or an afternoon with old friends, new friends, and garden dreams.
One backyard. One wannabe edible landscaper. One willing family. A six pack of beer and a dream of veggies picked fresh from the garden.
If you're going to build a raised bed, just follow the damn Sunset magazine directions. Why. Not? Because this wishful backyard edible landscaper must be different, must know better than that magazine my Mom subscribed to in the 80's (and the piles are still in the garage to prove it), must not love love love the way that same magazine has been remade in the 21st century for ME and all of my friends.
What we did instead: upon taking on tape measure to said backyard, we determined that two 4x4 boxes would be fun and better than one. Take into consideration that everyone whose tending the garden should be able to reach into the middle of the box. Off to big box landia to buy wood (untreated, and maaaybe sustainably harvested), garden gloves, pruners, I think we got a trowel, and some screws. Then to Flora Grub to ogle the plants and buy very beautiful and very expensive organic potting soil. Cause it all starts with the soil. Back at the homestead, I opened some beer while J fired up his fabulous newish power drill and we got to putting the wood together. easier said than done.
Go team go!
My friend Kira says: LOL you guys are so funny. you don't know the first thing about building a raised bed!
Let me tell you how to build a raised bed...
Charlie inspects our work.
Charlie confirms that this was a very good idea indeed.
Meanwhile...Alexis the superwoman saved a tree that was being choked alive by ivy.
You learn so much about a plant when you have to tame it.
What would I have done differently? I would've either a)tried a little harder to find interesting building materials that we could reuse or b) gotten 2 inch wood boards, we only got 1x's and well, they bend, you do not want the boards to bend. You should at least brace the silly things. But hey. We did build some raised beds.
