My new garden beds

Denese 8/7/2014, 9:49 am

I decided to build 4 more beds next to my driveway, so I've planted them with a fall crop. I plan to cover the holes with 1 x 8 boards for seating rather than plant in them.

Bed 1 - planted 7/15 Everything is up and growing well!
My new garden beds Img_2016

Bed 2 - planted 7/21 Also, everything up and growing!
My new garden beds Img_2017

Bed 3 - planted 8/2 Starting to break through!
My new garden beds Img_2019

Bed 4 - planted 8/6 Last one finally planted yesterday!
My new garden beds Img_2018

Judy McConnell 8/7/2014, 9:52 am

Looking great

**sanderson** 8/7/2014, 11:12 am

Looking good! My new garden beds 3170584802

svanahgirl 8/7/2014, 8:28 pm

What a great idea to use concrete blocks and then make seating. That is a good alternative to building beds or waiting for someone to build them for you. Those are a lot easier to manipulate. What did you use for the bottom? Plywood or weed cloth?

Denese 8/7/2014, 9:17 pm

svanahgirl wrote:What a great idea to use concrete blocks and then make seating. That is a good alternative to building beds or waiting for someone to build them for you. Those are a lot easier to manipulate. What did you use for the bottom? Plywood or weed cloth?

At 36 pounds each, I'm not sure how easy they were to manipulate. Laughing

Then again, I was a little OCD about the whole leveling thing and probably moved each one at least 5 or 6 times. I did lose 5 lbs. while building them, though. hyper

I'm really proud of myself for doing it all on my own.

I used weed cloth on the bottom. Smile

Windmere 8/7/2014, 9:45 pm

Very nice work. I hope to do the same next spring. Thanks for posting such inspirational photos. (You are reminding me that I am a big late for fall planting!!!!)

**sanderson** 8/7/2014, 11:42 pm

Denese wrote:
At 36 pounds each, I'm not sure how easy they were to manipulate.

Now I'm doubly impressed!

**Kelejan** 8/8/2014, 3:58 pm

Well done, Denise. One doesn't realise how heavy concrete is until they need to be moved. I could never have done what your did. Look forward to more pictures. Very Happy

**AtlantaMarie** 8/10/2014, 8:12 pm

Looks great, Denese! Good for you!

svanahgirl 8/10/2014, 8:55 pm

Might not be too late for planting. Just find your first frost date, which for my zone 8A is can be as early as the last of October. Since it is just August you can still plant. I started some tomato plants from seed and re-started my yellow squash in a big pot. I am still going to put in some potatoes and you can do carrots since they need warm weather to start then do fine with cold. Try something, or you will drive yourself crazy when it does not get really cold till November and you keep thinking of what crop you could have harvested, lol.

Marc Iverson 8/11/2014, 11:05 pm

Nicely done. That's the kind of planters my neighbors build, and they're letting me grow in one. They grow the best tomatoes in the neighborhood. It seems to work very well; he tells me he figures their mass helps insulate the beds from our dramatic day/night temperature fluctuations. Plus, unlike you do with wood planters here in the PNW, he'll never have to rebuild them. Hope you enjoy yours and have great harvests!

Denese 8/22/2014, 1:03 pm

Still not completely finished with the new beds, but harvested my first mustard greens and spinach this morning. Very Happy

I've had a few issues with cabbage moth larvae, but keeping on top of it till the tulle I ordered gets here. Frames are up, wood seating is cut and placed (still have to attach them). Also plan to paint the outside of the concrete blocks to match the brick on my house. Took this pictures yesterday.

This picture shows my temporary covers for cabbage moth protection. They're the curtains from my deck gazebo. They're working for now, but I open them up during the morning to allow a little more light. The young man sitting there is the light of my life, and my garden helper, my grandson, Nik. Very Happy

Front and side views of bed #1. This is the one I harvested from today.
My new garden beds 2014-011

**sanderson** 8/22/2014, 1:29 pm

Denese, Very nice! Love your little helper.

Very nice looking PVC frames using the 45* elbows.

Denese 8/22/2014, 1:42 pm

Thank you Sanderson. I used the 45* elbows because I couldn't get the 10 ft. pieces in my car for arches. So I had them cut the 10 footers in half and bought the elbows to construct this version. Once I completed them, I actually kind of like the look of it better than an arch.

P.S. I take every opportunity to show off my grandson! Laughing

He's such a sweetheart when he's not proving he's a 2 year old. Laughing

Marc Iverson 8/22/2014, 6:33 pm

Looks very neat and healthy, Denese. I like that you put planks on top of the cinderblocks. It let's people sit or kneel on them, or lay a tool or two down on them, so much more comfortably and easily, and reduces the chance of torn clothes.

landarch 8/22/2014, 8:04 pm

nice and green...I like your frame set-up...thanks for posting pics.

Denese 9/1/2014, 1:06 pm

My tulle finally arrived! happy banana

Spent the afternoon yesterday sewing the covers. Still need to paint the blocks and secure the wood seating, but I'm very pleased with the results, so far. My brassicas didn't suffer too much from the cabbage moth. I was out every morning and every evening looking for eggs and worms. My peas in the first 2 beds are blooming and there are tiny peas in the first bed. Very Happy

**AtlantaMarie** 9/1/2014, 1:08 pm

Those look fantastic, Denese!

How did you sew the tulle? I'm assuming it was on the long edges & hems. How difficult was it? (Thinking about doing that myself...)

Marc Iverson 9/1/2014, 2:09 pm

Wow Denese, that looks so incredibly neat and well-protected.

Re your peas: I see your trellis back there -- it looks like you're not going to include it under the tulle?

**sanderson** 9/1/2014, 2:29 pm

Denese, beautiful!

boffer 9/1/2014, 2:37 pm

Your custom fitted coverings are very attractive. My new garden beds 3170584802

**donnainzone5** 9/1/2014, 5:32 pm

Do you lift the entire structure for harvesting/planting? I agree, they're gorgeous!

Denese 9/1/2014, 7:39 pm

Thank you all for your kind words. As I said, I'm really pleased with how they turned out. We had a really hard rain a little while ago, and they worked like a charm, letting the rain through, but not so hard that the young plants got beat down, which has happened recently without the covers.

Marc, no, I didn't put the peas under the tulle. Two of the varieties are supposed grow taller than the frame.

Marie, I made a pattern of the frame and then cut and sewed the covers to fit.

Donna, to work, I slide the sides up, and when I'm finished, I just slide them back down. The tulle slides really easy on the PVC .

**jimmy cee** 9/1/2014, 10:02 pm

Denese
Your an artist....lovely work

Denese 9/2/2014, 6:03 am

Jimmy, thank you, but I think it's more OCD than artistry. Laughing

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