We liked our first raised bed so much we made a second one for roses on the side of our garage.

And we liked that one so much, well, you get the picture.

Here is the first bed with green things growing ... and one cat named bosley since we made the mistake of also planting catnip.

He looks like he's enjoying himself.

Too much.

Has he recovered the ability to walk straight?

How deep are the corner posts? How did you get them in there, and are they secured in any way? I am interested in trying this at my home...neat, guys! That cat in the garden is a riot.

I bought a post hole digger but it turned out that a hole-diggin' shovel did a better job, more precise and faster. Actually you can see these in the "implements of destruction" picture in the first post. The holes go down about a foot. None of this stuff is going to move.

The expenses involved are higher than I first thought but many of them are one-time expenses such as the lumber and tools.

So no cement or anything to secure their bases, just packed dirt in around? I have one of those shovels, the black one with the torn label, that's the one you used, yes?

Yes, we just packed in the dirt, and since it was muddy I think that helped stabilize everything when it dried up. Even then, a few of the posts were not perfectly stable, but after bolting the planks to them everything is so solid that it can't move.

The bolts are "lag bolts" and I pre-drilled a hole about the size of the core of the bolt and let the bolt screw itself in very firmly.

Thanks!

We should really put a garden in this year. I love having fresh tomatoes that actually have flavor and fresh basil too. Both are easy to grow. We've had gardens in the past, but didn't get around to it last summer. We had no need for a raised bed. The ground worked fine for us.

The mosquitos are so bad here that it's a pain to water the garden in the evenings without being eaten alive. I like to shower after I douse myself with bug spray. During the weekends, it's not so bad, because I'll load up on bug spray and be outside all day, but during the weeks, the payoff is hardly worth the hassle. Kind of turns it into a big production when I'm only outside for 5 minutes.

Each year I think that I need to set up some sort of path for the water to follow, so I can leave a hose in the garden, attached to an open faucet outside, and control it with the water shut-off valve in the basement. Don't have to go outside for that. Take that, you fucking tiger mosquitos. I imagine myself saying.

We actually just left the posts a little long, level on the otherside, then flipped it when ready ... dug the sod out and made large enough holes for the posts. (just a normal shovel).

Bosley the cat is a riot for sure...he would go sit in the cat nip and get quite contented.

How about this shot...does he look zoned or what??? :lol:

That is one VERY happy cat.

Reminds me of Stoner Kat..a neighborhood stray that ate 3 catnip plants to the ground.

And drove my own Maxwell nuts in the process.

Glatt , we have a skeeter problem here as well , what we did this last year and for here ever after , is bought a soaker hose( you know it has small holes all along the length and a cap on the end ) , ziged zaged it back and forth under the black plastic , i got one of those 2 way diverters ( buy a good one , they are worth it ) drag one hose to the soaker hose in the garden ( under the black plastic ) hook it up to the soaker hose and turn on the water for about 30- 45 minets , that gives me time to speed water the rest of the flowers all the FUCK over the place .

OH , by the way short ( 2-3 ft ) lengths of 1-2 inch PVC pipe driven into the ground in the corners of those raised beds works well to .

I will post a few pics of our raised 'erb garden and our tilled but unplanted veg garden in a few days .

Project continues!

http://cellar.org/2005/1.jpg

Overall. I have to talk the neighbor into letting me cut down that section of brush.

http://cellar.org/2005/2.jpg

Beans. It's cool, they come out of their bean shell looking like a bean, and drop off the shell part and then start leaves. The got it all worked out, how to save up energy in the seed and such. Pretty amazing.

http://cellar.org/2005/3.jpg

Zucchini, coming out of its original jiffy pot thingie where it started indoors. An earlier set was planted outside too early and didn't survive.

http://cellar.org/2005/4.jpg

Carrot row.

Additional tomato plants are started indoors. Not really visible yet are peas and cauliflower. I don't have high hopes for the cauliflower.