Making Our Beds

We're creating a second garden bed near the house, in addition to the larger co-op garden on our side lot. We have terrible soil, very rocky, so we need to create our own.

First, my husband cuts down a couple of old trees. We have five wooded acres on a ridgetop so trees are no problem. He then measures and cuts them to fit together in a rectangle. Then we lined the bed with thick newspapers.

In this case we had to start with some purchased dirt mixed with manure and peat. We planted some purchased items plus some transplants with the bed pictured filled with climbers.

We cover everything with straw which keeps the moisture in and weeds down. If weeds pop through the newspaper, we pile on more straw, which becomes mulched in at the end of the season. We'll add egg shells, coffee grounds, leaves, grass clippings, etc. throughout the season, layering it to create soil for next year.

Bed #1 houses the tomatoes and peppers plus everything is ringed with marigolds. We'll have to fence it off since the raccoons, oppossums and deer come visiting pretty often, taking only a bite and leaving the rest.

It's going to jump into the 90s the next couple of days - and this is Spring??? Then it will cool down to the 60s. The poor veges won't know what to do.

In the meantime I have the flowers waiting in the shade of our porch until the cooler temperatures come back.