Wednesday, March 2, 2016

where was I before all this wild dog business?


The past couple of weeks I've been bringing in yards of dirt to fill the raised bed that finally got built. This will be the first garden we have had since we bought the shop in the spring of 2014. Our garden spot at home was in shade by 3 PM (which wasn't always a bad thing long about August but then the only thing still producing in August is okra which loves the sun and heat), so we decided we would build raised beds over at the shop which, when we bought it, was an acre and a half of nothing but grass. I have since put in some flowering shrubs and recently planted a purple orchid tree and have a tiny little volunteer red but tree that I dug up out of the flower bed to plant over there and the peach tree which I plan to get planted today.


Anyway, yesterday we shoveled and raked part of the third yard of dirt into the one 4' x 16' raised bed that we had managed to get built and got it filled with about half of the yard of dirt left. There was really no spot to put the rest of the dirt over at the shop for future use that the grass and weeds wouldn't grow into it. We could have shoveled it out on the concrete apron in front of the barn but then we would have to cart it all over to the shop yard again once we had another raised bed built. Or we could build a 4' x 4' bed real quick and fill that.


So that is what we did. Only instead of a 4' x 4', he built a 4' x 8' which the remaining yard of dirt only partially filled. We're chasing our tail, he says. Uh, yeah. So I need to get another yard of dirt which will fill it with only about 5 cubic feet left over. I will have spent $140 on dirt. It will take years before we get $140 worth of vegetables out of it, but I did get my tomatoes and two bell pepper plants in and I'm headed to the feed store later today to see what they have in the way of vegetables.

Elsewhere in the yards, it's spring!















15 comments:

  1. Oh it is spring with you. We have mud and daffs this year so far in England. Crocuses were poor due to mild wet winter. Your garden looks very pretty

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  2. Funny how one thing begets another.
    Your grassy yard is so neat and tidy!

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  3. What lovely blooms, wish I had some. It was 17 this morning with snow tonight.I smelled all the flowers at the store this afternoon.

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  4. "Chasing our tails."
    Perfect.
    We don't have quite as much spring showing as you do but what we do have looks remarkable like yours.
    Happy, spring, Ellen. And honestly, $140 in produce can go fast. So...good investment!

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  5. Pretty pretty! We had a wee bit of snow this morning. Sigh. However, I'll take Ohio in August for sure :)

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  6. Green grass and flowers... Can't wait. Going to have lots of produce from those beds. That, and I hope no weeding.

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  7. Beautiful flowers and your raised beds will be easier on the back. YOu have lots of energy!

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  8. Your flowers are so hopeful of spring. Your naturalized little iris are the best.

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  9. Glorious pictures of a remarkably well-tended garden.

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  10. The colors! Oh, the colors! My eyes are on overload - and gloriously so. And lots more dirt to plant;) Have fun!

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  11. Methinks I see dewberries there -- or at least blackberry canes. And, redbud, and iris, aka flags. When I first heard about "flag ponds," I was sure they were ponds with American or other flags flying next to them. Silly me. I had no idea they were ponds with wild iris growing in them.

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  12. Oh - I forgot. I was down at the Brazoria wildlife refuge Sunday, and the Indian paintbrush were everywhere. They're so beautiful.

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  13. Wow, lots of blooms! Love the red bud. They always look so great against a blue sky. You can't really weigh your expenditures on dirt strictly against the cost of the vegetables -- after all you're getting lots of enjoyment out of this project, too!

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  14. Every year we have to add quite a bit of new dirt to our raised beds. It is not an easy task but it must be done to have a successful garden. Your's look wonderful and I hope you you have a great gardening season.

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  15. I love the way you've use that ripple metal (don't know the real name for it)to build the raised beds. What a great idea.

    $140 is a chunk for dirt, but I always get more satisfaction from watching the whole thing turn from seeds/seedlings to a little green forest - edible too. It's such a transformation, thrilling.And all the color seems to compliment the colors in your glass. It's like your sculptures come to breathing life. Enjoy!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.