Farmhouse Raised Beds

It's April and the garden is slowly thawing out.

We had an above ground pool in the lower section of our garden, it was fun.  But I always felt so guilty wasting water, the use of chemicals and the electricity.  After much debate and discussion we have decided to change it up.  The pool will not go up, and in it's place some more raised beds.  We already have that area layered in pea gravel so no worries about lawn removal...we all know how fun that is! Pfft.   The pea gravel under the beds will be saved to fill up spots where pathways have thinned out or sunk into the dirt.

As the snow was melting it became obvious that there was a natural path we all were shovelling and so we followed that line, curving out the beds a bit.  Well not really, but with the two outside beds with angled ends, they create a curved look.  We pulled the pavers up and put them in front of each bed to reinforce a pathway.

BEFORE

 Then we woke to this:

Eventually, two days later, it finally melted and my husband was able to set the waterfall/creek up. Pure joy!

I've started seeds and  have even started to pot some up.  This window is south facing and receives a ton of sunshine, perfect for a make shift green house.  When it gets warmer outside I will pot up the starts and they'll go into bigger clear tubs on the back deck.  I've managed to use this system for a few years with great results.  Thanks to Larks Garden on You-Tube.

Tomatoes, peppers, basil, parsley, coleus, amaranth, and sage.  I think every seed I planted germinated! Seriously though, this is how a gardener survives the winters in this climate.

My flower afghan is now complete!  It was a lot of fun to make, although some days I just had to push through my quota.  I tried to complete at least three squares a day, most days that was pretty easy but not every day.  I love the results and I'm excited to start another!

It hasn't stayed on this bed, now it sits in the living room for some summer colour.   If anyone is interested in my pattern just comment below and I will try to accommodate. It's one I kind of made up and had a few trial and errors with based on afghans I have pinned on pinterest.

Take care, stay safe and healthy, until next time,
Abby