We have been working hard through the early days of February, battling the cold, rain and hail to get a jump start on our big plans for the backyard so that the new vegetable beds will be done in time for planting. The vegetable garden overhaul is just one step of the entire #backyardrenobywright plans.
Step One; was to remove a rickety old pergola from our patio, which I unfortunately forgot to take photos of. And at first when I realized I hadn't taken any photos I wasn't too concerned because it seemed like a small task in comparison to our other plans but once it was out I was amazed at the difference in made to the feel of the back yard! It felt so much bigger!
Step Two; a much bigger task and probably the biggest of them all was to completely overhaul the vegetable garden which originally was a barely raised 11x15ft garden with knee height fence and a gate. And although it has been my paradise for the past three years I had to come to terms with a few of its flaws, such as; its inefficiency in space and water consumption, it's less than perfect soil quality and the fact that being almost entirely ground level meant tip toeing past growing baby vegetables while trying not to squish them with a hose or step on the poor dears. So it was time for it to go.
Step Two; a much bigger task and probably the biggest of them all was to completely overhaul the vegetable garden which originally was a barely raised 11x15ft garden with knee height fence and a gate. And although it has been my paradise for the past three years I had to come to terms with a few of its flaws, such as; its inefficiency in space and water consumption, it's less than perfect soil quality and the fact that being almost entirely ground level meant tip toeing past growing baby vegetables while trying not to squish them with a hose or step on the poor dears. So it was time for it to go.
I had dreamed of having a privacy fence built between our yard and the neighbours since the day we moved in three years ago. Now don't get me wrong, I really like our neighbours, they are nice people, I just didn't want to see their trucks and trailers as a backdrop to my vegetables. So we finally pulled the trigger and had a local fence guy come and install a beautiful 6ft cedar panel fence!!
As you can see we dug the existing vegetable garden down, covered with a heavy duty landscaping fabric and started the construction of our cedar raised beds. We built the raised beds out of 4x4 posts salvaged from the pergola and bought new 8ft cedar planks. We left the bottoms open and pounded the 4x4 posts into the garden and through the landscaping fabric for stability. The three raised beds measure 8x3ft We then filled the bottoms of the beds with approximately an inch and a half of rock for good drainage. Then we layered the beds with the best soil from the original garden, compost and horse manure. Luckily given the time of year we started the project the beds now have a few weeks to sit and stabilize before any seeds go in!
As you can see we dug the existing vegetable garden down, covered with a heavy duty landscaping fabric and started the construction of our cedar raised beds. We built the raised beds out of 4x4 posts salvaged from the pergola and bought new 8ft cedar planks. We left the bottoms open and pounded the 4x4 posts into the garden and through the landscaping fabric for stability. The three raised beds measure 8x3ft We then filled the bottoms of the beds with approximately an inch and a half of rock for good drainage. Then we layered the beds with the best soil from the original garden, compost and horse manure. Luckily given the time of year we started the project the beds now have a few weeks to sit and stabilize before any seeds go in!
The final step was to surround the beds with a crushed granite to finish off the garden beds ... and here they are!
That my friends is Step Two completed. Step Three is in the works and I'll post some more on that in the coming days. We also picked up these awesome wine barrels from a friend that we are going to turn into dwarf apple tree planters. C was able to cut them in half with a circular saw and the colour of the wood inside is just beautiful!
So far this project has been so much fun and we've had so many friends and family pitch in and help us with materials and tools and I think that speaks to our homesteading dreams just as much if not more so than the vegetables we grow and the animals we'll raise. When everyone lends a hand in the creation of these ideas, you know you are part of a community that can depend on one another to make it through! We are so blessed to have great family and friends!
More to come on the #backyardrenobywright ... Step Three includes the interior renovation of my darling she shed and Step Four, the creation of a backyard fire pit retreat!
More to come on the #backyardrenobywright ... Step Three includes the interior renovation of my darling she shed and Step Four, the creation of a backyard fire pit retreat!