Category: Garden

Finally, it’s Spring! And that means it’s time to get back to work on the garden I started in the Fall.

We put in 3 10 foot posts for the back wall and 2 5 foot posts for the front wall and framed in an A frame shaped trellis to grow things like cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and cantaloupe a little more vertically. We built the front, lower wall in place but had to build the back wall on the ground and then deposit the entire thing into its waiting post holes. The posts are buried 2 feet. So, the front wall goes just over the back edge of the garden and the rear wall is about 8 feet high. We attached 5 inch garden netting to support the vines.
Building a Better Garden, Part 5
Building a Better Garden, Part 7

After getting the irrigation system in place, I layered in a layer of burlap fabric (to help with water retention at this level), fallen tree branches and twigs, peat moss, and garden dirt. Finally, top it with straw of mulch, and leave it to do it’s thing to prepare for Spring.
Building a Better Garden, Part 4
Building a Better Garden, Part 6

After getting the weed blocking fabric down, I put in a 4-6 inch layer of gravel. On top of the gravel, I put in a 2-3″ layer of sand.
Next I constructed an irrigation system to go in the sand layer. The idea behind this watering method is that the garden will be slowly flooded from the bottom up, where the layer of dead tree trunks and compost matter will act as a sponge and slowly release water up to the roots of the garden plants.

The PVC pipes is basically a loop with holes drilled every 3 inches on the bottom side. The vertical pipe is fitted to attach directly to a garden hose.

Building a Better Garden, Part 3
Building a Better Garden, Part 5

As it turns out, mortaring bricks together is a bit of a chore. 😉
Building a Better Garden, Part 2
Building a Better Garden, Part 4

After digging the hole and leveling the ground, I had to place the bricks in place for the wall to make sure everything would come together properly.

Building a Better Garden
Building a Better Garden, Part 3

I started this garden in the fall to make sure the soil would be ready for planting in the Spring because I am doing a kind of Hugelkultur bed.

I used some of the concrete bricks that would ultimately become the wall of the garden to lay out space for it on the ground. It will have three rows of bricks for each wall. I plan to fill it like a Hugelkultur bed. It will be layered with gravel, sand, dead trees, compost matter, and garden soil.

Building a Better Garden, Part 2