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-   -   2011 Garden Planning Phase (https://ecorenovator.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1065)

insaneintenti0n 07-29-10 08:36 PM

2011 Garden Planning Phase
 
So, I have big, (not so eco-friendly) plans at the end of this summer for my back yard. I'm getting rid of a lot of stuff. Biggest space free-er-uppers: Pool (35'x18') and attached deck (12'x18'). Then redoing my 6' tall wood fence (it's in lousy condition) which is going to require ~38 eight foot sections. Maybe redo/remove the deck attached to the house. Then, landscape the yard. My yard is actually a little dangerous. Lots of ditches that you can catch wrong and twist your ankle. But, the benefit ultimately with everything will be going bigger on my garden.

I have a few ideas. Currently I have a 9'x3.5' raised garden that I started last year, then took over half of a 8' radius half circle flower garden this year. Which gave me at most ~100 sqft area.

So, now I will have the deck gone, which is a 12'x20' space which would be broken up into sections with walkways. That would get at best 160-240 sqft depending on layout and number of boxes. Or, I have the side of my house (currently just a fairly unused horseshoe pit area and nothing else) that's 35'x24', so with two 30'x4' boxes with walking space around em would get me 240sqft.

I have some options. Just need to start doing some drawing, thinking about what I want to plant, how much, etc. Though, if I go raised, that's a lot of extra dirt/wood, so while this year (minus water costs/time) was essentially free after last year breaking even, next year i'll likely be starting back in the negative.

(BTW: I'm drawing my plans out in Visio. When they're more finalized I'll post some pictures of my layout options)

eh, n/m, here's a quick pic. Garage at the top, house at the bottom. 'almost' everything to scale. still working on that, but it's all close. other boxes in the yard are garden location ideas. the back right of the yard will have a tree (we have none right now) so that's not available for a garden. and we'll still entertain, so i can't take over the whole yard :)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ti0n/house.jpg

Daox 07-30-10 06:51 AM

Which way is south on the map? Are you planning on doing more raised beds?

insaneintenti0n 07-30-10 08:16 AM

Good question. South is the Front of the house. (bottom of the image).

Likely doing raised, so i can control the type of dirt being used, but that's not a gaurentee. I'm still thinking about it all (particularly with the cost involved). Plus working around various trucks being in and out of the yard before I go and landscape and make it pretty.

insaneintenti0n 08-02-10 12:40 PM

I'm trying to plan too much at once to knock out next month... so this is getting difficult, but, right now i'm thinking NON-raised beds, and not sectioned. I'll do a roughly 19'x26' rectangular garden giving me ~500 sqft. Based on the picture, on the right of the house, I'll put it there, 4' away from the house, but using the fence as two of the boarders. I'll have to figure out fencing to keep out rabbits, but to let me in.

insaneintenti0n 02-07-11 10:10 AM

It's about that time for me to come out of hibernation. All the landscaping I wanted done last Oct was completed. Time to start planning what I'm growing this year.

I already made one purchase... Hops Rhizomes. I started into the home brewing thing this winter, so I'm looking at growing my own ingredients. I purchased four types: Nugget, Magnum, Chinook, and Cascade

The hopes for the rest of the 'plants', very similar to the previous two years:
Broccoli
Lettuce
Cauliflower
Green Peppers
Celery
Watermelon
Tomatoes
maybe a few Carrots
and Corn
and, who knows

I'll have to figure out dirt and tilling for a 25'x20' area. Plus the layout and additional watering if we have a dry summer again.

insaneintenti0n 03-18-11 06:42 AM

Well, the plan is in motion.

I started seeds inside on 3/16.

Yesterday I bought the wood and framed out the garden. The final size is 10'x30'.

Today the dirt (6 cu yards worth) is being delivered.

So the next week or so will be building/prepping the garden.

insaneintenti0n 03-28-11 05:34 PM

guess pictures are better:

moved this:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/photo-13.jpg

to here
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/photo-11.jpg

and started these:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/photo-14.jpg

Daox 03-28-11 06:02 PM

Very nice. Whatcha got started there?

strider3700 03-28-11 11:17 PM

you'll have issues with the grass pushing under the frame and growing up the inside of the raised beds. constantly abusing it will keep it under control but eventually you'll want to do a small walkway about 18" wide all the way around the bed. The other option is to sink the frame 5-6" into the ground to stop the rhizomes. I spent 2 years fighting it at a previous garden.

insaneintenti0n 07-30-11 07:54 AM

Here's my bi-yearly update.

I've planted/harvested the following:
Corn: 2 ears (40 plants total)
Tomatoes: 0 (nothing growing yet - 3 plants)
Green Peppers: 0 (few small ones growing - 6 plants)
Broccoli: 0 (~12 plants)
Cauliflower: 0 (~12 plants)
Looseleaf Lettuce: Plenty
Romaine Lettuce: Plenty
Iceburg Lettuce: Plenty
Celery: 0 (only two plants)
Carrots: 0 (only two plants survived)
Cucumbers: 53 (i planted too many... i've made cucumber wine and pickles so far, and have given away dozens)
Watermelon: 0 (two growing, both size of softballs, but I think one has stopped)
Hops (Cascade, Chinook, Nugget, Magnum - for my beer brewing hobby, harvest in Sept)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/photo-16.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...n/photo-15.jpg

Daox 07-30-11 08:15 AM

Sounds like things are going very well! Cucumber wine eh?

insaneintenti0n 08-01-11 12:31 PM

Cucumber Wine:
Recipe -- Cucumber Wine

I already have all the equipment needed to make Wine/Beer, so this was just follow the recipe. I bought sugar and Lemons/Oranges. Tripled the recipe to 3 gallons using 12 lbs of cucumbers from the garden.

insaneintenti0n 09-26-11 07:18 AM

This was a strange year for me...

All the plants grew, eventually, but... I'm only JUST now seeing Broccoli (as it's getting eaten by something) NO cauliflower, and only just now a few Tomatoes.

Celery is ready to pluck. And I harvested enough hops to make a good IPA (they're all in the freezer now though as I have no time to brew... been cleaning up from all the east coast flooding)

I'll have to find time to clean up the mess now in the garden (saw some ways to use the corn stalks for Halloween) and then prep it for next year.

goodsgardensheds 11-30-11 04:35 AM

Hello friends,

The Great Garden Formula is an online garden design course. It enables those of us that aren't naturally gifted artists or good at visualising to be able to design easily. The course is totally online so you don't need to leave your house to do it. It's a mix of written materials in down loadable PDFs and video tutorials to guide you need to know in order to create a beautifully designed garden.

Thanks a lot
Dabney Walker


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