More Garden Space, and Gardening

Oh wow.  I lost track of time.  Well, it's been a mixed bag of things getting done.

I started with the decision to put the new vegetable garden bed at the far end of the garden beds.  This is opposite it's original intended space, but the more practical location at the moment.  This is the last raised garden bed that I can stick at this end of the of the raised beds.

Step one was getting the wood in place, and screwed together.  That was slightly more of a challenge than expected because that wood, as old as it is, did not want to allow the screws to enter.  Even with pre-drilled holes.  I might have gotten a bit aggravated and set the drill up to hammer drill in order to get all the screws in place. 

Then I got the area between the new garden bed and the other one mulched for a walk path.

And then I started the filling.  This is taking time because first I have to take a mattock to the dirt pile.  Then I have to shovel everything into the wheelbarrow, while stopping frequently to pull the quack grass, and other weeds and roots.

Once I have a full wheelbarrow, I lay either cardboard or newspaper across the grass inside the frame.  In this raised bed, I'm mostly using newpapers.  Because I'm out of cardboard at the moment.

You'll have to imagine the pictures for the in between day.  I thought I took them, but apparently not. It is what it is.  I'm sure not going to go remove all the dirt so I can take them now. 

Today I finished off the base for that last open corner.  The next few days will actually be filling in to the top.  It will likely take another three or four loads of dirt to top off this raised bed.

And then there will be the top layer of cardboard and mulch, before the winter planting of either onions or garlic.

And during errands, I got an amazing deal on some really nice chrysanthemums.  I want to grow them for a variety of reasons, including medicinal uses.  I also know that this is the worst time of year for planting them.  So the pots got buried in the deep mulch.  I'll keep them watered through the end of season.  And then, when deep cold hits, they'll get thermal mass bottles to help them hold through until spring.  Fingers crossed that they make it because chrysanthemums cannot be found around here in the spring.

Neither can seeds for them.  So I'll also be grabbing a few dried seed heads when the time comes.  Just in case.

I also took the last two elderberry bush babies and dug them into spots in the mulch.  They are going to another home but it's getting to be too late in the season to transplant them.  They should hold fine, tucked into the mulch with a few thermal mass bottles of their own.

And I'm also, a little late, getting the fall garden plants in.  One bed got broccoli.  It will also get greens mixed in between. My son and I always love fresh greens.

There is also cabbage and cauliflower to go in.  I'm currently hunting brussel sprout and red cabbage plants since none of mine sprouted.  Hopefully I can find those this coming weekend.

As for garden beds at the front of the long set that is alongside the driveway, well, two more will go in.  That will give me as many as I currently have, but with the new ones in much better lighting.  One of my original sets of garden beds is now in deep shade due to tree growth.  And barring winning a lottery for $1+ million, I'm not likely to afford what the tree companies want for some heavy pruning.

I'm still deciding what to do with those original garden beds.  There are medicinal plants that will handle deep shade just fine.  I may just pull the wood that forms the sides of those beds and plant those spots with those perennial medicinal and food plants. The wood can be used elsewhere if it's still in decent condition.

I do know that there will be naturally short fruit trees that are going in along the front of the yard.  That will have them far enough forward to get the sunlight they need, despite the Silver Maple monster.

And the plan is for blackberries and raspberries between the fruit trees.  A yummy front yard fence.