Will Wendy Weed or Wander?
THE PICS ARE MISSING UNTIL I FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THEM HERE :-)
The garden is humming along. Everything is planted. Most garden beds are weeded. Now it's time to watch it grow and to feast from the garden. All spring I worked like a crazy woman to prepare the beds, spread composted manure, plant seeds and set out seedlingsthen weed, weed, weed! It sure is nice to see an end to that tunnel and to shift to harvest mode. Now that less time is needed in the garden, it's time to work on projects around the garden. Here's what we've been up to. Maybe you would like to adapt some of these for your own gardens.
PVC Hoophouse
1" PVC pipe 20ft. long
pipe clamps
lumber
slab wood
greenhouse plastic
18" pieces of rebar
Pound rebar in part way. Put PVC pipe over it. Every 3-4 ft. of length, add a pair of rebar spikes and another PVC pipe until greenhouse is desired length. Using scrap lumber, strengthen PVC pipe by connecting lumber to pipes with pipe clamps..
Frame in the ends of the hoophouse as shown. Cover sides and top with slabs. Frame a door and cover with plastic. If the greenhouse cover will have to withstand snow, put poles or pieces of lumber in the middle of the greenhouse from ridgepole to ground.
Either build screen benches like for the packing shed, or make raised beds inside.
Tractor Tire Sandbox
We got some big tractor tires, lined the bottom very thickly with newspapers and filled each one with 180 lbs. Of play sand. Add sand toys and children.
PVC Trellis
I had several pieces of the 1" thick PVC pipe left over from the hoophouse project. I made them into a trellis by pounding 18" pieces of rebar part way into the ground, then putting the pipe on the rebar. Where the pipes cross, I wired them together for extra stability. For extra climbing ability of the plants, tie strings from the top to a string run along at ground level.
Log Trellis
I really wanted a place to plant sweet peas and morning glories, plus thought it would be nice to have a formal entrance to the garden. I have a 4WD ATV that I drive around the farm to haul hay, manure, tools and vegetables, so the trellis had to be wide enough to drive the loaded ATV through. Here's what we came up with:
1) Cut four 10 ½ ft. poles and two 9 ½ ft. poles.
2) Use the post-hole digger to make 2ft. deep holes. 4 ft. apart at the sides and sides 8ft.apart.
3) Put 10 ½ ft. poles into holes. Fill and tamp.
4) Use two 4x8ft. pre-made trellis panels. With drywall screws, fasten to poles.
5) Put 9ft. poles on top of vertical poles. Spike together.
6) On top of horizontal poles, screw on a third trellis panel.
7) Mound up soil/compost mixture on both sides at the bottom of the trellis panels.
8) Plant climbing flowers.
Vegetable Washing Shed
I need one of these because we are picking for up to 20 families, washing, then packing the shares. I use 5 gallon buckets to pick into. We start harvesting early on hot days and use the washing shed as a shady place to store the buckets as we pick. Most things are soaked in cold water to get of dirt and crisp things up. Then, the vegetables are put on the screen shelves to drip-dry.
Here's how we made our shed in two days:
1) Cut down fir and hemlock trees. Buy cedar poles.
2) Use a post-hole digger. At the 4 corners and midpoints, dig holes 2ft. deep.
3) Put cedar posts in holes. Tamp and fill with dirt.
4) Put fir or hemlock ridgepole and rafter plates up on cedar poles. Spike together.
5) Decide how wide you want your wire countertops to be. Use small cedar posts pounded in for inside supports. Use scrap lumber to frame countertopscover with one or two layers of wire fencing.
6) Find some old sinks and install at ends of countertops for rinsing vegetables.
7) Pick out six nice pieces of slab lumber to span from ridgepole to rafters at the ends and middle.
8) Cover structure with the appropriate sized tarp.
9) Install gutters on sides of rafters. Slope them towards the sinks. Put a barrel on each side to collect water for vegetable washing.
Woodcraft Cabin
Materials list:
8 heavy cedar posts 10ft. long
4 medium cedar posts 9ft. long
7 ridge/purlins/stringers 20ft. long
poles of various sizes to go from stringer to ridge/purlins
5 or more simple windows
door
tar paper
nails
