So the past few years I’ve really been getting into gardening. I mean…we used to have a garden when I was a wee tot, but then the hobby died off. In 2010 I re-launched our garden …but this time, I wanted to build something that would reflect the wood of our deck and seem like it was meant to be there, instead of an afterthought. I’m a HUGE reduce/reuse/recycle advocate, but I’m also a fan of saving money, so I figured reclaimed materials would be the perfect option for my ongoing garden construction. Using almost exclusively reclaimed materials, I built a pergola and several raised boxes. The first year I built the pergola, then last year 2 raised beds. After becoming more confident in my gardening abilities, I decided to expand the garden so it can fit more food!
Today I built the wrap around bench below the pergola (check out the picture). It’s a little wonky, but I did the best I could with the mismatched wood. However – if the number of screws is any indication of sturdiness – that bad boy is here to stay! Eventually I’ll put some edging around the seat to make it prettier, but for now it’s good. All my potted herbs will be lined up on one side of the bench, while the other side stays clear for lounging. On the back of the “lounge bench” I’m planning to add ropes for pole beans to grow up…kind of giving the garden a living privacy screen. Cool, right? Then hanging above the “herb bench” will be hanging cherry tomato baskets. Woo!
Okay, so now onto the raised boxes (some of them aren’t built yet). In the long box against the back, I’m planting 3 or 4 tomato plants…if there is room, I’ll also squeeze in 2 pepper plants. Another long box (currently under construction) will have cucumbers (mm mm mm!). Originally the square box was going to be completely strawberries, but now I’m not sure. Should I change it up and plant zucchini? For some reason, none of my zucchini plants have ever survived, so I might stick with a huge strawberry patch. We’ll see. Please share your ideas in the comments section! Also, what should be planted in the other box I’m building (it’s “framed out” in the picture by piles of wood haha)…lettuce, kale, eggplant?! Or should I plant flowers there to attract pollinators? Help!
Oh! I also picked up some blueberry bushes today…but no idea where to plant them yet. Sigh, I tend to get ahead of myself…but hey, gardening is fun! Anyway, that’s the progress on my garden, I’ll keep you guys posted on how things turn out!
Happy Weekend,
Stephen
