Another couple of good days and I will be finished with my raised bed garden. Still have to finish putting soil in the beds, raise and level the walk area and cover with mulch and put the fence around it to keep the deer out!! Only thing I haven't decided is how I want to water. I have thought of putting two rain barrels at the upper corners and install a gravity flow drip system. Any suggestions?

This is most impressive, Duane! That'll serve you well for a long time.

How much are you going to raise the walkway? Any concern about water pooling in that walk area? And what kind of material are you filling these beds in? Because of their depth I would be tempted to fill the bulk of it with rotted wood and finish it with 6 inches of compost at the top.

I like your idea of barrels gravity feeding a drip system.

Thanks Dave. I was looking to raise the walk area up another cinder block at the far end of the garden and angle it up to the front with topsoil. Then put 4 - 6" of mulch on top of the soil. I chose to use cinder blocks due to the 18" drop in grade and that was even challenging!! Water from rain should drain fairly well. For filling the bed I am using mushroom compost due to the fact that I had a truckload delivered from Madisonville to be used for other projects in addition to the garden. Most of my excess wood I run through my chipper/shredder to create mulch for all my walk paths between flower/herb beds.

I've also had mushroom compost from Madisonville - LOVE THAT STUFF.

I want to see pictures of this project once you're done and you've got plants growing.

Looks great. Can't wait to see the yields.

I will post another picture when I finish filling the beds, complete the walk area and get the fence up. Also post pictures when I plant and later when the veggies have grown. Dave, I am attending the Irrigation Efficiency Specialist training in San Antonio at the end of March so I probably will wait until then to install the drip irrigation.

I can't wait to see the pictures from this summer.

Your bed really looks gorgeous Duane, great job!!!
I look forward to seeing how it all works out.

Tell me about mushroom compost. Is it used as an additive to raised bed soil or is it possible to use it exclusively as a raised bed filler?Any warnings of right or wrong types? Eyenana

bump!

Where's the rest of this thread, LOL?

Poohdaddy,
Where're the pics?

I agree. @Poohdaddy: how did the bed go last year? And what's it looking like today?

I want to know, too!

Sorry, I don't have any pictures this year of the garden, but this picture was taken about middle of May last year.




Only thing, I never got my drip irrigation successfully installed. That is this weeks project. The barrels were painted by my wife.

Your garden looks great, but I want to see a close up photo of the barrels your wife painted. They look so much nicer than plain black or green. I really love the colors. Beautiful!

Love the idea of cinder blocks for raised beds but I was told some have chemicals that can leach into the soil. What type are you using and what do you need to look for in a cinder block?

I just found this thread, and would like to do something similar. Please let us know how it has gone, and what you would do different, poohdaddy.

I just found this thread also. You did good. But your wife did really good painting those rain barrels!

Chiming in - I'd love to see more details (and dimensions) too. Planning raised vegetable beds for next Spring. May also use Dave's hugelculture idea for a prefill.

jerseyridgearts said:Chiming in - I'd love to see more details (and dimensions) too. Planning raised vegetable beds for next Spring. May also use Dave's hugelculture idea for a prefill.

Yes, and I'd love you see yours as you develop them. I have had moderate success with gardening on a small scale in three raised beds here. I'm always looking to learn more.