Finally take 2

I didn't do overtime tonight so I could be at home and do a spot of gardening. I wasn't sure how to approach my second garden bed as the space was narrow leaving little space for walking if I had made it any wider. On the advice of my gardening friend and confirmed with my dad I put compost in the soil and will leave for a couple of days before planting. I also needed to sort out where to put my white buckets due to the redesign. I figured I'd work that dilemma later, as a solution always seems to come along just when you least expect it.

I was so chuffed with results I just had to tell my Dad and my mum and if they weren't potting around in their garden I would have hunted them done and dragged them out anyway...lol.

Finally

My raised garden bed is 3/4 finished and i'm sooo proud of my efforts. It took about 2 hours to complete and I also managed to re-pot some plants and get rid of ones that weren't doing so well...it's tough but I had to do it. I visited the neighbours garden - wow. AND can you see my little potato shoot - love it and I only planted them on the 1/11.

New pictures

Butter snap beans

These are going great guns. One minute there is only dirt and next thing right before my very eyes there is a plant. This weather is creating havoc with my plants and as far as I'm concerned it's alll gggooodddd!!!

The Warehouse

While trying to reduce my carbon footprint by buying local I have once again rediscovered you just can go past The warehouse...Potting mix is cheap as, Buckets are cheap as, Compost is cheap as. I may have to stop into the New Lynn store more often as it is on the way home and I do have time before collecting the kid from school.

Why did I bring this up, we went in to get a pressie for a birthday party and I got distracted by the "GARDENING" sign in the Hsn store. They have some really cool bargins, punnets(6 to a tray) for 99c yes you read right 99c, okay they looked a bit sad by a little TLC and voila..vege heaven. Anyone who knows me knows how cheap I can be, so stop rolling your eyes and get down there -NOW!!!

I also need to set aside a budget and a list so I only get what I need without getting distracted by the bling and specials in the scrapbooking/craft aisle. It won't be easy...

Recycling

Again while pondering how to build my raised garden bed and looking around at what I could use I decide right then and there that I would find pieces to fit or match as close to what I needed without having to alter it, cut it or do anything toooo. Not an easy job when looking around the back yard, yes my father is a step toe by nature, but that doesn't always translate to practically use then and there items.

My thinking issss, is that if I can reduce waste eg..when you cut things up, you end up with bits left over, soooo if I can reduce what I have to alter therefore, less waste and therefore more time to spend on what I want to be doing...making things grow that will taste good in my tummy.

I just hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew

One day a long long time ago, my sister spied with her little eye on an old bbq table with the bbq taken out and of course she couldn't resist it(can you see the picture bubble of what is was going to look like)...since then it hasn't really moved much only when Dad wants to mow the lawn under it.

As you know gardening can be back breaking work and...can you see my picture bubble, I'm sure you can, I thought It was expressed duty to save this disused, unloved, unfinished Bbq table with no bbq and give it a better more useful life.

To take care of the gap on the top I took two unused shelving pieces to cover up the whole and ohhh what a difference I managed to get alot of work done and when I'm finished for the day I turn them over and place a rubbish bag underneath.

The shelf underneath is perfect for plants that are waiting for the new garden bed or buckets waiting for me to put drainage holes in the bottom.

If you wondering what my sister says - don't bother she would have forgotten I've got in a week...lol.

While pondering on how I am going to achieve a raised garden bed I wondered if Dad had any pieces of wood that would better fit along the bottom edge of the fence to stop his over grown grass and weeds from breaking through. In the past they had free range over what was there but mainly from lack of care - but NO MORE!!!

Where I am wanting to have my raised beds there is a pipe going to the old septic tank, my dilemna was wether to put the edging in front of or at the back of, I chose the latter mainly because I would have depth in the soil to accommodate roots, after all if weed roots can so can my harvest.

I had to take the photo's with the ducks in there and again I pondered this and realised that due to my digging and wedding worms had come to the top and they(ducks) were getting a good dose of protein.

Rain Rain Go Away

Not really saves me a job...

Good day for gardening

Today was a good day to be out in the garden. My brother unbeknownst to me and had brought me some very large white buckets from his job, I had been admiring them sitting outside my parents house and dreamt of tomatoes and potatoes and now my dream is coming true.

I planted more lettuce, beetroot, potatoes and dwarf butter beans - yum!!! I've got more plants than I know what to do with and my garden looks like a tip but who cares in a few weeks time i'll have raised beds with tomatoes, beans that I can eat straight from the tree and beetroot for Al's lunches.

I'm trying again with capsicums but I don't hold out too much luck....lol.