The Warfield Garden Chronicles: Chuggin' along!

Today I wanted to build the raised bed for the cauliflower, collard greens, sage, thyme and rosemary! :) I went to home depot (yuck)and I was intending on buying cedar fencing to make the bed with then I found corner joints for raised garden beds. These joints allow me to stack multiple beds on top of each other and make whatever size bed I want. I got really excited because they looked easier than using 4x4s and 2x6s and nuts and bolts and screws and stakes and and and....

So I snatched up the corner joints and went to the lumber section ready to buy the $2 cedar fence planks. The cedar planks were only one inch in width so I could not use the cedar,bummer. So I bought three 2'x6'x96' boards and had the home depot associate cut one board in half so I would have two 4 ft boards.When I came back home Amanda was already outside enjoying the warm weather. She helped me unload the big 8 ft long boards from my itty bitty yaris hatchback. Then within 20 minutes we had a raised garden bed!! It was so easy! It's so easy we will be making a 6'x 8' for the corn, pumpkin, bean, cucumber, and sunflower bed! :) To top it all off, the bed only cost me $37 buckaroos!!! I am very proud of myself, especially considering the "raised bed kits" for a 4'x8' bed is $72 dollars plus tax! We will have two large raised beds for the price of one large raised bed kit. I mean, I'm so happy I could brag all day really.

Back to the subject, after we built the bed we broke up the ground of the two bed. I laid newspaper down on the brand new bed, to prevent weeds from sprouting up.

Then on a tarp I mixed VERY HEAVY manure, soil from the yard, and coffee grounds together. I felt like I was playing tug of war with the tarp of soil and the tarp of soil was winning. Phew! I probably shouldn't of mixed the soil alone, it was like 1 cubic yard.

Anyway, I got it mixed mostly and with a little magic (aka lots of muscle/little frustration)

I got the soil into the new bed.

And you thought vegetarians/vegans were weak... Well...

After I raked the bed evenly, I transplanted my 2 sage plants, thyme plant, and baby cactus. I'm so happy they're still alive. I've had these plants for 2 years now. I am

very proud of them!

I went to transplant the rosemary bush that Amanda adopted from a friend. Unfortunately, the rosemary bush was a goner. It's okay we can always get another rosemary bush if we want one! :)

I put the cactus in an unwanted tin can from work. These are what I used for my container garden last year. I really like them, I think they look cool. Actually this can was the same can that the thyme was in. Cool, huh?

Oh yeah! Britches found the skull behind the house, I've been wanting to use it for something and I thought that it is most appropriate with a cactus. The other plant in the picture is my hack berry bonsai. I found the tree last year growing in an old

plastic pot and decided to keep it. I hope it works... so far it seems like it's alive.

Check out my version of a French manicure! Dig it? ;)