Garden Redo Project: Raise The Beds!

Once the fence was up, Mike and I agreed to divide and conquer the next two steps... raised beds (me) and gates (him).

It was finally time to build the beds and decide exactly where they should go. With the extra 3.5 feet to widen the pathways, I knew everything would have to shift over. The original bed footprints were very helpful as a starting point.

The beds came in two kits. It's the "Frame It All" modular system and I found a really good deal on amazon where I could buy two L-shaped beds that were 12ft long and remake them into the 5 beds I wanted (the new 5th one being one level and narrow along the back for non-rotating perennials including herbs and strawberries).

I built the four main beds easily at 4 ft x 8 ft and 11 inches (or two boards stacked) high. I was able to put them together by myself with the screw driver attachment on our drill. It was very easy to do, just tedious because there were so many boards to assemble. Once the hardware was on though, putting things together was a snap! In fact they came together so easily that Matt was able to help with a rubber mallet on his own. (And yes it's still full of toys back here - it's how I get anything done with a 3-year-old!)

When all 4 beds were assembled, the dirt to fill the beds arrived. All 4 cubic yards of it. We had it dumped on a giant tarp on the driveway because we knew from our last experience 8 years ago that thunderstorms can wash a lot of dirt away. While I had two full days of sun ahead of me, we had a new problem... it smelled. BAD. Like manure and compost and fresh dirt. It very was unappetizing and we had company coming over in two days with plans to have apps and cocktails outside on the patio, where the stench was the worst. So I had to get moving and get that dirt in the beds.

I put weed blocking fabric at the bottom of the beds because the weeds have grown out of control during the construction process.

It was SO much dirt... but we needed it. I filled the first 4 beds with 3.5 cubic yards/50 wheel barrow loads on Saturday. It was exhausting, but the weather was cool and dry so I took advantage. After that the pile was small enough to wrap up and cover with the tarp to protect it from the rain and block the smell. MUCH BETTER. We were able to entertain with a barnyard aroma on the patio. And I could show off our progress in the garden too.

The last bed, the 12 ft by 2 ft one along the back needed a little modification since the strips are 4 feet long and I wanted the bed 2 ft wide, so two panels were cut in half. For the 12 ft beds the kit instructions recommended using strips in the middle as braces when they get so long, which worked out fine since we had just enough. I built the bed and filled it with dirt.

This bed goes right up against the fence in the back, I don't need a path all the way around it since it's only 2 feet wide - just enough room for little things like herbs and strawberries. It's also a level shorter than the other beds because we aren't planting things here that need deep roots like carrots. If I ever decide to make it taller or wider, I can just order a few more more boards - the best part about these beds is that they are easily added onto. For now, this is just what we need.

Of course the hardest part is still to come - but I'm excited that we are getting much closer to the finish line!