The hard part is done. Now I'm kicking back and enjoying a frosty cold one.

Our first bumper crop!

Maine's finest export.  It does seem that they are concentrated in the lowest bed however. 

finished C-beds, more earthmoving.

clearing the paths between the beds.  two left to go

kinda looks like he is the only one who works doesn't it?

day 2 and the second C bed.

Hound is supervising.

two more beds go in the middle

almost...

both beds

Compost tumblers

Our compost barrels completed and just waiting to be moved.  I am sure that Himself will have lots more to say about them having had to mess with them for a good part of the day. However, we were able to get the barrels cheaply and build the stand, thereby being able to afford such a wonderful thing!

 

 

Dual spinning barrels!

aeration for the compost

the other side of the barrels lol

barrel mess!

Holy crap...

... it's friggin hot out.

The beds are almost done though.

the first bed construction complete

 

The first of four beds is in and complete.  even raked out the soil.  I absolutely can't wait to start planting!

 

Construction of the first "C" bed.

Day one and construction has begun! I have always wanted raised beds but did not ever think that this would become a reality.   

 

the first boards going in.

Dog toy in the foreground, even toys with 16 squeakers die quickly around here.

This was a bit of a swearing moment and a lot of use of squares and levels.

First layer complete.

Dog is supervising!

Dappled shade late in the day.  Some of the cool weather plants are just going to love this!

Setting the cornerstone!

Yes, I realize that is a board and not a stone.  But still.  this is the very first piece of the very first raised bed going into the ground.  This is followed by a lot of measuring, squaring, a healthy dose of swearing and eventually the first of four beautiful beds.  Look at how beautiful the ground is!

 

 

Breaking ground...and the tiller.

Prepping the ground and getting ready to start building.  halfway through, of course, something broke on the tiller.  luckily for us he is very handy and was able to fix it, again. 



 

 

oops! broken!

Broke a pin.  luckily for us, he is super handy.

All Fixed

 

Foot steps in the new earth. 

Garden help, and a new perennial

This is our garden helper.  The hound.  She actually did not help much with the digging as she is currently insistent that she will be most helpful in harvesting green beans, her favorite.  

She doesn't always look this silly.  My phone decided to go into HDR camera mode while i was taking this picture and she was actually getting ready to lick her nose. 

And while we picked up the wood i grabbed a new perennial.  It grows to about 24 inches wide and can be a bit intrusive and aggressive so i need to find it a spot to help contain it.  Strong and aggressive perennials do well here in this northern climate though.  As evidenced by my rhubarb which has survived more transplantings and tramplings than I care to admit! 

our wood!

We found fencing at lowes for cheaper than we could get standard lumber.  $1.59 for 6 foot lengths, 5 1/2 inches wide.  These are mostly likely going to be entirely used for building the raised beds, which will mean, another trip to Lowes eventually to get more to build some dog fencing around the deck.  The biggest reason for needing dog fencing is that the silly hound is a green bean eating machine and we don't want her stripping the garden bare! 

half the wood carried out back to the garden area

half the wood still in the truck because i need to stop taking pictures and finish moving it. 

all the wood, ready for building.  

front beds

The bed in the back, well populated by pots, chimney liners, perennials and various small animal figurines is the first of the beds that i had originally plopped hapazardly down in the middle of the yard.  It was this "bed" that he initially took a look at and said, "can i build you a pretty box around that?".  Translated this means, "I am tired of trying to mow around pots and piles of rocks you plopped down in the middle of the yard! 

This is the kind of chaos i love.  My garlic and chives live happily with some peony's and balloon flowers.  There is a wild thistle growing in one corner.  We both love them for their beauty, ruggedness and association to his heritage in Scotland.  Most people think they are obnoxious weeds.  

Already the chives are growing large, the lemon balm and peppermint are poking their heads up.  The iris is of course doing well, it seems to be happy no matter what rigors I put it through.  The peony are just barely poking their heads up through the still chill soil.  The garlic is poking up.  That garlic is an odd little plant.  This is the third year it has come up.  I thought i had gotten all of it the previous two years, and yet, there seems to be an abundance.  I think that I will just let it grow and see what it produces since it is of such inimitable spirit.  

Oh...and I finally took down the non-functional shutters that I have hated since buying the house.  Of course, this has left a nice discolored spot on the outer walls where they were, causing us to once again note to eachother that at some point we are going to have to paint the house.  

The new bed in the front we have just put in last week.  It has been tilled and enlivened with friendly bunny poop.  Poop from friendly bunnies works much better than poop from the mean ones! This bed is going to house our asparagus bed and at least for the first year, perhaps a pumpkin or squash plant to go sprawling across the lawn in a haphazard manner.  He has already indicated his tolerance for this sprawl, especially if it means pumpkins! 

the new bed and the squirrel tree in the background

The chives.

that crazy garlic, and a turtle, and a hedgehog, and a frog....