Still working on the container garden for this year. Bringing in compost and cutting these drums down. Cutting 55 gal drums is getting monotonous but I don't have much further to go. I'm playing around with different arrangements now, trying to strike a balance between aesthetics and functionality. I like a lot of curves in the garden, but I can't set it up to where some plants will block the sun from the ones behind it if they aren't in the right direction. Just thought I'd throw up some photos since I go to play around today, I had to climb on top of my shed to be able to show everything.
The two pics should be side by side to give a panoramic view, but I don't have photoshop on this computer and 'preview" wouldn't let me do it. A touch of imagination required...the pic with the pile of compost and the trellis would be to the left.
The area inside the circular area would be a large no dig potato bed and the square in the back corner would be corn. The raised bed in the middle is where the asparagus is.
Comments and suggestions always welcome!
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/tn.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/tn-1.jpg[/img]
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- Green Thumb
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- Super Green Thumb
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- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
Jeff,
I have different ideas rattling around in my head.
Half circles with the open side facing South. They would have 3ft between the rows for a wheelbarrow. I would start South and line them up as far North as I could go. They would actually be quarter circle so you could walk straight through the middle of them.
If you like a formal look. Find the middle of the yard. Have your potato patch there and build a spoked wheel around it.
https://www.royalengineers.ca/rmligarden.html
Go with a flow that feels good to you.
Eric
I have different ideas rattling around in my head.
Half circles with the open side facing South. They would have 3ft between the rows for a wheelbarrow. I would start South and line them up as far North as I could go. They would actually be quarter circle so you could walk straight through the middle of them.
If you like a formal look. Find the middle of the yard. Have your potato patch there and build a spoked wheel around it.
https://www.royalengineers.ca/rmligarden.html
Go with a flow that feels good to you.
Eric
DDG said most of what I was thinking. Definitely leave three feet for that wheelbarrow. And before you start filling the containers, walk around slowly though the space to get an idea of how it feels. Try to imagine the plants at maturity and if you have the spacing to suit the plants and your needs.
A space to walk in the middle is how I set mine up as well as space in between the raised beds so that I don't have to walk around all of the beds to get to the other side. Perhaps these aren't that wide but once things start growing, you might wish for a little shortcut between them.
Keep in mind that the sun will be overhead most of the season so shadowing won't be much of a problem until later in the season when most of the sun comes from the south and southwest.
It is really looking great!
A space to walk in the middle is how I set mine up as well as space in between the raised beds so that I don't have to walk around all of the beds to get to the other side. Perhaps these aren't that wide but once things start growing, you might wish for a little shortcut between them.
Keep in mind that the sun will be overhead most of the season so shadowing won't be much of a problem until later in the season when most of the sun comes from the south and southwest.
It is really looking great!
I definitel don't have room for the spoked wheel idea eric, although I did think of it myself....the kids have to have room to play. I'd love to take up my entire yard lol, but The little tykes castle and sandbox need space blah blah blah
Part of me would like to just stick em in straight lines with a barrel left out here and there for shortcuts as GardenVT said. But I also really enjoyed having the curves and odd shaped beds last year. IDK. With the size and shapes of the barrels and how they curve and everything it may be that function will have to outweigh form. At least for now. I hate to have to move em later though. Those suckers are heavy once they have dirt in em!!
Part of me would like to just stick em in straight lines with a barrel left out here and there for shortcuts as GardenVT said. But I also really enjoyed having the curves and odd shaped beds last year. IDK. With the size and shapes of the barrels and how they curve and everything it may be that function will have to outweigh form. At least for now. I hate to have to move em later though. Those suckers are heavy once they have dirt in em!!