The garden is dead! Long live the garden!
We spent Saturday (a warm, sunny, gorgeous day–we timed it well) digging out the Toxoplasmosis Garden to make way for a new, improved, cat-proof garden with nice, clean feces-free dirt.
We (meaning Billy, while I toddler-wrangled) dug the dirt out from the old 6′ X 8′ bed:
Since we were starting over anyway, I decided to improve on what we’d done before. I needed an aisle to work the 6′ X 8′ garden, which was just wasted space. And we get more sun in the yard than just that little patch. So we put in two 4′ X 4′ raised beds, and a 2′ X 6′ raised bed for the asparagus crowns. The container plants will fit in there too. The asparagus bed and one of the other beds is over dirt, one over the patio. I’m guessing the patio bed will have to be reserved for smaller plants with shallower roots, yeah? No beets and parsnips in that one? The beds are 8″ deep. I need to come up with new garden maps now…
The beds aren’t totally filled with dirt yet in this photo, but they are now. We’ve got chicken wire anchored down with rocks at the moment, but now that we’ve got the beds topped off with soil and compost, we’re going to fix the wire flush with the dirt and attach it with screw hooks so it can be rolled back if needed. I’m expecting to leave it in place and work through it, snipping larger holes as the plants grow, but I wanted to go with the hooks rather than staples or nails, in case I do find I want to move the chicken wire, particularly before the plants come up. It seems like it’s going to be a pain in the ass to work through the wire. But if it deters the cats…
Our new next-door-neighbors, Heather and K., are trying chicken wire on one bed and bird netting draped over another. We figure we’ll compare notes at the end of the season and see which method best kept the evil felines at bay. Of course, they have a huge advantage because they’ve got a rather big dog. (We didn’t tell you guys they bought the house next door. Sneaky, hunh? All part of my plan to move all my Brooklyn friends to Portland.)
We celebrated the new garden beds on Saturday night by getting a baby sitter and going out for dinner, just the two of us. At which point I got food poisoning. Fun. That was my Sunday. So I didn’t get my writing day, and I didn’t get to try out the sourdough starter. Tonight, though, I plan to make a sourdough sponge to sit overnight, and then tomorrow I’ll give it a try. The fact that I can even think about baking bread right now is proof I’m feeling better. Yesterday sucked. I’m glad it’s today.
But let’s not end on such a note. How about a toddler-gardening photo? Much better than talk of food poisoning, yes?
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Toddler gardening photos are always the best. I wish we were putting in the garden, but I have to get rid of the 2 feet of snow first…
Best of luck with the chicken wire – hope it works!
Posted by: Sandra
OY VEY – I’m qvelling! his thumperness is beyond adorable
Posted by: margaret
Oh, that is just so wonderful, and Thumper so adorable playing in the dirt. On another topic, though, good GRIEF, a lot of people have been getting food poisoning lately!
Posted by: Norma
Toddler gardening photos are always the best. I wish we were putting in the garden, but I have to get rid of the 2 feet of snow first…
Best of luck with the chicken wire – hope it works!
Posted by: Sandra
OY VEY – I’m qvelling! his thumperness is beyond adorable
Posted by: margaret
Oh, that is just so wonderful, and Thumper so adorable playing in the dirt. On another topic, though, good GRIEF, a lot of people have been getting food poisoning lately!
Posted by: Norma
So glad that the garden is going! You’ve inspired me — I’m reading “This Organic Life” and am getting excited to plant our garden — we’ve had a raised bed garden for years, but lately I haven’t been that into it.
Posted by: Kathy
I am hoping Thumper joined in the making with his new tool table :))
Posted by: Alison
Did you guys use L brackets on the inside of your beds? I was wondering if inside would be stronger than outside or vice versa.
It all looks really good though. And thanks for sharing the cat challenge. I wouldn’t even have thought of that and there are outdoor cats around my neighborhood too.
Posted by: Laurie
Oh, that Thumper is a cutie. Glad you’re feeling better. We hate food poisoning. It is pure evil.
Posted by: Lizbon
Glad your garden has been resurrected!! Looking forward to hearing how your sourdough turns out!
Posted by: Sharon
So glad that the garden is going! You’ve inspired me — I’m reading “This Organic Life” and am getting excited to plant our garden — we’ve had a raised bed garden for years, but lately I haven’t been that into it.
Posted by: Kathy
I am hoping Thumper joined in the making with his new tool table :))
Posted by: Alison
Did you guys use L brackets on the inside of your beds? I was wondering if inside would be stronger than outside or vice versa.
It all looks really good though. And thanks for sharing the cat challenge. I wouldn’t even have thought of that and there are outdoor cats around my neighborhood too.
Posted by: Laurie
Oh, that Thumper is a cutie. Glad you’re feeling better. We hate food poisoning. It is pure evil.
Posted by: Lizbon
Glad your garden has been resurrected!! Looking forward to hearing how your sourdough turns out!
Posted by: Sharon
What will you do once the plants start growing beyond the height of the chicken wire? If I missed that, forgive me – it is early in the morning.
Posted by: Jo
What will you do once the plants start growing beyond the height of the chicken wire? If I missed that, forgive me – it is early in the morning.
Posted by: Jo
FYI… I just read in this old house mag (April ’08, p. 18) that coffee grounds — fresh or used — will keep cats out of the garden. Didn’t know if you got this tip yet.
Posted by: Wendy
Lovely! I’m jealous as all hell of those raised beds. (My yard, good god. After two years we are just now able to lay down mulch and consider making beds – we had to remove everything from glass to phone books to evil blackberries first) Anyway, for the bed over the patio, lettuce is a great crop for that spot, or Round Romeo carrots, as they are both quite shallow rooted. I grew lettuce in an old sandbox I converted to gardening and it was shallower than 8″, I believe.
I think some herbs are fairly shallow rooted, too; I’m thinking the kind to grow annually (basil). Some bee-loving alyssum growing over the sides would be a nice touch. Oh, and peas! Dwarf sugar snap peas!
Okay, I’ll stop now.
Posted by: Tina
Did you decide on what to do about slugs? Otherwise, your garden will die a second death when all of those tasty starts come up. It seems like the bed on top of the patio will heat up more, so maybe basil, oregano, thyme, peppers and Japanese eggplant?
Posted by: Andi
I’ve heard that coffee grounds keep cats out of the garden. I’m planning to try it this spring…
Posted by: Andrea
FYI… I just read in this old house mag (April ’08, p. 18) that coffee grounds — fresh or used — will keep cats out of the garden. Didn’t know if you got this tip yet.
Posted by: Wendy
Lovely! I’m jealous as all hell of those raised beds. (My yard, good god. After two years we are just now able to lay down mulch and consider making beds – we had to remove everything from glass to phone books to evil blackberries first) Anyway, for the bed over the patio, lettuce is a great crop for that spot, or Round Romeo carrots, as they are both quite shallow rooted. I grew lettuce in an old sandbox I converted to gardening and it was shallower than 8″, I believe.
I think some herbs are fairly shallow rooted, too; I’m thinking the kind to grow annually (basil). Some bee-loving alyssum growing over the sides would be a nice touch. Oh, and peas! Dwarf sugar snap peas!
Okay, I’ll stop now.
Posted by: Tina
Did you decide on what to do about slugs? Otherwise, your garden will die a second death when all of those tasty starts come up. It seems like the bed on top of the patio will heat up more, so maybe basil, oregano, thyme, peppers and Japanese eggplant?
Posted by: Andi
I’ve heard that coffee grounds keep cats out of the garden. I’m planning to try it this spring…
Posted by: Andrea
Thumper is looking so big these days. Those boys grow up awfully fast, don’t they?
Posted by: Vicki
Food poisoning is just the WORST. That’s one restaurant to which you won’t be going back.
Posted by: claudia
I am sorry to hear about the food poisoning. That is not fun at all. I’m glad to hear that your garden plans are back on track.
Posted by: knittripps
Check out this month’s issue of This Old House — I saw this blurb and thought of you. They talk about coffee grounds being the best deterrant for keeping felines out of the garden. Who knew?
Posted by: saranlap
Thumper is looking so big these days. Those boys grow up awfully fast, don’t they?
Posted by: Vicki
Food poisoning is just the WORST. That’s one restaurant to which you won’t be going back.
Posted by: claudia
I am sorry to hear about the food poisoning. That is not fun at all. I’m glad to hear that your garden plans are back on track.
Posted by: knittripps
Check out this month’s issue of This Old House — I saw this blurb and thought of you. They talk about coffee grounds being the best deterrant for keeping felines out of the garden. Who knew?
Posted by: saranlap