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[Bentley]

Out of shape.  Have not used a walk behind mower in 9 years.  It was 92°, but only a 59° Dew point.  Usually I can do more with that low a dew point, but not after mowing the garden strips!  Only got through a thrid of it!

[Bar-B-Lew]

I am a little surprised that bermuda grass grows where you live as I thought it may be a little too cold for it.  I know I had it in Memphis and it grew everywhere including across the driveway if you let it.

[Bentley]

Not sure what lat. you would have to get to before it would not thrive, or more important the Winters would kill it!

[dk117]

A view towards the garden this morning ... I liked the diffused light.  More to come as the pumpkins get bigger!

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[Bentley]

Next project is raised garden beds.  The picture is a 4x2x8, I am going to make a 2x2x8 foot.  I actually will be making 12 of them.  Will down size the 6 beds that are about 3'x23' down to 2, 2x2x8 or a 16 foot long bed 2 feet high and 2 feet wide.  Gonna start on number one tomorrow!  The existing 3 on the left will stay cinder block and have 2 more rows added.  The 6 on the right will be replaced with the new raised beds.

I am through bending over to weed and harvest!

[Bentley]

Mine does not have the tight lines and is not as square as his, but I think it will work.  Took about 3 hours to make the frame.

[Bentley]

So almost done.  I am going to use the old 1x2 that is behind this planter to put a ledge on this 8 footer.  A little more support never hurts.  And the old Hillbilly ones need to come out anyway.  Think the next one I will make will be 2x2x10.  That way I only give up 18 inches on each end of each existing bed!

[BigDave83]

Nice, never had a garden like that, we did have strawberry pyramids when I was younger. saw mill rough cut 2x10x10 for the bottoms, then 8 and 6 foot for the top two tiers.

[reubenray]

This is my wife's garden back in May before leaving for a two week trip.  I had moved all of her plants into the garden area to water them.  She is still picking tomatoes.  My SIL picked 9.5 pounds of them in one day.  The raised garden itself is 4' x 8' double stack of cinder blocks.  There are onions planted in the cinder block cells.  She also had pole beans, cucumbers and squash planted, but the tomatoes did he best.  Our soil is too rocky to plant anything in the ground itself.  I plan on enlarging it this fall to make it 4' x 12'.

[Bentley]

That is a nice set up for a confined space!  Fence for deer, or multiple critters?

[Bentley]

I bought a oil based stain/sealer.  I think it looks better then the pressure treated color. I saw another reason to seal pressure treated was to keep those chemicals in and not leach into the soil!

[pmillen]

That has a nice look.  I can't stoop.  That's the solution.

Do you fill it with dirt or are the bottom layers stone or pea gravel?

[Bentley]

The youtube video of the construction suggested a unique way to fill the space.  He collected downed tree limbs and sticks, which we have an almost unlimited supply of.  He then puts leaves, then finishes with top soil.  What I will do is after the limbs and sticks, I will add a bunch of cardboard I am collecting.  Then we will go down to the evil old cow pond and bring up buckets of good ole Virginia clay, then add the 2023/24 compost, then finish with the top soil that was on the 2023 garden.  I like the wood idea, as it not only helps with volume, but it keep the beds from having huge amounts of soil pressure pushing out the middle and bottom portion of the bed for at least a couple years.  Am also stoked on the wood breaking down over the next 3-4 years and the bio-nutrients that that will add to the garden!  Should get away with almost a $0 fill fee, just the cost of diesel to get soil up!

I am hoping 10-12 inches of great top soil for the 1st 2-3 years will be enough for any roots of vegetables we grow, but that is a guess!

Do you fill it with dirt or are the bottom layers stone or pea gravel?

[Bentley]

Been trying to get the 2nd one built...but it has been Cool Hand Luke weather here for the last 2 weeks and I only make it till about 10:30!  Have decided to build a 2x2x10' and see how it will work, along with the new sheet metal side instead of vinyl!  That way will have 20' beds and will only lose 1 1/2 feet on each end and 6 inches on each side.  Will make the row much easier to mow!

[Bentley]

Me and bending over to garden are coming to a quick end, this is the last year for me!