You'll Need A Big Rake To Level That

As it was already summer we had missed the growing season for 2006 so some of the pressure was off. The next job we had was working out how we were going to lay out the plots. The area we had allocated for the vegetable plot was approximately 350 sq. metres. This would be plenty of space to grow enough food to support the two of us. In fact it would be too large.

Looking at the picture in the previous post you can see that the ground is uneven. It would be no small job to level this even now it had been rotorvated. We decided that we would not level the ground at this time. We also decided to use raised beds for cultivation. Using raised beds would also solve the problem we have with poor drainage.

The layout we settled on was to leave the greenhouse where it was and to put in ten raised beds. These would be 4m x 2m. These would start about 2m behind the greenhouse and they would be split into two rows with 1m between the plots.

A quick call to a local lumber yard and I was a few hundred pounds lighter in the wallet and the proud owner of approximately 150m of timber. Now all I had to do was put it together.

Starting with the bed nearest the greenhouse we used the ground there to set the level for the rest of the beds. At the end of two nights we had the ten raised beds in place and level. The startling thing was that the beds finally showed the extend of the levelling problem. The ground dropped by 7cm in only a few metres. This left us with some beds which were flush with the ground and some that we suspended in mid air. At the time of writing (nearly a full year on) two of the beds still remain unused and are floating on wooden stakes.

The immediate problem of how to fill the beds was solved by work we were doing on some of the beds elsewhere in the garden. The front garden yielded enough soil to fill two of the beds to and inch or so below the top of the timber frame. Another bed in the garden to at the back of the house allowed us to fill one more. The soil also had a large amount of grit and sand mixed in to it. Ideal for crops requiring good drainage.

So, now we have three beds which can be used now with another seven in the wings. Oh and a greenhouse still lurking in the background.

It was time for the raised beds to take rest whilst we had a look at the greenhouse. Out comes the assembly instructions and the telephone directory. Two days later we have a tonne of sand, gravel and a few bags of cement in the front garden. This is where we Iearn how many wheelbarrow loads it takes to move one tonne of sand and gravel - LOTS. And it hurts the day afterwards. I have also found out how much your shoulders ache after mixing 3/4 tonne of cement by hand - in a wheelbarrow. Memo to self - next time hire a cement mixer.

With the foundations laid my next job was to learn how to lay bricks. Or in our case - cement blocks. It was at this stage that I discovered that I really need to do this job when I am not tired and can pay more attention to what I am doing. After checking the levels on the blocks I found out that they are not, how can I put this, well level. They are not too far out and we decide to carry on. The greenhouse goes on the base reasonably well and there is only one part of the frame which is out to the point where it is worrying. We will only find out how bad this is when we glaze that section of the frame. A job for another day.

And Finally...
We now have three raised beds ready for use, a greenhouse frame on a cement block base and I have learned that when working in our garden we buy things by the tonne.

Mark