August 10, 2008 - The Fence is Up!

It's finished! Soooo nice to finally get that gaping hole filled up. I still have to run the small wire fence from the end post over to the cedar fence, but that won't take long at all. Then I can begin working on the new garden beds. It doesn't really show in this small picture, but I really like the way they boxed in the metal posts and topped them with a decorative cap.

The new garden area is 38 feet long by 11-1/2 feet wide. I don't know why Mr. Husband couldn't be convinced to set those posts at 12 feet, it would have made garden planning so much simpler. As it is now, I think I'll go for four beds, 4'x8' with three foot pathways in between. I'll butt a 4' side right up against the wire fence, so I can reach from one end and both sides and (hopefully) keep the water away from the fence when I sprinkle. I'll also have room at one end (on the left as you look at the picture) for a hill or two of bush-type melons, and a 2' wide by 7' long bed next to the dog run for pole beans and maybe a few broccoli plants.

The fence between my side garden and the neighbor's house will be replaced with a 4' high chain link fence this fall, after the tomatoes and squash and beans have been removed.

I'm going to build and fill the beds this summer/fall so they will be ready to plant in the spring. I'm planning on modified "lasagna" gardens, which means I will leave the sod in but cover it with several layers of wet newspaper. Then I'll top that with layers of compost, grass clippings, peat moss, shredded leaves, more compost.....whatever I can find to build the soil up as deep as possible. That won't be quite as deep as I'd like, but I have to buy all the wood for the boxes this time, as I have used all the old, saved deck boards. The pathways will be covered with cardboard or lots of wet newspaper, and then with bark mulch that I'll purchase at the nursery.

I have visions of one bed for asparagus, two beds of raspberries and one bed of strawberries. I think maybe I'd like watermelon down at the end.

I had to yell at my neighbor, Pat, to come to the fence today. My fridge was overflowing with zucchini, and I had picked three more this morning, plus four lovely crooknecks, another bowl of green beans and a tomato. All I really wanted was one zucchini, three crooknecks (that I already had from yesterday's picking), the beans and the tomato, and Pat was happy to take all the rest off my hands. While we were visiting, Pat saw two more zuccs and I spotted three more crooknecks! She graciously declined more than I'd already given her, so my fridge was just about full again, but we're having fried zucchini, steamed green beans with crookneck squash, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with our dinner tonight, so we at least made a dent in it. I love sharing with Pat. She makes good things from my veggies and she shares with us. Last night she brought over fresh zucchini bread and a pint of zucchini relish. Today she brought fresh peaches for our dinner.

I think my July-planted garden is coming along quite nicely!

Tomatoes, peppers and squash that didn't get squashed by the falling maple tree.

The ski pole beans should begin climbing soon.

Lettuce, carrots and beets are springing up next to the bush beans in this bed.