He helped me screw the pieces together and I did all the rest.

It all started when I was sick and bored and I was lurking around on Marketplace ..... and what to my wandering eye should appear....but a bundle of the cut side of trees with the suggestion they would make great raised bed planters. The light bulb over my head blinked on. I clicked on the ad and found that it was quite a big bundle of these long (some of them were 14 ft long) end cuts and priced at $30. For all of it! I do love a bargain, you know.

My next challenge on the road to raised beds was to convince HeWho would have to hook up the trailer and drive to this place that was not far away at all, that he wanted to get this bargain.

I had two things on my side, not only was it not far, but it would solve the problem of buying the wood to build the beds. 

It was a gorgeous day as we set out to get the load of wood. It was out in middle of a really beautiful area. The road was paved, so it wasn't desolate. It was sloped up in the back and the Dogwood trees were in bloom and it was just so lovely.

The man got the big toys out and loaded the trailer with the precision of someone who knows his equipment. To the far left is the sawmill and the pile was bigger when he started.

This was the first load. The boards are so heavy he had to pick up smaller loads. The trailer was full, side to side and up to rail. It still is! We (actually, it was me) decided to just leave it up by the She Shed.

Despite not having to back the trailer down our steep drive, he still managed to break one of his tail lights. This morning I finally convinced him to come up the drive with me and saw the boards. My little saw would have eventually gone through the board if I didn't run out of patience. I walked up, he rode the mower up and we cut the short ends and then the long sides for two beds. I walked to the end of the embankment and tossed them down. The first one we cut was for a 36" long bed. I was going to carry the side boards together, but they are too heavy. I did a lot of walking. There is a slope up on the embankment, not nearly as bad as the driveway. I was winded after I transferred the wood and then decided to rake the winter leaves up to use in the bottom of the new raised bed. I am always schemeing ways to get more than one chore accomplished.

Yesterday we drove out to another remote neighborhood and I scored 24 strawberry plants for $25!  And today the stawberry plants have a new home! The strawberry bed is on the outside of the fence. The bed on the inside is planted with baby lima beans. We will build a bed for this one and the other existing beds as we go. When done their will beds around the perimeter of the fence, on both sides. 

Tomorrow we will cut two more beds and assemble them. That is the easy part! Cardboard, topped with dead leaves, then soil from the side of the mountain, which is heavy clay will go on top of the leavesand finally a good thick layer of grden soil that has been ammended will top it all. Then the plants or seeds are next. This is going to take awhile!