5.31.2011

DIY Raised Garden Bed

After a nearly three-month home project lull and two week vacation, we jumped right back into DIY projects. Well, some of us may have been dragged -- but let's not point fingers.

First up: a raised garden for the backyard. This is a progression from our playground garden of last year that consisted of herbs, tomatoes and peppers. We had the following cut at Home Depot:

2 10-foot lengths of 2x8 boards
2 3-foot lengths of 2x8 boards
4 12-inch 4x4 posts

We adapted ours after the one found here at Sunset.com. You can find detailed instructions there or use my highly technical explanation below.

Secure boards and posts together to make a big rectangle with short, stubby legs.
See -- that wasn't so hard, was it?
Dig holes to fit the four posts. This photo may or may not be upside down.
Place the legs in the holes.
Fill with approx. 12 bags of soil. Make sure you have someone strong like Mr. VB to carry all those bags. They are heavy!
Plant way too much fruit, veggies and herbs for your little space.







Total cost of the project (with lumber, soil, truck rental and plants) was just under $200. But, think of the cash we'll save on eggplant, squash, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, brussel sprouts, basil, oregano, rosemary, and strawberries. Have you seen the price of a strawberry lately? And, don't even get me started on tomatoes.

2 comments:

  1. i LUVED my raised beds :) we went with the mega cheap version tho lol we baught the long lengths of untreated landscaping logs only cost us a few $$ per log we cut them and used metal stakes to lock them all in, i think raised veggie beds r the bomb! lol my only advice is watch them strawberries! They can be invasive! But i didnt find it to be a bad thing i just made sure i kept them under control best i could! Good luck with the garden darl! Nothing beats watching all the yummy stuff grow and the first few harvests are oh so exciting :) (if you planted heirloom seedlings make sure u let a few fruits stay on the plants n drop off n rot that way u will have seedlings pop up next yr ;) )

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  2. That's awesome, Jess! I still can't get over how handy you guys are! Any chance you could come over and help Ryan and I with some things around our house? :) Keep up the great work!

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