Sunday, May 3, 2009

New Recycled Plant Nursery

Today I (ok Patrick, nailed them together) made raised gardening beds from old wood. I have two large retaining walls on both sides of my house. I but two compost bens on one side (made out of recycled pallets). Well, what to do with the other wall? Helen, my gardener advisor (new title) suggested I make that whole wall into a kind of nursery (raised beds) for young plants. WOW, what a great idea, the area is perfect.
The people who owned the house before us collected old lumber. There is a pile of 2x2s, 2x4s, 4x4s and even a old phone pole. Last year, I made two raised beds out of some of this lumber. Right now they house, my blueberries, blackberries, and butterfly bush plants. They will stay in this nursery until ready to plant.
Today, I found the lumber I needed and hauled it up to the house, this is a hard walk. Then I had to pull out all the old nails. Then laid it out, this is where I asked Patrick to use his handy nail gun, made things so much faster. When I nailed to other two beds together...my thumbs hurt for weeks. I am not a carpenter, gardener, farmer, etc....but hey I am faking it and having fun trying. They do not look perfect or beautiful but they are made and made with recycled wood. I so love to recycle!!
Then I started filling the beds with dirt from around the yard. I shoveled and unshoveled six wheelbarrows full of dirt. I got three beds out of the six filled. I will continue to fill in with dirt. Then will add some compost and topsoil. After this is finished, I can go around my yard and take cuttings of all my plants. Then I can put them in my new recycled plant nursery.
I'm very proud of the day.

3 comments:

Christy said...

What a nice days work! Shoveling dirt is hard. I did a bunch of that today too. I need to go get a load of compost tomorrow and finally get the garden planted.

Sondra McCoy said...

Hey, where are you getting your compost from?
Guess you got your truck?

helenw said...

Yay! I want to see pics! And I like my new title-