Garden progress

Even though I feel like I'm about a month behind everyone else, this garden project is, first and foremost, a learning experience.  I have already learned many things, and while I will do a few things a little different next year, for all my lack of gardening knowledge, I'm pleased with just how far my instincts have gotten me.

We've had the pallets for a few weeks.  Yesterday I drug them from the side of the house, and laid them out where I'd decided I wanted the garden to go.  These are not your grandmother's pallets.  They are much larger, and they are *heavy*.  Moving them was no small feat.  After leveling them up a bit, it was time to add the trellis.  Some cheap pipe, a few fittings, nylon string I had in my sewing box, and some leftover hooks in the tool box, and we had a trellis for the pole beans.

 

My three, lonely little pots are three of my herbs.  The two in cardboard pots will go into the 3 gallon buckets I picked up at Walmart for $1.67/each, after they sprout and harden.  The terra cotta pot contains my chives.  They will remain in that pot, and I will snip them as needed.

I asked Cliff to build me a rugged potting bench.  I think I will house my chive pot there, when it's done.

Back to the trellis:  7' is the finished height.  From what I have read, 7' is a good height.  We will see, obviously.

 

The tomatoes and sweet peppers have been making their home in the 5 gallon buckets for the past few days, and appear to be happy doing so.

 

I have a little surprise up my sleeve for the garden markers.  Another 'free' project to share with you, thanks to Walmart...more on that later.  =)

The pallet boxes need their weed barrier added (I will use several sheets of newspaper, which is a great, natural weed barrier).  We will be using cedar fencing boards to box in the pallets, and then it will be time to fill them up with soil!  By then, my seed starts will be ready to transplant.

I have a feeling this year I will only get two of the three boxes planted with veggies, but leaving the third pallet empty is just not an option that appeals to me, so I think I will do some flowers, just for fun.

We will soon hang our "welcome, bees" shingle, and pray that everything grows to some degree of success.  No matter what, I have really enjoyed this process.  It's a way to connect to the cycle of life, and watch Mother Nature do what she does best...