Excited about my 2011 Garden!

[jlock274]

I am a Coin Dealer near Chicago Illinois by trade. With the economy as bad as it is. My days are filled with stories of people loosing their jobs, house getting foreclosed, divorce, and the stresses of peoples lives. They don't want to sell their gold, silver, coins or currency. Most have had these items in their family for generations but with the times they have to sell. My job is thriving right now and I have decided to give back to my family, friends and whoever else I see that can use help. I am planning a very large garden project this year that will take up my back and front yard.

We had a large Willow Tree that my grandmother planted 60 years ago take on some major damage last fall and today I commissioned a crew to take it down next week for $1200. This will open up a lot of sun in my back yard. Glad nothing happened to my 500 year old oak in the back...

I found an exceptional deal on 4X4 4ft. landscape timbers. I bought about 200 of them. I am going to be constructing many 4X4 garden boxes stacked 2 high, so 8 timbers per. I will be posting pictures of progress through out this year. I am more that excited about this project and can't wait to share it with this site.

Thanks John

[DoubleDogFarm]

You probably already know this, I would overlap the corners, drill and drive 1/2" rebar down through into the ground.

Eric

[DeborahL]

What a wonderful post-I look foward to your updates !

[jlock274]

Readings have suggested overlapping. Rebar and landscape fabric was next on my shopping list. Once the Willow tree is removed the real planning will start. My son has been having fun watching the peppers grow. I started the end of January.

[starwood]

I really look forward to see the pictures of this project.

[GardenRN]

Great plan! Always nice to see people helping people.

[DoubleDogFarm]

No landscape fabric!

Eric

[gixxerific]

Welcome to the forum and I am excited as well for this spring.

But thinking about taking down a Willow is sending shivers up my spine as I look out at the 2 I have in my yard, they sure aren't like cutting down and Apple tree. We had a massive one at my parents house long ago and swore I would never have one in my yard. Well at least I stayed true to myself, I have two.

Oh yeah forgot to mention at my last house there was a willow the owner was supped to have removed it was mainly dead just some of the main growth left. Low an behold when we moved in it was still there. I had to cut it down myself and than burned out the stump for the next 6 years. I went around the stump with my chain saw and there was still a 4-6 inch center that was left uncut. It was a monster.

[NHGardener]

DoubleDogFarm, why no landscape fabric? Is that a no-no?

[DoubleDogFarm]

NHGardener,

Type, raised beds, in the Search The Forum engine above. You will find lots of good information.

I don't like the idea of restricting the roots to the confinement of the box. Let the enriched soil mix with the native. Worms and roots will mix the two over time.

There is the issue of drainage also.

Eric

[Bird1961]

I wish I had the coin to take down my willow. It's about 50' high and blocks three hours of morning sun from two of my plots. Neighbor says it's helping her septic system somehow so she doesn't want it to go, not that I could afford it. Those plots do okay anyway - I harvested corn, eggplant, cukes, chard, and peppers last year.

[lakngulf]

Let us see some pictures as you go along. That seems awfully high for taking down one tree. Is that standard where you are?