Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! We enjoyed some sunshine and warm temps here on Friday and Saturday, and even though it was rainy on Sunday it was still a beautiful day. Ryan and I got a chance to head to Home Depot and start on our plans for our garden.
Last time I wrote about the garden, we’d decided to grow vegetables and herbs in containers. As renters, we assumed that containers would be the only option, even with our large backyard space. But in speaking to our landlord, he gave us the option of doing some raised or bordered beds. Hmm, decisions, decisions.
Here’s a look at our yard from our back porch:
The big white space is the roof of a garage, and is level with the ground. Near the bottom half of the picture, the ground slopes down a bit. But that little corner behind the garage? It gets great sun all day and is the perfect spot for some beds.
On Saturday we took the measuring tape for a spin and figured out that we can fit two beds, probably about 3×8 feet (it’s a bigger space than it looks!). Our original idea was that the beds would be across from each other, one by the fence, and one by the garage. With a little walkway between, it would be the perfect place to spend an afternoon weeding.
However, it’s important to pay attention to the sunlight your spot gets. Until about 4 pm the plot next to the fence would be in shade… not exactly what our tomatoes and peas are in the market for. So we rearranged our plan so that we will have two beds end-to-end next to the garage.
I’m so ready to get going and start digging! But first we need to get some supplies, like, oh I don’t know, lumber, shovels, soil, fertilizer, hoes, trowels, seeds…
So after raiding our parents’ tools sheds, looks like a shopping trip is in order! Since we’re starting from scratch, and from the pricing we did at Home Depot, it’s not going to be cheap… but that’s what tax returns are for, right?
Anyone else starting from scratch on a garden this summer? Or seasoned veterans, do you have any tips for us newbie gardeners? Must-have tools or lifesavers?
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ok, we are doing the exact same thing. it’s a ton of work! we are on a strict budget though and have a big yard to overhaul. we bought cedar fence sections that were four years old off craigslist for a steal. like 1/4 of the price of actual cedar pieces… we got enough to make 4 beds of various sizes (but in the 4×6 realm) plus a compost bin for the side of the house. It took a bit of looking but… it really saved our budget!
Also, we just bought and installed a rain barrel (we got it for 50 bucks of craigslist, email me if you need the phone number of the girl, she has more)…
oh, and after the first weekend of working on it and digging a lot, we may need to put massages in our budget because I am seriously sore today!
Danielle,
I’m impressed by your thriftiness! My mom keeps telling me to look on craigslist but when I spend 12 hours a day away from the house it just hasn’t been plausible. I may be emailing you about the rain barrel because we’ve talked about one!
Hope to see pictures sometime? xo Maggie
I had been planning on doing a summer garden since I hoped to be in a house by now, but since we’re still hunting I can’t decide if I want to start some container gardens in the meantime or just wait on the gardening with the house. Good luck with your gardening!
Katie,
I was in the same position last year where I only had a tiny patio that didn’t get much sun. If you have a good spot for a container or two, I say go for it! Buy plastic or fiberglass planters, as they’ll be easier to move when you find a house (plus they’re cheaper). If they are particularly deep you can even fill it partway with styrofoam (sounds gross, but it doesn’t biograde, so this is one of the only useful tasks it can do!) to keep it lightweight. Some herbs would be easy to grow if you cook (or drink mojitos!) or some pretty flowers. You can get seedlings at the garden center or nursery. A great resource for container gardening is “The Bountiful Container” by McGee and Stuckey. Let me know what you decide!
xo Maggie
Thanks so much for the tips Maggie!
I’m starting my first real garden this year. I have a similar back yard but it’s a little longer. I’m going to put the garden behind the garage. It gets plenty of sun and is hidden from the rest of the yard.
What an awesome backyard you have! It’s huuuge! We are also planning on putting in a few raised beds for vegetables & herbs this year, and hopefully filling in the borders with more flowers. I would totally check Craigslist for tools – we found an older man getting rid of all of his gardening tools & it was SUCH a big savings from buying new. Can’t wait to see how your yard comes along!