Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Under Construction

Spring is here my friends. This is my apple tree this morning. So crazy excited to have blooms already! It looks like we will have fruit this year! (Although I will not hold my breath.)

It has been raining, (raining is a light word; pouring) for the last three days. I built the first two garden beds on Friday. That process took all day because we ran out of deck screws, had to go get more, and then we had to make the ground level to put the beds on... which took a pick ax, a shovel, and two of the neighborhood kids on top of my crew of 3. And that was for two beds. I have 9 more to do. We got no more done for the last three days. Which sucks. But this is our weekend (t/w/th) and so we are out there...


Today I am getting a dump truck load of dirt. 10 yards. That isn't a little dump truck load. That is a HUGE dump truck load. Over 12 tons of soil. We are filling all 11 beds with it, and then spreading it everywhere. On the grass, in the beds along the back of the yard, etc.

The main reason we are doing this is because we don't really have soil in our yard. And when you are trying to homestead without soil, then it will be 100 times more work. So we are bringing in the soil. Honestly, most of the rest will come by itself (You know, after we shovel and move 12 TONS of soil to where it belongs in the yard.) My new motto is: if your soil is happy, then every body's happy.

These are two more beds leaning on the fence, ready to be made... just needing the screws. And for the rain to stop.

In other news, I am training my son to be a woodworker. I think that working with wood is such an incredible skill to have! When I was little, my dad used to make a lot of our toys. A rocking horse, small trucks to ride on, etc. Many of those have lasted until I have had #3 and they are just starting to need repair now. It is an invaluable skill and I am excited to have started Alex out on that road. Right now it is pre-made kits and helping me make the garden beds and such... but soon he is going to build a vegetable stand for the front of our house this summer (he has his own bed, and only wants things he can sell growing in it)... and then a play house!

Yesterday one of his assignments for school was to build this birdhouse:

Didn't that turn out great?

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9 comments

ColorSlut said...

I can not wait to see how this turns out. I love looking at all the thought you have put into this!

pink and green mama MaryLea said...

So great! We're delayed here on building our raised garden bed because of house construction, am hoping in two weekends to get back into my yard!!

Anna said...

Can't wait for garden season to really start here. I'm loving that bird house and the idea of a veggie stand -- what an entrepreneur.

An Almost Unschooling Mom said...

Your rain is passing on to us as snow! It will be a while before we start planting - but thanks for the look at the apple blossoms :)

Shirley said...

Hopefully this dang rain will stop so that you can finish the rest of your beds! And take it easy when shoveling all that soil!

Anonymous said...

Its so beautiful to read that a family is working together to make a great garden, with all the love you guys are pouring in it it will grow so beautifully!
-Maria Isabel

themama said...

Sounds like alot of work! I can't wait to see how everything turns out!Your son should sell birdhouses at his veggie stand! It's really impressive!!

~Helisa

Val in the Rose Garden said...

That is a great idea Helisa! I will pass it along. :)

So wouldn't you know it... it poured all day except about 2 hours today. I was out there, the whole two hours. Then it started raining, and then pouring. And I went grocery shopping instead. Sigh...

But hopefully tomorrow we will be back out there and shoveling the dirt we bought today.

Kiyi Kiyi said...

Wow! Everything looks really great! I've given up on leveling the land - I just level my raised beds.

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