A Serious Work in Progress

Back in the summer of 2012 our yard was pretty overgrown and things had really gotten out of hand.  With the help of Dallin during the summer while he was preparing to leave on his mission, I had him take out all of the  bushes in the first level of our railroad ties that were ugly and unruly with the plan to use the ledge to create a vegetable garden.  With a careful analysis of our yard I decided that this was the only spot in our entire yard that got the required 6 hours of sun to sustain a healthy garden.   It was a good plan but after the bushes were removed we never followed through with the vision.

When the summer of 2013 starting I was determined again to get my garden going. The weeds had taken over the ledge and some serious clearing of the bottom level and the first level had to happen. With the help of Landon this time we worked together for days clearing, weeding, spraying roundup and hauling away leaves, trees, and rocks. We really got the ledge totally clean.

 With the ledge cleared off we were ready to start laying the foundation for garden.  Because the ledge sloped to encourage water run off we decided that we would have to build the garden in two levels to accommodate the gradual slope.  We bought garden timbers, rebar, and spikes and began building the structure.  It was a lot of work and we weren't professionals.  We just kind of figured things out as we went.  First we were building each level with two timbers high and were going to dig out the dirt and fill it in with the good stuff.  With further thought, we decided it would be easier to build raised beds with the top ledge being held by four timbers and the bottom level being held by three timbers.  Then we just had to fill each level with nutrient rich soil and we would be ready to go.

We kind of hit a dead end during the summer with a ton of rain that made it difficult to finish and we also headed on our vacation. By the time we got back from Utah it was too late to even get a garden in so we just never completed it.

Now if you'll fast forward to summer of 2014.....here we go again.  I was still bound and determined to have a garden so I started the process again.  With Dallin and Landon both on missions this summer I decided I would hire some boys in the ward to help me.  I know my limits and I just couldn't get those dang spikes hammered in without wearing myself out.  The Bradham twins are leaving on a mission soon and they were happy to earn some extra money.  So... here we go again.  We got started last week and the boys did a great job piecing my mess together and helping it work.  I seriously have gone to Lowe's every single day for a week and a half.  Every day we would end up making a list with new supplies that I would need for the next day whether it was more timbers, spikes, rebar, fence panels, fence posts, stepping stones, rocks, and sand.  And everyday we would run into problems in our design that we would have to fix or change.  What a process this project has been!

Yesterday evening I spent two hours at Lowe's FINALLY picking out my vegetable plants and seeds.   The garden was ready to go. I had a plan after talking to my friend Michelle Baumgart who is really an expert gardener.  She gave me great tips and told me which plants grow well in Georgia.  Georgia gardening is way different than Utah gardening.  We battle fungus, mold, rot, crazy bugs, too much rain, humidity, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, and DEER!!!

And welcome to my garden.....you may now take a tour.  The entrance is not quite finished because the Bradham's went golfing yesterday and we need to build one more little retaining wall and add a couple more fence panels to keep out the deer.

I love my little gate that opens up to the narrow walkway into my secret garden.  What a fun little place that's all mine!  

 As you walk down the path you can see the two garden terraces filled with plants.  Within a short time we will be enjoying sweet potatoes, green peppers, red peppers, and yellow peppers....tomatoes of a thousand different varieties, cucumbers, beans, squash, zucchini, corn and bunches of herbs.  I even planted some sunflowers that will get up to 12 feet tall.  I spread marigolds throughout the garden to help keep out unwanted pests.

 

The end of the garden has four rows of newly planted corn seeds.  Hopefully we will be able to keep the raccoon out and if we can't keep them out then I hope I planted enough corn so that there will be enough for us and them!

Notice the handy dandy fence that we put in.  Hopefully this will keep the deer out!!!!  It's a war that I hope to win with these wretched creatures. They eat everything.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my "front yard" garden.  Plants and seeds are in and the soil has been watered.  Let the fun begin!