We bought this house last October and I had told her we would utilize part of the back yard for a garden. I often tell my wife I will build something and then fail to find the time to make good on my promises. I'm not lazy or unfocused; but I'm not very organized. And I'm too lazy to focus on improving my organization skills.
But today I'm focused. Today I'm keeping a promise.
I managed to find some 100 year old barn timbers. Hard as rock and heavier than they look. These beauties ought to last for another 100 years before they rot out.
These 90" long boards are unfinished 2x6's . . . not 1 1/2 x 5 1/2 like the finished lumber you get at Home Depot. The general plan is to build raised beds that are the full 90" and 1/2 a board in width . . . two boards high. I have enough lumber to put together 3 beds.
I spent about $20 on screws (important to use outdoor rated deck screws); but all the lumber was found, stolen, inherited or gifted.
My carpentry skills are limited: so this is going to be a very basic design and build. I have 18 boards. The beds will be half as wide as they are long: so I cut a third of the boards in half. Then I simply cut scrap 2x4's & 2x6's to 18" lengths and screwed them together to make "corner brackets" that are long enough to be sunk 6" into the ground. I layed out all the lumber to make sure my design fit the space. And then I just screwed all the pieces together like it was a piece of Ikea furniture.
Next weekend, If I can borrow a pickup from my brother-in-law, I will load in about 3 yards of compost. Oh, and I also need to spread out a bail of hay between the beds to keep the mud of my sweetie's gardening crocs. And then its totally up to her.
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