Getting Laid

Our new andesite path that is!!!
A few months back, we asked my mom, who used to be a landscape designer, to draw up a plan for our super boring front yard. This is what she came up with!

Our lot is quite narrow at the street and really wide in the back, its perfect! We have a huge backyard and tiny-ish front area. No complaints here! We love the plan Mom came up with, so we (James) started with the install of the path.

VERY first! Call 811 before you dig and have your utility companies come mark where they are. Save yourself the hassle of hitting a water or gas line. Its worth it! 
First we measured and flagged it out so we could run a cord along the edge, which I painted over to mark our edges. Then James went through with our edger tool and cut the sod into chunks small enough for him to lift. Grass is heavy! He then rolled it out and tossed it into the back of our truck. We took it to our local recycling center for disposal, it was only $5 to dump!


Next, we got a yard and a 1/4 of 3/4inch sand and raked that in as our base. The stones we used are 2", so we needed to build up a firm base to rest them on and bring them to level with our driveway.

Then came install! Our stones were delivered from Instant Landscaping for the low cost of $40, and off we went! Hubs has a time lapse of this process, I will see if I can upload it here.

Here is the path with the stones in, but no fill dirt. Up until this point, I'd been acting as forewoman of the project. Lots of directing, not too much heavy lifting. Hey. I'm pregnant ya'll!

The final step was my time to shine though. I purchased ten creeping thyme plants and planted them in some of the cracks, then filled in with top soil! Here is the final project!

I know its a little blown out, good ol' midday photo for ya! But we are super pleased with the final outcome! Its so nice to have the massive expanse of lawn broken up now, and a more organic path leading from the sidewalk to the front door. Next we are tackling the blank are in front of the windows. James expanded the bed size last night, so we are ready for top soil and plants!!

What do you think of our new path? Any landscaping tips for us? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

The birth of our Urban Farm

Last week, we completed construction on our two raised beds so we can build on our successes of last year and grow our own veggies this summer!

(Prepare yourself for the most un-interesting photos of all time)

We chose to do two 4'x4' beds, for a couple of reasons. 

1. Our soil (as you can see from these glorious photos), is very sandy and rocky. Our house is built over an ancient lava flow, so there aren't too many flat, rock free places in our yard. The small size of these allowed us to place them near each other, but avoid any immoveable lava rocks. 

2. We are using the square foot planting method in these beds, so the smaller size will allow us to easily reach any area of the bed without stepping in the soil. Compacted soil from foot traffic = bad for little veggies. 

I am working on a 'plant map' for the beds, so I can make sure I place the veggies in their ideal growing conditions. Most everything we are sowing is full sun, but there are a couple part shade plants that will  need specific locations within the beds. Since this is our first year attempting a full blown garden, I am going to attempt every vegetable we enjoy, so we can learn from our successes and failures for the next few years. Our neighbor two doors down has a beautiful veggie garden every year, so I am going to pick her brain for any tips about growing in our area.

 

My shadow looks eerily like an alien

We used untreated ceder for our walls, as it is very durable in varied weather conditions. We are going to fill the beds with Black Gold organic soil, and mix in some of our compost from home as well. 

The biggest issue we will be facing I think is protecting our plants from a certain herbivore that shares our home. 

I'm sure you all remember our sweet 'puppy' Cash? He is now almost two (in August), and he is part fruit bat! I'm not kidding when I say the dog would choose a banana over a steak. He is crazy. So we will be building some removable panels made of chicken wire and wood to protect our crops. Hopefully he will learn quickly that they are to be left alone. 

So our veggie starts are growing away (inside), and we are patiently awaiting the rise of overnight temperatures. (Last night it was 22, tonight is supposed to be 26) 

But things are moving along and I am so excited to try my hand at raising organic vegetables to enjoy and share with friends all summer long! 

Whats your experience with growing your own food at home? Sage (no pun intended) advice? Please share in the comments!