Constructing and Planting our Garden from Scratch
Rocks. That is the dominating memory we have from the time when we dug out our garden. We couldn't use a rototillar because we were doing raised beds, which meant that we did all of the work by hand. Despite the work, we were really happy with how the garden came out, and the Lord blessed us with a great harvest!
We wanted to use raise beds in our garden because we'd heard about the many advantages of this system from Mike McGrath and our gardening books. (For more on raised beds, see Philosophy.) We began the work in March when the weather began to get a little warmer. By April, everything was in place. We would definitely recommend this system to anyone looking for a better way to utilize their garden space!
The area we chose is relatively flat, with no shade.
We used untreated wood for the beds.
The beds were a simple rectangular shape, 10 ft x 4 ft.
Brackets and screws held the boards together.
Our six completed raised beds!
Nate did the hard job of digging out the grass.
We pulled out rocks by the barrel-full!
The ground sloped slightly, so Nate leveled the wood.
We bought a truckload of compost from Heaveners.
Raking the compost was the easy part!
The compost was a rich, dark color.
See, we're not exaggerating about the rocks!
Next, Nate installed the electric fence.
Nate stands proudly next to the gate he built.
Our garden is ready to go, and the first plants are in! (This was April 2007)
We started our seeds inside in early March in the bathtub under a bright light.
"The Father loves his Son, and he has given him authority over everything. And all who believe in God's Son have eternal life." John 3:36
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Last updated 4/08 | The Paine Family © 2008 All Rights Reserved
Last updated 4/08 | The Paine Family © 2008 All Rights Reserved