Well, we had been wanting to enlarge our gardening space for some time now, there are so many vegetables to grow! Unfortunately, I have done a little too much research on raised box gardens, and am picky about the materials. Because of the chemical processes used to treat most wood, the safest wood types to use for raised box gardens are those that are typically left untreated like cedar or redwood. Which kind of wood is most expensive? You guessed it, cedar and redwood, as a result we have been putting off the continuation of the great garden. I was dinking around online after work, and found that many people use cinder blocks for their raised box gardens. Genius!!!! I had forgotten perhaps the most important thing the military taught me. The KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupid. In my quest for the best material I overlooked a very simple and very inexpensive one. Now I am sure that some of you are thinking, "Sure cinder block is cheap, but it is hideous and I wouldn't want it in my yard." Well cinder blocks are hideous yes, but there are easy ways to dress them up using stucco or cement and they turn out looking like a custom garden feature that you paid way too much for but really didn't. Some people are even motivated enough to make little mosaics out of each block, but that reeks too much of Martha Stewart for me.
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| Yup, I am actually working |
The only problem with cinder block is that you have to level them and make sure they are all square to each other. It looks like poop if you do not. Translation: lots of work.
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| It's so beautiful |
This is the almost finished box, we did have to add some more soil because the soil we dug out of it was mostly rocks. I do so love living on a volcanic island. Our compost pile is getting there. I turned it over the other day and had to call Jesse over to smell it. I said something like, "smell it, do you smell that? it doesn't smell like poop, it smells like dirt.... isn't that exciting?" He agreed, I am pretty sure he was just humoring me at that point. It really does smell like dirt though, I promise if you came over and smelled it, you would be suitably impressed.
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| Yum partially ready compost |
4 comments:
Noice!
:D Tell me what I'm doing wrong because my compost DOES smell like poop.
Well so far, I think I have just been lucky on the compost end. I just add stuff and I think it is been in fairly correct ratio. You might need to add something dry like hay or dried leaves to yours.
Yes, it was collecting too much water. P. U.
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