Gemma's Raised Beds and Mini Orchard Project

[Gemma]

This raised beds and fruit garden is my new project. I (with hubby's help of course) just started laying out and filling the many (lost count) raised beds. The fruit trees and shrubs we ordered (apples, pears, peaches, fig, grapes, blueberries, raspberry, blackberry) should start to arrive today, and I will place them between the beds and the back, and side fence.


To fill the beds with better quality media, I decided to follow the "no dig" method ( it has a name but I can't think of it at the moment) so I started with a layer of cardboard at the very bottom, then I added a layer of logs, then shredded wood and greens, then kitchen scraps and the last 12-14" will be filled with mature compost arriving on Friday.




The fencing will be raised as soon as hubby's done working on the greenhouse
In between the beds I'll put mulch, I can get for free from a friend in the landscape business, but first I have a patch of stubborn groundcover to kill
There is a deck I would like to turn into a sitting area cover by a grape arbor .. I have big dreams
I've been growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants and the usual mix salad greens, but I want to go all out and try new things like Artichokes, Fennel, cold crops, corn etc and I'm hoping someone on here knows a lot more than me, cause I'm going to ask a lot of questions

[j.w]

@Gemma Wow what a deal you have going on there! That's the way to do it, using all those raised beds. Much easier to deal with. Still I will just get my veggies from the store or friends and will watch yours grow

[Gemma]

@j.w I maybe in over my head but I just had to do this

[rubyduby]

This raised beds and fruit garden is my new project. I (with hubby's help of course) just started laying out and filling the many (lost count) raised beds. The fruit trees and shrubs we ordered (apples, pears, peaches, fig, grapes, blueberries, raspberry, blackberry) should start to arrive today, and I will place them between the beds and the back, and side fence.


To fill the beds with better quality media, I decided to follow the "no dig" method ( it has a name but I can't think of it at the moment) so I started with a layer of cardboard at the very bottom, then I added a layer of logs, then shredded wood and greens, then kitchen scraps and the last 12-14" will be filled with mature compost arriving on Friday.




The fencing will be raised as soon as hubby's done working on the greenhouse
In between the beds I'll put mulch, I can get for free from a friend in the landscape business, but first I have a patch of stubborn groundcover to kill
There is a deck I would like to turn into a sitting area cover by a grape arbor .. I have big dreams
I've been growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants and the usual mix salad greens, but I want to go all out and try new things like Artichokes, Fennel, cold crops, corn etc and I'm hoping someone on here knows a lot more than me, cause I'm going to ask a lot of questions

Wow Gemma, awesome job so far...How exciting!...I used to have your kind of energy but now taking care of the pond is about all I have the energy to do:( I will enjoy seeing pics of your gardens and orchard...Please keep us posted:)

[brokensword]

Definitely looks like a project! I WAS wondering why you'd raise all the beds and not use the surrounding soil/moisture field. I'm guessing you'll have to water more this way, right? Ah, I'm a flower/plant guy and only dabble in veggies when wifey puts stuff like that on my to-do list and I don't see it in time to scratch it off...and with the varmints around here, it gets dicey whether we get any crop at all before THEY do. Used to have a completely fenced (even overhead) area for veggies etc and they did okay, I guess. Found myself with a LOT more weeding and since the chore was falling to me, I didn't encourage more or continuance of said project once wifey's interest started to wane...Now, it's an area I TRIED to grow a bunch of Lupines last summer; of the over 200 seedlings I raised during the winter, I think I got 4 plants that survived and that's only because I erected a fence around the survivors! Damn varmint (talking woodchuck, specifically!). Between them and the deer, I can get a bit ornery, ya know?

[Gemma]

This raised beds and fruit garden is my new project. I (with hubby's help of course) just started laying out and filling the many (lost count) raised beds. The fruit trees and shrubs we ordered (apples, pears, peaches, fig, grapes, blueberries, raspberry, blackberry) should start to arrive today, and I will place them between the beds and the back, and side fence.


To fill the beds with better quality media, I decided to follow the "no dig" method ( it has a name but I can't think of it at the moment) so I started with a layer of cardboard at the very bottom, then I added a layer of logs, then shredded wood and greens, then kitchen scraps and the last 12-14" will be filled with mature compost arriving on Friday.




The fencing will be raised as soon as hubby's done working on the greenhouse
In between the beds I'll put mulch, I can get for free from a friend in the landscape business, but first I have a patch of stubborn groundcover to kill
There is a deck I would like to turn into a sitting area cover by a grape arbor .. I have big dreams
I've been growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants and the usual mix salad greens, but I want to go all out and try new things like Artichokes, Fennel, cold crops, corn etc and I'm hoping someone on here knows a lot more than me, cause I'm going to ask a lot of questions

Wow Gemma, awesome job so far...How exciting!...I used to have your kind of energy but now taking care of the pond is about all I have the energy to do:( I will enjoy seeing pics of your gardens and orchard...Please keep us posted:)

[Gemma]

Definitely looks like a project! I WAS wondering why you'd raise all the beds and not use the surrounding soil/moisture field. I'm guessing you'll have to water more this way, right? Ah, I'm a flower/plant guy and only dabble in veggies when wifey puts stuff like that on my to-do list and I don't see it in time to scratch it off...and with the varmints around here, it gets dicey whether we get any crop at all before THEY do. Used to have a completely fenced (even overhead) area for veggies etc and they did okay, I guess. Found myself with a LOT more weeding and since the chore was falling to me, I didn't encourage more or continuance of said project once wifey's interest started to wane...Now, it's an area I TRIED to grow a bunch of Lupines last summer; of the over 200 seedlings I raised during the winter, I think I got 4 plants that survived and that's only because I erected a fence around the survivors! Damn varmint (talking woodchuck, specifically!). Between them and the deer, I can get a bit ornery, ya know?

Raised beds are expensive but so much easier to control weeds and soil quality. The maintenance would be way too much work if I plant directly in the ground.
I'm a flower gardener first, I plant and give away hundreds of flowering plants every year, the veggies and fruits are a new thing for me

[j.w]

@Gemma I had to steal that monkey

monkeyjumping2.gif

[brokensword]

@Gemma I had to steal that monkey monkeyjumping2.gif

I bet we gots the only royalty that could be labeled a pickpocket...uh, wait, most of the gov does the same thing. Never mind.

[Gemma]

@Gemma I had to steal that monkey monkeyjumping2.gif

Help yourself whenever you see something you like!

[rubyduby]

Definitely looks like a project! I WAS wondering why you'd raise all the beds and not use the surrounding soil/moisture field. I'm guessing you'll have to water more this way, right? Ah, I'm a flower/plant guy and only dabble in veggies when wifey puts stuff like that on my to-do list and I don't see it in time to scratch it off...and with the varmints around here, it gets dicey whether we get any crop at all before THEY do. Used to have a completely fenced (even overhead) area for veggies etc and they did okay, I guess. Found myself with a LOT more weeding and since the chore was falling to me, I didn't encourage more or continuance of said project once wifey's interest started to wane...Now, it's an area I TRIED to grow a bunch of Lupines last summer; of the over 200 seedlings I raised during the winter, I think I got 4 plants that survived and that's only because I erected a fence around the survivors! Damn varmint (talking woodchuck, specifically!). Between them and the deer, I can get a bit ornery, ya know?

I love lupine ...When I lived in Nova Scotia they were everywhere!

[ZenQueen]

This raised beds and fruit garden is my new project. I (with hubby's help of course) just started laying out and filling the many (lost count) raised beds. The fruit trees and shrubs we ordered (apples, pears, peaches, fig, grapes, blueberries, raspberry, blackberry) should start to arrive today, and I will place them between the beds and the back, and side fence.


To fill the beds with better quality media, I decided to follow the "no dig" method ( it has a name but I can't think of it at the moment) so I started with a layer of cardboard at the very bottom, then I added a layer of logs, then shredded wood and greens, then kitchen scraps and the last 12-14" will be filled with mature compost arriving on Friday.




The fencing will be raised as soon as hubby's done working on the greenhouse
In between the beds I'll put mulch, I can get for free from a friend in the landscape business, but first I have a patch of stubborn groundcover to kill
There is a deck I would like to turn into a sitting area cover by a grape arbor .. I have big dreams
I've been growing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants and the usual mix salad greens, but I want to go all out and try new things like Artichokes, Fennel, cold crops, corn etc and I'm hoping someone on here knows a lot more than me, cause I'm going to ask a lot of questions

This is just so cool!!!