When we moved from the mountain to this valley four years ago, we finally had the opportunity to build the garden of our dreams. I envisioned a ground floor market garden where we would grow plants that grow well in rows, a series of raised bed gardens where we could expand the space and better control weeds, and finally a greenhouse where I would start seeds and winter tender plants.
In the first year, we put in a market garden, and it has been our main garden until now. This year, we are putting in raised bed gardens, and I think it will take a full year for them to go the way I intended. Then there is the greenhouse – the last part of the plan. Seeing as it’s going to be the most expensive part, I think it’s going to be a few years until we get that project going.
Beds
Deciding what types of beds to go with was one of the longest parts of the process. There are so many – some cheap, some expensive, some good, some very basic, some non-toxic, some toxic – to choose from, so we took our time and researched many different options.
For me, good and non-toxic were the priorities. I also didn’t want to have to rebuild the beds every 3-5 years, so we knew we would have to spend more money to build beds that would last 10+ years.
In the end, we decide to go with the wooden frames with the tile installed inside. Galvanized tin is coated with zinc oxide to prevent rust, making it non-toxic and safe for an organic raised-bed garden. As it covers the treated wood, the soil will not come into contact with the wood, thus, keeping wood toxins out of our food while allowing the wood to last for years.
Dean and the boys built our beds to be 8 ft long x 4 ft wide x 4 ft tall. We chose this size so that we have plenty of room for our plants and don’t have to bend over when working on the beds. Eventually I’ll take the time to stain the green wood to darken it, but for now, it’s natural.
Now, you may be wondering what kind of soil we filled all the beds with, and the answer is that we didn’t use any soil.
The ground
We filled our beds following the Hügelkultur method, which is an old farming method used in Europe and Germany that uses rotting wood and plant debris to build beds instead of soil. It’s like building layers (larger plant material to smaller plant material) that eventually breaks down into compost that you can plant in.
Because we have a lot of dead trees on our property that break or fall in every wind storm, we had a lot of wood to use for the beds.
We started by filling the bottom of each raised bed with large logs, and filled the smaller gaps with smaller logs. Next, we wrapped branches, twigs, and mulch over the logs and covered that with small plant material, such as pine needles and leaves, old planks, and grass, to continue filling the gaps. I would say our beds are 3 feet full of this type of material.
For the last foot of space, we purchased plant-based compost from a local landscaping company and topped each bed with that. This was also an expense, but we will be new, so no surprise there. Once the beds were filled, Uriah threw in a few hundred wriggler worms into each bed for good measure as well.
We should have plenty of space on the wood for this year’s plants to grow on. Over the years, the wood under the beds will break down and become high quality compost, but we will definitely need to keep it. putting fresh compost on top of the beds each year as things settle and the wood underneath breaks down.
The structure
Nine beds are arranged horizontally and vertically in three rows in a 24 ft x 24 ft square area. There are gate openings that will eventually be installed, and there are four arches connecting the beds where the climbing plants will be planted. There is even more space in the center of the garden for a table or perhaps a statue or bench.
We also have plans to build a small in-ground bed next to our house where we will grow most of our lettuce, but we haven’t started on it yet.
Methods
Where the paths were concerned, we had many different options, but we chose to walk on the stone paths in the end. We made sure the beds were at least 4 ft wide, but I think closer to 5 ft because I wanted to be able to get a wheelbarrow or garden cart easily through the space.
To make the paths, Dean first removed all the grass from the area where we were laying the raised bed gardens with his tractor bucket. Next, we covered the weed barrier, sealed it, and put all the bare garden beds on top. From there, we measured the beds and filled them.
The next step in this process is to bring some kind of stone to fill the paths between the beds, but what kind of stone, I am not sure yet. Maybe stones, big pea stones or small stones – we haven’t put the prices in yet, but I know I really want a stone. I also need to decide on some sort of border that will surround the entire garden and keep the stone out of the grass (and the grass from crawling over the stone!), so that’s where I’m currently focused.
Plants
This year, we bought the same kinds of crops we always grow – tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, watermelon, peas, etc. it has grown before.
The plan is to plant the things we are most used to growing so we can practice planting in raised bed gardens. We put everything that likes sun in beds that get a lot of sun and everything that prefers less sun in beds that are shaded, and we’ll see how it goes.
Next year, we will probably plant more. I have dreams of growing everything, but I know that it is important to strengthen myself until I get used to this new way of growing things.
We also have our own market garden (a basement garden planted in market-style rows) where we grow potatoes, corn, pole beans, and pumpkins too, so we’ll have plenty to keep us busy all season long.
That’s right, friend! That’s all for this little project update. I hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of this project and hearing all the details. If you have any questions, feel free to hit reply and ask, and if not, I’ll talk to you soon!
Love and light,
Meagan
PS. Browse through all my past garden archives right here!
