Wednesday, May 12, 2010

And So it Begins…

How many days ago was it that I said I wasn’t going to have a garden this year? And why then have I spent the past two days planning, shopping and getting ready for a garden?

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As one of my gifts on Sunday the guys went ahead and built the raised beds. Right now the beds are full of newspaper and wet straw to kill off any weeds and whatnot lying beneath.

We’re calling this Extreme Obstacle Gardening. Note the dirt area with the bird bath in the lower left hand corner of the photo. There is a concrete slab under there, you can see part of it sticking up next to the first raised bed. The slab is embedded into the ground because of the generator explosion. That rusty thing behind the bird bath is the second generator. We had to arrange the fence around that slab as well as the garden beds. See that dirt area in the center of the photograph? That’s where the old apple tree used to be and where the stump remains. Just beyond that, running underground from left to right across the entire area, is an electrical wire. So if you’re wondering how the layout came to be as it is, there you have it. It’s not as willy-nilly as it looks.

I don’t know if you can tell, but the gate to enter the area is behind the generator. That area is left more open so I can navigate the area with a garden cart. It also allows me the opportunity to fill the half-barrel planters with things like mint or oregano or other herbs that like to take over a garden.

This coming weekend the beds will be filled with topsoil and manure and I’ll finally have a place I can actually call a garden instead of tucking my tomatoes into the landscaping. I’m so excited! I may have gotten a little carried away with all the excitement though. I don’t suppose I need all of the 32 tomato plants I brought home from the garden center…

christinesig

12 comments:

Michelle said...

I am so jealous! I dream of raised beds, but my DH grew up with a traditional garden, and by gum, that's the way it must be. But 32 tomato plants? Are you planning to have room for anything else??

Robin said...

32 tomato plants. . . my husband always tells me that I get too many tomato plants (and he never gets enough as far as I'm concerned). Good Job!

Karen said...

It's bee yoo tuh full!! What an awesome job and what a great gift! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Leigh said...

Michelle, my situation is the same as you. I would love raised beds but DH love his tiller more! And Dick Raymond. So we compromise, the big vegetable garden will be traditional, but my herb garden front yard won't. :)

Benita said...

Congratulations!!! Woohooo!!! I am so green with garden envy right now, but I am so happy for you. I'll bet you could crow like One-Eyed Calico Jack!

Karen Anne said...

I have to figure out how to have a vegetable garden without having to dig up the top layer of it and turn it over with a pitchfork every spring to deal with the grass that grows in.

The fact that I have some perennials like rhubarb and horseradish and some herbs mixed in means it would even be hard to use a tiller.

Every time I see a tree stump, I want to tell the owners, do you know you can have those ground down for a pittance? I had that done in my old yard, and my neighbors here had it done a year or so ago. It took the woman who did it about fifteen minutes.

Whosyergurl said...

You gonna be canning a lot of tomatoes, girlfriend! Shooeee!
At least you have fences to keep out the critters. We've had rain every day this week and I haven't been able to get out. My body is itchin' to be outdoors!
xo, Cheryl

Sandra Henderson said...

Can't have too many tomatoes!
Looks lovely.
ENJOY! XO

Unknown said...

It looks nice! I see you sprayed your fence rows too. ;D You sure pay attention to details which is why your place always looks so nice.
32 tomato plants? A CSA project I hope, or you'll be swimming in tomatos this summer!

John Going Gently said...

that is soooo neat and tidy!

makes mine look like a bomb site

Renee said...

Sigh - I planted two tomato plants into my landscaping. With 32 you can can a lot of salsa. I also used to blanch and freeze tomatoes for red sauces.

Callie Brady said...

Wonderful garden! It will be a pleasure to work in that garden. I'm still in the process of making my raised beds. I got side tracked into cleaning the chicken pen and composting.