that was a lot of heavy work

15 years ago

Well I got my lumber, sealed it with linseed oil, assembled it into a raised bed, tilled my zoysia into nothing and leveled and installed the bed and filled it full of half finished compost. Boy was that a lot of work and I'm still not totally done. It took me half the day just to get through the zoysia and the rest to assemble, level and fill the bed. I think next fall when I build a second next to it I will make 2 8x4 beds and butt them end to end. I made this one 4'x16' with 2"x12"s. It's a bit awkward and difficult to haul out in to the yard and properly position a raised bed frame that weighs around 300lb. I'm lucky I'm a big guy.

I can't stress enough what a pain in the rear that zoysia was though. It was like trying to till through 3" of twine filled concrete. More than once the tiller caught, reared up and took off at high speed before I could release the hand grip. I bet any of my neighbors that watched any part of the tilling or moving into position of the lumber had a good laugh. I think I tilled a good 30 min before I saw anything but shredded grass.

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Comments (8)

engineeredgarden
15 years ago
jeremyjs - I build all of mine in place, and find that it's the easiest way to construct one. I have one bed that is 4x9, and another that is 4x25 - both are either constructed of treated pine, or redwood cedar, though. Can't wait to see the pics!

EG
jeremyjs
Original Author
15 years ago
Yeah sometime this week I'll have too take my camera from work and take some pics. It's funny I spend 300 bucks on a descent camera a couple years ago and I have yet too use it for anything but work. Aah the blessing and curse of being self employed. Work is the reason I didn't get all of this done when the weather was beautiful, sunny and in the 70's a couple weeks ago. Now the highs are in the 40's and 50's and I have a ton of yard work that I have to get done before the ground freezes. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: perpetually half finished work web page
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angelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
15 years ago
Wow, that sounds crazy fun! Who needs to pay for a gym membership? hee hee

Blessings,
Angela
greenbean08_gw
15 years ago
jeremy, I feel your pain. My DH wasn't thrilled with the idea of starting a garden this past spring (we moved here in Jan). In May, he went to TX for 2 weeks. While he was gone, I acquired used redwood lumber (free- yay!) hauled it home, cleaned it up, and built two 4'x 10'x 16" beds. I built the boxes in the driveway and garage, then had to take them apart, drag the parts down around the side of the house, and re-assemble. Of course, it's on a bit of a slope, just to make things easy you know.

I found someone giving away composted horse manure, so I hooked up the trailer to the truck (and let me tell you, that was not an easy thing for me to do (alone). I do not do well with the trailer in reverse. It's sad... Anyway, I got the stuff home, and had to haul it, one cart-load at a time down to the new garden. I gathered chicken manure, leaves, pine needles, UCG, anything I could get. It was a long process, but I got those things built, filled and about ready to plant by the time he got home. After a season with the best garden we have ever had, DH has had a change of heart. He built most of the beds for the garden expansion for me, and he drives the trailer to the horse place so I don't have to. I still have to schlep it all, but I'm home, so that's my job.

At least there was no zoysia... : )
engineeredgarden
15 years ago
After reading over my post, that should have been "western red cedar"....oops!

jeremyjs - woodturning, huh? Man, if I had a small lathe at home - i'd be making all kinds of crazy stuff! I fully understand about all of the hard work involved in building a new raised bed, especially by yourself....

greenbean - I bent a few trailer hitches before I got the whole backing up thing down pat, but my dad was sure pissed....Oh well, I was only a kid. Twenty years later - i'm a pro at it! I'm glad that you were able to make hubs "see the way". My wife is still not there yet...

EG
greenbean08_gw
15 years ago
EG, what's a little scary is I drove from CO to VT this summer, just me and my 2 dogs, pulling that dang trailer. I had to go back home and pick up all the stuff I left there when I moved out in 1991. Guess it was time eh? Anyway, even with high gas prices, driving and hauling the trailer was the most economical (by about $1000 if I recall). There were 2 times I had to back up at a hotel b/c the parking lot didn't go all the way around. Luckily, when I had to do that, there weren't many cars too close. It's not a huge trailer, just 5x10, but when you suck at it as much as I do, that's big enough.
medontdo
15 years ago
My goodness!! i'd hate to do that!! my hubs does all the backing, i don't do any of it, we'll lets see, i did do some, only cuz i had to, but ya know, tabor guided me all the way. so if i didn't have them two id' so be messed up!! LOL i drive my truck once in a while, but not as much as i used to.
i build all of my boxes in place, but then again, i live by the rule (for good reason) if it can go wrong it will go wrong!! that rule was made especially for me!! LOL did you remember to put something in the bottom so weeds do not come thru?? i'm a mom so bare with me **big grinn** LOL
~Medo
anniesgranny
15 years ago
I used to have to back our boat trailer into the water and I sucked at it too. I jack-knifed it almost every time. Just never could get the hang of it.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden