Taking advantage of continuing warm weather with an abundance of sunshine, I spent another day working in the garden. Using materials picked up yesterday, I created raised bed garden boxes, with a great deal of help from Greg, one for me and one for my sister Linda.
I found a raised bed garden box that I liked, in a Country Gardens magazine. With dimensions of 4’x8′ and sides 16″ high, this box seems perfect for growing vegetables using the square foot gardening method. I used 6′ cedar fencing planks to create the box. Greg had left over pressure treated 2x4s from when he built the privacy fence. Cut into sections, they anchored the corners of the box and covered the seams on the sides.
Three of the 6′ cedar planks were cut to form the 4′ ends. The 2′ leftover sections were added to the remaining 6′ lengths, staggering the seams for strength and durability, to create the longer 8′ sides. Greg ran the saw, thankfully, and in a short time, the boards were cut and ready to be assembled.
We completed one box at a time. There was some contemplation and figuring out the best way to fasten the sides together, amid laughter and frequent breaks to guzzle bottles of water. However, we got a system going and I even used the drill to help sink the screws.
The 8′ sides
The 4′ sections
After all four sides were completed on the first box, we began making my sister’s raised bed box. I’m proud of Linda for choosing to eat healthier and being willing to grow vegetables. She is committed to taking her own healing journey.
With all the sides completed, I was excited to create my box. I don’t have space in the backyard for this raised bed. Instead, this garden is going on the sunny south side of the house, where roses used to be. Japanese beetles destroyed the roses last year. Into that blank space the raised garden box fit perfectly. We finished assembling the box in minutes.
A friend is helping early Wednesday by bringing 5 cubic yards of dirt in his truck, to fill the box. He will generously tote Linda’s box to her backyard and deliver another load of dirt to her.
I am ready! I have vegetable plants waiting on the deck and four packets of seeds to sow. I love that my healing journey has inspired me to grow my own veggies again. It has been many years since I tended anything other that flower and herb gardens. Part of taking better care of myself is to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. How fun it will be to harvest healthy goodness from my own raised bed garden.
