Garden Pictures Chat Corner

You have no garlic in your garden

I only overwinter my geraniums and petunias. Everything else is only hardy, otherwise it’s really too much effort for me. Native plants are hardy anyway.

He won't do anything with me. He doesn't like me.

Our garden will not be fully planted this year yet, as there is still a lot of structural work to be done and we prefer to do it step by step ourselves, such as the dry stone wall and additional fencing of an area against deer browsing. A small planted privet hedge seemed to taste exceptionally good to them. After all, the extra time at the moment also has its benefits: the raised beds are being planted gradually, a wooden deck has been built, the whirlpool will be connected to it today, and a dozen different berry bushes for insects and birds are finding their place, and a small greenhouse will be standing by the weekend as well. During the move, the cast iron grates for the grill seem to have been lost (how does that even happen?) - would have been nice yesterday.

at least you already have raised beds. Unfortunately, our garden will suffer because of Corona. We have less time. We are allowed and able to work, kindergarten is closed, taking care of parents, so the days are short. We do go outside with the little one and work on the garden, but it simply takes much longer with a toddler than without. The main thing is to stay busy and distracted. We will not hire a landscaper, we are still expecting massive income losses this year.

Building raised beds yourself is inexpensive and simple - complications usually only come from the little things. You certainly don’t need a garden planner for that, just some good tools. A good miter saw already pays off with this one project, and an 18V cordless drill with extra batteries as well, and you can often use the latter or may already have one at home. Untreated wood is inexpensive, don’t take it too thin, square posts, rabbit wire stapled at the bottom, a protection layer inside between soil and wood (if you don’t splurge on material thickness) and a few boxes of universal screws. Whether you want to treat the wood afterwards is a matter of preference – it certainly helps with durability. For seed starting, you can put a hood made of wood with a Makrolon panel on the bed – that can also be quickly assembled. A 3000 x 1000 x 550 mm (L x W x H) raised bed isn’t more expensive than a nice plant pot. You can do it well for about 50€. I went a bit overboard with material thickness and screws and estimate that I spent 75€ on such a bed incl. (For adapting to the terrain, I also needed a circular saw with a rail.)