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applestar
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Re: idea for my blank slate back yard
That's a good question. I don't know, but since they are normally found only inches below the surface, I'm inclined to think not? At the very least, they should emerge considerably weakened.
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rainbowgardener
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rainbowgardener
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Did my first planting! Along the fence line on each side I planted a clump of roadside foraged plants: ironweed, goldenrod, asters, and some black eyed susans I brought from Cincinnati. All natives and attractive to beneficial insects. I planted goldenrod gathered from a roadside once in Cincinnati, but it spread so much I ended up ripping it out again. But I have a lot more room here. I'll just keep an eye on it.
I am signed up for an "earthcare fall retreat -- designing with native plants" a free, most of the day workshop, and a local native plant nursery will be there with plants to sell.... So there will be more planting!
I am signed up for an "earthcare fall retreat -- designing with native plants" a free, most of the day workshop, and a local native plant nursery will be there with plants to sell.... So there will be more planting!
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rainbowgardener
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Planted my first trees in my new yard!
Two apple trees, a dwarf red delicious and a semi-dwarf gala. They should pollinate each other (assuming we have honey bees).
Not native, I know but my partner really wanted some fruit trees. In the spring we will plant a couple peach trees (we are in Georgia, after all!
) in that same strip of side yard out to the street.
- IMG_0555.JPG (49.71 KiB) Viewed 3013 times
Not native, I know but my partner really wanted some fruit trees. In the spring we will plant a couple peach trees (we are in Georgia, after all!
) in that same strip of side yard out to the street.-
rainbowgardener
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So I finally found my little pH meter (the kind with the probes you put down in the soil) and tested my ground. I think the meter is reasonably accurate - in Cincinnati it always read around 8 or 8.5, which fit perfectly with what kinds of things would and would not grow there. Now it is reading just under 7, say 6.8 by eyeball. Perfect for growing most veggies!
I LOVE my dirt here! I dug two big holes for planting the apple trees. I swear they were the easiest holes I ever dug. My Cincinnati ground was so hard and rocky and pure clay, like you could dig out and put on a potters wheel. Digging a hole, depending on where and when was somewhere between a total PITA and impossible. The ground here is a bit clay-ish, but MUCH softer and more loamy.
I LOVE my dirt here!
I dug two big holes for planting the apple trees. I swear they were the easiest holes I ever dug. My Cincinnati ground was so hard and rocky and pure clay, like you could dig out and put on a potters wheel. Digging a hole, depending on where and when was somewhere between a total PITA and impossible. The ground here is a bit clay-ish, but MUCH softer and more loamy.-
rainbowgardener
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Working away on the circle garden and getting ideas for what I want to do with the rest of the yard. Outside of the circle garden, which will be about 150 sq ft of raised beds, I want to do a three sisters garden (possibly about 10x6), and then I would like to have a potato patch. Trying to figure out where the potato patch goes.
How much sun do they need? Will potatoes produce with less than full sun?
If I can do that, I will have covered jal_ut's prescription for producing actual food from your garden -- corn, beans, squash, potatoes. There will be some more beans in the circle gardens as well and probably some on trellis on the deck, once we get that built. The rest of the circle gardens will be for everything else - cool weather crops, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, etc. Herbs and flowers will be in some little beds outside the circle gardens (especially for the things that attract beneficial insects to your garden) and scattered all around the rest of the yard and in lots of pots on the deck - 500 sq ft of deck gives plenty of growing room!
thanks everyone, for all your help and support and good ideas for this project!
How much sun do they need? Will potatoes produce with less than full sun?
If I can do that, I will have covered jal_ut's prescription for producing actual food from your garden -- corn, beans, squash, potatoes. There will be some more beans in the circle gardens as well and probably some on trellis on the deck, once we get that built. The rest of the circle gardens will be for everything else - cool weather crops, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, etc. Herbs and flowers will be in some little beds outside the circle gardens (especially for the things that attract beneficial insects to your garden) and scattered all around the rest of the yard and in lots of pots on the deck - 500 sq ft of deck gives plenty of growing room!
thanks everyone, for all your help and support and good ideas for this project!
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rainbowgardener
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I realized as I was making more progress, that my math was all off there. I think I got switched in my mind to thinking about a 20 ft diameter circle, but it's actually 24 ft. Actually it is more like 24 ft 8". I added a little to compensate for the room the bricks will take up. So I will have more like 300 sq ft of growing space in the circle gardens!
I was out rescuing plants from constructions sites again. Brought home two sumacs, an eastern cedar, and three long needle pines in sizes from small to teeny. I think I will just pot them up for now and decide where to put them in the spring.
I was out rescuing plants from constructions sites again. Brought home two sumacs, an eastern cedar, and three long needle pines in sizes from small to teeny. I think I will just pot them up for now and decide where to put them in the spring.
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rainbowgardener
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So I decided to build this in quarters, since it will be four raised beds with path around and between them. Building bed at a time makes sure I have at least something ready to plant in. So here's progress so far:
all that dirt is the sod I stripped out of the path. It is filling in what used to be a low spot (where there once was a big above ground swimming pool).
Here's all the bricks (interlocking concrete blocks) for that bed stacked up, out of the way:
Here's the view of the bed from the other end of the yard:
Doesn't show up very well yet in that view, since so far it is nothing but some path and edging.
all that dirt is the sod I stripped out of the path. It is filling in what used to be a low spot (where there once was a big above ground swimming pool).
Here's all the bricks (interlocking concrete blocks) for that bed stacked up, out of the way:
Here's the view of the bed from the other end of the yard:
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rainbowgardener
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Yes, imafan, three of your yards would fit in mine, with a little room to spare -- my yard is about 19,000 sq feet - a little less than half acre. Still very small compared to what lots of people around here have.
Yup, love starting new projects. I'm actually better at starting them than finishing .... this one is a ton of work, but hopefully will eventually be finished. I think it will be very nice. I spend more time than strictly necessary ( 
) standing on the deck imagining how everything will be some day....
Yup, love starting new projects. I'm actually better at starting them than finishing ....
this one is a ton of work, but hopefully will eventually be finished. I think it will be very nice. I spend more time than strictly necessary ( ) standing on the deck imagining how everything will be some day....-
rainbowgardener
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Two weeks later, here it is again
Late afternoon rays of sun beaming down. Not sure why the camera rendered them rainbow colored!
First wall built. It will be straight on the ends, after I get a chisel, so I can break some blocks in half. It is four blocks high, but they are the smaller blocks, only 3" tall. Since they are sunk in the ground on the first course, it's really only about 10" high. The level is sitting on the top, showing off ! You can't see it, but it is showing "on the bubble" perfectly level!
If you click to enlarge, the white rope shows where the next side will go in and the channel is already dug for them.
Between the block wall(s) and the black edging will be wood chipped paths. Where the pole is sticking up is the center of the circle and there will be a bird bath with solar fountain there.
Whatever you think about it... no one has one like it!
- circle garden.jpg (44.51 KiB) Viewed 2657 times
First wall built. It will be straight on the ends, after I get a chisel, so I can break some blocks in half. It is four blocks high, but they are the smaller blocks, only 3" tall. Since they are sunk in the ground on the first course, it's really only about 10" high. The level is sitting on the top, showing off ! You can't see it, but it is showing "on the bubble" perfectly level!
If you click to enlarge, the white rope shows where the next side will go in and the channel is already dug for them.
Between the block wall(s) and the black edging will be wood chipped paths. Where the pole is sticking up is the center of the circle and there will be a bird bath with solar fountain there.
Whatever you think about it... no one has one like it!
Yes, an interesting lay-out of your garden. Unique? well, we all have unique situations. Geometric garden layouts have been around since forever, from formal to less formal.
At one time I was looking at the raised beds, rectangles in back yard, with the look of the French colonial gardens in back yards. Since morphed with some of that structure still there, and ever changing. This season should see many changes and updates from front to back, corner lot about 1/4 acre in town.
At one time I was looking at the raised beds, rectangles in back yard, with the look of the French colonial gardens in back yards. Since morphed with some of that structure still there, and ever changing. This season should see many changes and updates from front to back, corner lot about 1/4 acre in town.
Looks good. It looks like it is in partial shade from the trees. What are you planning to put in that bed?
I like the look of the bricks. I myself don't care much for pointy corners. I like more of an arch shape to the beds so the outer circle mimics the inner circle, the sectors of the outer beds will look more like arcs and less like quarter circles. But I also know that if you are doing a brick path it will be easier to use straight lines instead of curves where the bricks would have to be cut.
Similar to this design but omitting the small 1 1/2 ft path and making the main path a little wider instead The sector beds will look more like fans and the central bed can be bigger.
https://blog.oregonlive.com/homesandgard ... e_gar.html
Instead of a cross you can make three beds instead of four which will make the beds bigger and the paths would look more like a "Y" or a peace sign where you would have two larger sector bed and one sector bed will be split in two to make it look like a peace sign.
I like the look of the bricks. I myself don't care much for pointy corners. I like more of an arch shape to the beds so the outer circle mimics the inner circle, the sectors of the outer beds will look more like arcs and less like quarter circles. But I also know that if you are doing a brick path it will be easier to use straight lines instead of curves where the bricks would have to be cut.
Similar to this design but omitting the small 1 1/2 ft path and making the main path a little wider instead The sector beds will look more like fans and the central bed can be bigger.
https://blog.oregonlive.com/homesandgard ... e_gar.html
Instead of a cross you can make three beds instead of four which will make the beds bigger and the paths would look more like a "Y" or a peace sign where you would have two larger sector bed and one sector bed will be split in two to make it look like a peace sign.
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applestar
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Interesting what imafan said -- Google has updated sat photos of my area twice, and each time, I saw the changes I made to my garden in the new. 
A unique landmark may also make your house recognizable if you happen to fly over. Not that he could see the garden because they fly pretty far up in the sky while circling the airport, but my DH has flown over and recognized our neighborhood once or twice before they changed the flight patterns.
...looks like hard work, rainbowgardener, but SO worth it! And, look, you don't have to haul those down the steep incline/hill like you used to -- must seem EASY by comparison.
A unique landmark may also make your house recognizable if you happen to fly over. Not that he could see the garden because they fly pretty far up in the sky while circling the airport, but my DH has flown over and recognized our neighborhood once or twice before they changed the flight patterns.
...looks like hard work, rainbowgardener, but SO worth it! And, look, you don't have to haul those down the steep incline/hill like you used to -- must seem EASY by comparison.
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rainbowgardener
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Lots of fun ideas
I like the look of the bricks. I myself don't care much for pointy corners. I like more of an arch shape to the beds so the outer circle mimics the inner circle, the sectors of the outer beds will look more like arcs and less like quarter circles. But I also know that if you are doing a brick path it will be easier to use straight lines instead of curves where the bricks would have to be cut.
The arc beds in the diagram you linked to look cool, but even more hard work, if you want them edged and raised.
I do take your "point" about the pointy corners. I could conceivably deal with that just by truncating the corner far enough back to make a small arc there. I think that was in my original design and got lost somewhere along the way.
And yes, it is great not to have to haul all these bricks down a steep hillside!
I'm working as hard as I can now, because I have no idea how much longer I will be able to do outdoor yard work. If I were still in Cinti, it would already be over.
I like the look of the bricks. I myself don't care much for pointy corners. I like more of an arch shape to the beds so the outer circle mimics the inner circle, the sectors of the outer beds will look more like arcs and less like quarter circles. But I also know that if you are doing a brick path it will be easier to use straight lines instead of curves where the bricks would have to be cut.
The arc beds in the diagram you linked to look cool, but even more hard work, if you want them edged and raised.
I do take your "point" about the pointy corners.
I could conceivably deal with that just by truncating the corner far enough back to make a small arc there. I think that was in my original design and got lost somewhere along the way. And yes, it is great not to have to haul all these bricks down a steep hillside!
I'm working as hard as I can now, because I have no idea how much longer I will be able to do outdoor yard work. If I were still in Cinti, it would already be over.
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rainbowgardener
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rainbowgardener
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I keep dreaming.... Here's my latest backyard sketch:
The square beds will be probably 4' x 4' Note the large fish tank next to the shed. This will be an aquaponics set up. The two square beds closest to it will be two layers/ levels to give some height for gravity feed and the top level will be hydroponic, planted in clay pebbles, so the water can go back into the fish tank. Fish poo enriched water will get pumped up to the hydro beds.
The cool thing about that is that one problem with aquaponics is that the plants need a lot of sun, but the fish need shade. By putting the fish tank in the shade of the shed (I could even put a little awning out over it), then I can accommodate all of that.
All around the edges will be small trees, shrubs, tall grasses, native wildflowers.
It is obviously a plan for more than one season. But I am putting the finishing touches on the first quarter of the circle. The square beds I think I will do like I have done in the past - 4" by 4" fence posts stacked. I won't strip sod or anything, just put down lots of cardboard, so they will be pretty quick and easy and will definitely be ready by spring. In fact, I think I will do them next after the first circle quarter, so when I am filling that, I can fill the squares too and all of it can be mellowing for spring. For this season they will all be just one level, three sisters plantings. The whole aquaponics thing will be another year's project. But I can plant one block of corn in each one in succession, two weeks apart, which will keep us in corn most of the summer!
Next to the deck or maybe in the side yard will be potato patches. The gate shown goes out to the side yard mini-orchard. Two apple trees already planted and two peach trees to come in spring.
So apples, peaches, later some berries, maybe paw-paw and/or persimmon as part of the around the edges stuff. Potatoes; corn, beans, squash, in the squares; tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cold season stuff in the circle, flowers and herbs scattered around and in containers on our nearly 500 sq ft of deck; hens for eggs, food fish in the tank.... A regular homestead on not quite half an acre! (I currently am vegetarian and don't eat fish, but if we were growing our own sustainably, I would, though neither of us is real enthusiastic about killing and cleaning them
Oh well cross that bridge when we come to it; they are hypothetical fish at this point.)
- garden sketch.jpg (27.38 KiB) Viewed 3053 times
The cool thing about that is that one problem with aquaponics is that the plants need a lot of sun, but the fish need shade. By putting the fish tank in the shade of the shed (I could even put a little awning out over it), then I can accommodate all of that.
All around the edges will be small trees, shrubs, tall grasses, native wildflowers.
It is obviously a plan for more than one season. But I am putting the finishing touches on the first quarter of the circle. The square beds I think I will do like I have done in the past - 4" by 4" fence posts stacked. I won't strip sod or anything, just put down lots of cardboard, so they will be pretty quick and easy and will definitely be ready by spring. In fact, I think I will do them next after the first circle quarter, so when I am filling that, I can fill the squares too and all of it can be mellowing for spring. For this season they will all be just one level, three sisters plantings. The whole aquaponics thing will be another year's project. But I can plant one block of corn in each one in succession, two weeks apart, which will keep us in corn most of the summer!
Next to the deck or maybe in the side yard will be potato patches. The gate shown goes out to the side yard mini-orchard. Two apple trees already planted and two peach trees to come in spring.
So apples, peaches, later some berries, maybe paw-paw and/or persimmon as part of the around the edges stuff. Potatoes; corn, beans, squash, in the squares; tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cold season stuff in the circle, flowers and herbs scattered around and in containers on our nearly 500 sq ft of deck; hens for eggs, food fish in the tank.... A regular homestead on not quite half an acre! (I currently am vegetarian and don't eat fish, but if we were growing our own sustainably, I would, though neither of us is real enthusiastic about killing and cleaning them
Oh well cross that bridge when we come to it; they are hypothetical fish at this point.)
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rainbowgardener
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So today I finished up my one quadrant of circle, got it all ready to fill.
Laid down some 4x4' cardboard squares to visualize what those beds would look like. I realized that the drawing is all out of scale. Some time I need to get graph paper and measure and make a real scale drawing. In real life, the four 4x4 squares looked incredibly small and puny next to the giant massive Stonehenge I am building on the other side of the shed.
So I think it will turn into nine 4x4' beds in a square layout. It will look better balanced that way. Hey, a girl can never have too many raised beds, right?
Laid down some 4x4' cardboard squares to visualize what those beds would look like. I realized that the drawing is all out of scale. Some time I need to get graph paper and measure and make a real scale drawing. In real life, the four 4x4 squares looked incredibly small and puny next to the giant massive Stonehenge I am building on the other side of the shed.
So I think it will turn into nine 4x4' beds in a square layout. It will look better balanced that way. Hey, a girl can never have too many raised beds, right?
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rainbowgardener
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Oh, I realized I didn't show the last picture in this series:
I have since finished off those ends, but they are imperfect, because the bricks didn't split evenly, so I may still work on them some more.
I dug up partly finished compost (from the compost pile I started in October and filled in the channel behind the bricks (which doesn't show in this pic) and laid more cardboard over everything. So now the bed is ready to fill with composted manure and topsoil, and wood chips in the path in front of it (between bricks and the black edging (which needs a little more pounding down).
(This picture, of course, is taken from the opposite direction as the last one, to show the curved wall.)
I dug up partly finished compost (from the compost pile I started in October and filled in the channel behind the bricks (which doesn't show in this pic) and laid more cardboard over everything. So now the bed is ready to fill with composted manure and topsoil, and wood chips in the path in front of it (between bricks and the black edging (which needs a little more pounding down).
(This picture, of course, is taken from the opposite direction as the last one, to show the curved wall.)
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rainbowgardener
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I looked back at the previous page of this and discovered that some of the links got broken, when I made a folder for pics of the new place.
So here's the one that shows when I just bought all those bricks and stacked them under the deck:
compare to the few bricks left in the background of the new picture!
So here's the one that shows when I just bought all those bricks and stacked them under the deck:
compare to the few bricks left in the background of the new picture!
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rainbowgardener
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Well, no....
The sides, which are radii of a circle, turned out to be 11 bricks long, which is a bit over 8 ft. That means the distance from the inside corner point to the middle of the curved outer wall is the same distance. So no, I won't be able to reach all of it and will have to step in to my beds some.
And yes, it will be an "architectural feature." Seen from outer space and all! Surprisingly enough, my permaculture backyard, will have some qualities in common with very formal European garden designs. Lots of geometry! Hopefully, once it is all full of growing things, it will be softened a bit. And I intend for there to be free form plantings all around the edges, eventually.
The sides, which are radii of a circle, turned out to be 11 bricks long, which is a bit over 8 ft. That means the distance from the inside corner point to the middle of the curved outer wall is the same distance. So no, I won't be able to reach all of it and will have to step in to my beds some.
And yes, it will be an "architectural feature." Seen from outer space and all!
Surprisingly enough, my permaculture backyard, will have some qualities in common with very formal European garden designs. Lots of geometry! Hopefully, once it is all full of growing things, it will be softened a bit. And I intend for there to be free form plantings all around the edges, eventually.-
applestar
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Since this is sturdy, you could probably just put planks to temporarily bridge across the top (I picture two planks cutting off the corners) if you look at my pallet sided raised bed thread and pics, the "skids" that I cut up to put against the fence, may be just the thing. Offered for free or for low $ on Craigslist around here.
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rainbowgardener
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Haven't really thought this through yet, but one possibility is putting in a few paver stepping stones from the inside corner almost to the middle. With that in place, I should be able to reach everything.applestar wrote:Since this is sturdy, you could probably just put planks to temporarily bridge across the top (I picture two planks cutting off the corners) if you look at my pallet sided raised bed thread and pics, the "skids" that I cut up to put against the fence, may be just the thing. Offered for free or for low $ on Craigslist around here.
Just a note or thought on those smaller 4 x 4 beds FWIW. Looks great on paper...... In reality a pain in the pituey, and even worse for mowing and edging. One 4 x 8 much easier to maintain than 2 separate 4 x 4's. With 4' wide can reach in from either side.
As you add trees, shrubs and beds, the fancy riding mower will become obsolete, and you'll need a regular mower. As mentioned elsewhere, I have a battery weed trimmer and it's great for the garden edging etc. I know others hate them, but I think they are great for regular yards (and more powerful ones are coming out on the market)
As you add trees, shrubs and beds, the fancy riding mower will become obsolete, and you'll need a regular mower. As mentioned elsewhere, I have a battery weed trimmer and it's great for the garden edging etc. I know others hate them, but I think they are great for regular yards (and more powerful ones are coming out on the market)
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rainbowgardener
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Yup, I told my partner when she started shopping for the riding mower that we wouldn't be needing it for long, that I had plans to get rid of most of the half acre of grass. But she didn't want to deal with the grass in the meantime. Oh well. Bought it off craigslist, we can sell it that way too. With any luck, we won't lose money on the deal.
We have a rechargeable battery electric push mower that we've been using for around the edges and a weed whacker. I think we will be fine with those.
We have a rechargeable battery electric push mower that we've been using for around the edges and a weed whacker. I think we will be fine with those.
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rainbowgardener
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So here's where I am now, still building when I want to be planting!
The top picture has in the background my one quarter of a 24' diameter circular raised bed out of interlocking concrete blocks, that was pictured earlier in this thread. I really wanted to have places to plant this spring, so I quit working on that for awhile and built the wooden ones. Two of them were just built today and still need to be sanded and stained/ sealed.
The other quarters of the circle will have to wait until after I get these filled and planted. I am closing in on being ready to do that!
The bottom picture has one of the horses from the ranch behind us in the background. (click to enlarge)
Not as much a blank slate as it used to be, though there are still LOTS more projects I have in mind.... gazebo, patio, pond and waterfall, chicken coop, fish tank .... dream big!
- raised beds.jpg (46.6 KiB) Viewed 2901 times
- raised beds2.jpg (47.96 KiB) Viewed 2901 times
The other quarters of the circle will have to wait until after I get these filled and planted. I am closing in on being ready to do that!
The bottom picture has one of the horses from the ranch behind us in the background. (click to enlarge)
Not as much a blank slate as it used to be, though there are still LOTS more projects I have in mind.... gazebo, patio, pond and waterfall, chicken coop, fish tank .... dream big!
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applestar
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You have been busy! Looking good! 
I know all this is a lot of work, and you are going to have to adapt your knowledge of how to assess the conditions and growing techniques and methods to the new garden and climate, but I'm sure you are up to the challenge
I think when I'm trying to spot weeds or pest bugs, I have to sort of visualize sliding on a new visual filter over my optics, then all of a sudden, those weeds or pests come into focus. I'm thinking you will be needing new filters for things that are specific to your new location....
I know all this is a lot of work, and you are going to have to adapt your knowledge of how to assess the conditions and growing techniques and methods to the new garden and climate, but I'm sure you are up to the challenge
I think when I'm trying to spot weeds or pest bugs, I have to sort of visualize sliding on a new visual filter over my optics, then all of a sudden, those weeds or pests come into focus. I'm thinking you will be needing new filters for things that are specific to your new location....
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rainbowgardener
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- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Yes, lots of new things I can grow, with more space and warmer zone: I'm thinking about a dwarf palm tree for the front yard, once I get around to doing something with the front yard. I planted two apple trees and will soon plant two peach trees. I've never done fruit trees before (except paw paw). That's more a difference of having more space than zone. I'm really excited about being able to grow rosemary and ginger in the ground and not bring them in for winter. I want a fig tree and a banana tree and a camellia bush. I want to grow artichokes in my perennial patch (along with the asparagus and strawberries I used to grow). I already planted a serviceberry (again a question of space, they would grow in Ohio). Crepe myrtle and azaleas/ rhododendrons are standards around here. I actually did have a couple of azaleas in Cincinnati, but between my alkaline soil there and the cold, they barely survived.
Other things I am thinking about, but I know my list is way too long: dwarf southern magnolia, narrow leaf crabapple, cherry laurel, red buckeye, fetterbush, beautyberry, summersweet, dwarf fothergilla, florida anise tree.
Other things I am thinking about, but I know my list is way too long: dwarf southern magnolia, narrow leaf crabapple, cherry laurel, red buckeye, fetterbush, beautyberry, summersweet, dwarf fothergilla, florida anise tree.
Oh my! You may be a tad warmer than OH, but not in the Gulf Coast tropics!
Most of our herbs and veggies introduced. Now, as I recall, you would prefer natives for the other plants and shrubs. Palms not winter hardy. FL anise, do check, I think iffy. Banana, ginger (not native) need brought in. Cherry laurel? Beware, it likes itself and can be everywhere! (trust me) . Crepe myrtle common, not native and a horrible invasive scale is getting in it.
Most of our herbs and veggies introduced. Now, as I recall, you would prefer natives for the other plants and shrubs. Palms not winter hardy. FL anise, do check, I think iffy. Banana, ginger (not native) need brought in. Cherry laurel? Beware, it likes itself and can be everywhere! (trust me) . Crepe myrtle common, not native and a horrible invasive scale is getting in it.