Inspired in part by Alice Waters and the Obama White House garden, and also my emphasis during the past year on buying fresh produce at farmers markets, I decided that this is the year to start growing veggies. But how to start? It has seemed somewhat daunting to me.
For example, one of the first decisions is whether to plant in the ground or use planter boxes, or even containers, such as wine barrels. Planting in the ground seemed much more “natural”, as well as being faster and cheaper than building boxes. Ultimately, however, I decided to build boxes. Here’s why…
First, our home is built on what I think was a former lake bed, and before the homes were built, we’d been told that our property was a dirt road. What this means is that the soil is predominantly clay, and extremely hard – not exactly hospitable to growing a garden. Also, we have 2 greyhounds who love running around their yard, and “marking” their territory. We didn’t want them marking their territory in the garden!
I started talking with a gardener at the local farmers market (whose wonderful name is Chicory Almond – I’m not kidding), and told him about my dilemma. He suggested that building planter boxes would probably be better: you can get the best soil, and it would provide a barrier to the dogs. Plus, being raised makes it easier on the back. So we decided to build planter boxes.
Next,
we had to decide what size to make them, where to put them, and how to make them. And then what to grow! I laid out an area of the back yard that receives the most sun during the summer, and sketched out an area that could accommodate four8′x4′ planter boxes, plus another area for a smaller box in a little cooler location closer to the house for growing herbs.
I decided to ease into this venture a little bit by only building 2 of the four boxes. We decided on using 2 x 12 redwood because it holds up well to the elements, and wouldn’t need to be coated with any preservatives. We also decided that 1 board high would be sufficient. Chicory encouraged me to cover the bottom with 1/2″ aviary screen to prevent gophers from entering.
Building the boxes turned out to be pretty easy. We used 2 8′ sections for the long side, and 2 3′ 7″ sections for the inside, and then used angle brackets to make the box. The reason we shortened the inside dimension was because our screening was 4′ wide, so by making the outside dimension about 3′10″, we were able to stretch the screen up the sides a little. Take a look at the accompanying photo.
Next, we leveled out the spaces where the boxes were going and set them in place. We had a local company deliver 2 cubic yards of soil: 1 yard of good quality topsoil, and 1 yard of compost. Plus, we mixed in an amendment that Chicory sold us. It turned out to be just the right amount for our 2 boxes plus a 3′x3′ herb box.
Next up: planting and irrigating!
Are any of you just getting started with a garden this year, and if so, what has been your experience so far?
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