Beginner - 24" Deep Bed Questions

Kelejan wrote:I echo others admiration, TF.  I really must have been a lot of work but it will save you a lot of work in the long run which is what matters.  How many more are you going to make?

It was definitely a good work out getting it built, and overall I'm quite happy with it. I'm not especially handy, so I was a bit nervous when I started. Hopefully anyone else who sees this will be inspired to give it a go. 

Since it is already toward the end of the planting season for the vegetables I want to grow, I plan to see how things go before I tackle another one. Also it was around $350 for all the materials, soil, and seeds, so I want to spread the building out to avoid spending too much all at once. 

That being said I currently plan to build another in the fall that will be for additional vegetables, with one half of sectioned off for strawberries. I will add a trellis to it and most likely to the one that is already built. Then toward the end of winter I plan to build a third planter that will be devoted to Rasberry bushes. 

If I get super ambitious, I will add a fourth that would be devoted to flowers. However, I want to take it slow and avoid being overwhelmed with the learning curve and work. I am a total beginner to the world of gardening. I started this project because I have always been interested in gardening and I would like to learn along side my children (4 yr old twins and a 5 year old).  So far they have been very excited by the planning, shopping, and building. They also got a big thrill when I let them plant the first carrot  seeds and they love going outside to watch me water. I can't wait for the first sprouts and the fall harvest.

Looks great!  When I built mine I put chicken wire on the floor to prevent moles/voles from entering.  What I wished I had done was line the interior with landscape fabric.  Despite the tight joints, I get an steady ooze of MM from the slats every rain that eventually lowers the height of my bed by seasons end. 
I actually think the slope will work to your advantage, as drainage will go downhill and not pool around the base of the beds.
Good luck and enjoy!

Wow! That is so pro!  I have a bit of undulations where I have my SFG situated..and your design is perfect for your site in my opinion.  Fife, you got it goin' on!  Love it!

TD, perhaps you ought to let your little ones plant radish seeds first as they come up pretty quick.  Carrots take an awful time to germinate.

You need to keep them interested and I think the carrots will be a long stretch for them.  They are for me.