I am debating on this for a few reasons. I am leaning toward raised beds because our property gets a flood every year and while it's not come up as far as the garden I am afraid it will. But, if we plant in the ground it's cheaper because we don't have to buy loam or wood and I am thinking it's easier to amend the soil.

The first picture is the fork of the stream and looking out to where the goats till be.

http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/43521/2052326070037997190S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2052326070037997190kQcnsE)

These are the images of the gardens as they stand. we let the first garden grow in with weeds but the second is fairly good for now. These were taken when we were buying the house. The plan is to connect the two gardens where the grass is and put the greenhouse where the grass is. It will all be fenced in with picket fencing.

http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/43465/2500133770037997190S500x500Q85.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2500133770037997190WkdAeS)
DWWYDt]http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/18481/2074749740037997190S500x500Q85.jpg[/URL]

SO, what did you do for gardening and why? And if you did raised beds did you buy loam? Is that what you buy? I have no clue!

I like raised beds!!!!

Ok, let me see if I can explain this.. I will do my best.
We marked out the size of each bed and have paths that we can mow through. Then we started working each bed and pulling soil from the paths to raise it up. Then we added compost and hay and put newspaper over the top of that and then more hay/compost (from the goat and chicken barns). As the plants started to grow we added more newspaper and hay for mulch/fertilizer and soil builder. The soil probably could have used more amendment (it has always been hay pasture, first time tilling and the TN clay, rocky soil was a booger) but the plants are gorgeous and doing very well and the soil is nice.

We did not block in the beds but may decide to as they "grow". It was a ton more work in the beginning but well worth the effort. Beautiful, easy to manage, easy to walk through and around.

I will try to get some pics when I go out there!

Your place is so gorgeous Heather~!

The house isn't much really but we shopped for the land. Around here land is about $100,000 an acre so we were lucky to get this.

How deep are the raised beds? I have a picture saved from a magazine with great raised beds and stone paths. I think we will use pea gravel in the walkways because we have it for the fire pit area and the other walkways here as well.

One of the problems I have is that I think everything needs to be pleasant to look at. Imagine my husband rolling his eyes as I described the plan for my chicken coop painted pretty and my long term plans for the goats house with a front porch :lol:

The house isn't much really but we shopped for the land. Around here land is about $100,000 an acre so we were lucky to get this.

How deep are the raised beds? I have a picture saved from a magazine with great raised beds and stone paths. I think we will use pea gravel in the walkways because we have it for the fire pit area and the other walkways here as well.

One of the problems I have is that I think everything needs to be pleasant to look at. Imagine my husband rolling his eyes as I described the plan for my chicken coop painted pretty and my long term plans for the goats house with a front porch :lol:

I wrote about the "pretty problem" on my blog a few days ago...:) I do think it's tough to do functional and gorgeous all at the same time. On a budget, anyway.

I am considering raised beds for expanding our garden because we have not just rocky/heavy clay, but boulder-filled soil. Just takes a long time to dig them all out and disturbs the soil a lot.

Anyway, don't know that I had much to offer there! :p

I have both. raised were FAR easier to amend, conversely, it takes a lot of soil to fill a good-sized bed.

I'd like to try one of those lasagna style plots but i don't know if I'll get to it this fall. I only want to try it because I don't want to amend that much dirt. ugh. clay pack.

Well, I strive to do pretty on a budget. I am super cheap and thrifty. I have no issue with going to the dump in search of supplies or stopping for free stuff on the roadside. In fact, did you know that when a building supply company gets vinyl siding it comes sandwiched between plywood that they throw away! And doors come with prepainted trim that is put in a bin and people come get it for birdhouse making supplies.

And Lowes mistint paints are my greatest obsession at the moment because for $5 I can make a huge difference in how things look around here.

I'll look into the lasagna stuff. I think I have heard of the concept but have no idea what it is really.

Well, I strive to do pretty on a budget. I am super cheap and thrifty. I have no issue with going to the dump in search of supplies or stopping for free stuff on the roadside. In fact, did you know that when a building supply company gets vinyl siding it comes sandwiched between plywood that they throw away! And doors come with prepainted trim that is put in a bin and people come get it for birdhouse making supplies.

.

i did not know this. good to know.

Your land is gorgeous btw. :)

Thanks Katie. Did you look at the other album images because these don't make it look very nice.

If you saw the big pond we are fixing that next spring. It is about 10,000 gallons without filtration and it's manmade so we need to do something. I am hoping for ducks in it since the heron eats all the fish anyway.

We have both. The drawbacks to the raised beds is that they were EXPENSIVE. Mostly because I wasn't willing to use any type of treated wood, so we bought cedar. We made these beds: Assemble ::Sunset :: General :: Living in the West (http://www.sunset.com/sunset/slideshow/0,21926,1152170-1,00.html) except we used 1x6 cedar deck boards (they were MUCH cheaper at a little less than $9/each) and cedar 2x4s instead of 4x4s. I love them, but for three 3 foot x 10 foot beds, the materials alone set us back $175.

We also found that we filled those beds up too quickly and needed another bed. So we tilled up an 8x8 area next to the beds and then we used four 8x8 landscape timbers that we pulled out from around the house (I was more ok with this knowing they've been there for 20 years and have probably leached anything they were going to leach) and made a box around it. They both work great, though the one on the ground gets a lot more weeds.

To fill the raised beds, we got some dirt from my parents' house (they own 80 acres and rent out to a farmer). It was awful at first--clay and clumpy. I wasn't sure anything would grow in it, but it's growing beautifully now. :heart:

I am cracking up over here at you because what I know of you, you are spot on about everything having to look pretty!! And dang if you wouldn't have the BEST goat porch around!!! I like the idea! You could even sell your services to pretty-up folks' barns and coops....

That is ok though... most barns are not all that attractive and they should be.

Jaw drop about the land prices!!! We, too are more shopping for the land and not the house (as long as the size suits our needs and the kitchen is adequate) The land is what sustains us in this venture so it has to be right!! I totally understand you there.

I would say, at this beginning point, the beds are close to 8" deep. Not deep enough but for the tomatoes, for example, we started those from seed then took the oragami pots that we made and laid the plant on its side (burying about 80%). We didn't have to dig deep for anything.
Since they are not very deep, that is why we have yet to box them in. I wish I had some current photos. I was just there last night.
Oh, not sure if I even told you, this garden is at my friend's farm about 15 miles from here... The same friend that I am on call to milk her goats. We are doing the garden together.

Corn, on the other hand, we did in rows.... never seen corn in a raised bed, in any quantity and since it grows well in dug gardens here... it ain't broke so we ain't fixin' it LOL.


Will try to get some pics soon!

I just went out to move the sprinkler and decided to snap a couple pics. Ignore all the weeds, k? ;)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/brayg/Gardens.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/brayg/Gardens2.jpg

We had raised beds in Florida, since our land was flood prone. They worked beautifully.

Here in Tennessee, I bought a tiller and tilled up the garden. Holy cow. ROCKS. We'll likely maintain the garden we tilled this year, but in the fall will add raised beds. Raised beds are nice because, while you have to add the soil to begin with, they are easy to amend every year. Also, they are easy to cover for early (or late) frost warnings.

those are gorgeous Rachel.

We have 16, 3X8 (I think) beds, that is why we do not have them boxed in. so far it is working just fine!! Just having to weed eat around each bed but that would have to be done no matter what.

Oh yeah, we have 3 rows of okra that are not in raised beds either. I don't think weedy veggies need to be babied and okra is one of those "weeds". but i love to eat it!!!

I just went out to move the sprinkler and decided to snap a couple pics. Ignore all the weeds, k? ;)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/brayg/Gardens.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12/brayg/Gardens2.jpg

That's what my garden in Florida looked like! 3 rectangle beds and a square. Although your's is much prettier :)

Here in Tennessee, I bought a tiller and tilled up the garden. Holy cow. ROCKS.



Welcome to gardening in TN :drop: rocks and clay!!!
ETA: Oh yeah, and when we gonna plan a TN amity mama meet-up? We can check out each other's gardens and stuff and then have a FEAST!!
I told my dh about your chicken coop plans. He like the idea!!!

What a debate. The gardens here are all set if we choose to plant in the ground. we'd have to weed but the soil is great and has had manure added for years before we moved here.

On the other hand those raised beds look really nice and orderly. Maybe I could do part of one way and part another.

Did anyone see the Martha Stewart gardening magazine with her garden in it? Holy jealousy! I have no idea who she thinks she's growing for but it was still beautiful.

What is the linky? NM, I will google. CAn't wait to see.

What is the linky? NM, I will google. CAn't wait to see.


Are you talking about the Martha Stewart garden? I bought the magazine so I'm not sure it's online. But seriously worth a look if you are at a store.

What a debate. The gardens here are all set if we choose to plant in the ground. we'd have to weed but the soil is great and has had manure added for years before we moved here.

On the other hand those raised beds look really nice and orderly. Maybe I could do part of one way and part another.

Did anyone see the Martha Stewart gardening magazine with her garden in it? Holy jealousy! I have no idea who she thinks she's growing for but it was still beautiful.

In your shoes I'd plant in the ground - that soil is too good to pass up. You can always add raised beds later. Or do like I do (mentioned in the Martha Stewart thread) and apparently how miss Martha does it, and just till and make mounds for your beds, mulching in the paths with straw. The raised rows warm up the soil nicely and look orderly :) (I think so anyway).

I didn't mean to insult you wanting things to look pretty. For me, I have had to really prioritize because of limited energy (not just $, I know you can do things cheap but it takes energy to find it sometimes, especially here), and my priority is growing food for my family, not having everything aesthetically perfect. Later, the aesthetics will improve. For now our focus is on the functional. That's all I meant. You can do both for sure. And the more power to you.

I think all gardens are pretty. It's the creative side of me that needs the funky goat house LOL As long as a garden isn't overrun with weeds I'd be happy. And you're so right about the garden soil we have.

I think the important thing for my garden aesthetically is that we surround it with the same kind of fence we used elsewhere. I know it sounds silly buy I am really a creative person and when things "match" it doesn't crash in on my senses.

Do you use just straw between the rows? I'm wondering about using straw and grass clippings.


**Now I will admit that we weeded the herb garden yesterday and got an entire wheel barrow full of weeds out. We've been so busy with other projects that i just let it go and had to pay the price.

In your shoes I'd plant in the ground - that soil is too good to pass up. You can always add raised beds later. Or do like I do (mentioned in the Martha Stewart thread) and apparently how miss Martha does it, and just till and make mounds for your beds, mulching in the paths with straw. The raised rows warm up the soil nicely and look orderly :) (I think so anyway).



I found the pics here: Martha's Vegetable Gardens (http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/marthas-vegetable-garden-in-bedford?lnc=8599cf380e1dd010VgnVCM1000005b09a00aRC RD&rsc=top7pop_gardening_gardening)

This (quoted in Lauren's post) is what we did... we have grass in between the beds that are easily mowed. They do look so nice and tidy!! I will get pics later but they do NOT look anything like Martha's. She makes me feel soooo inadequate :lol:

Oh, and I recommend newspaper then straw. I did just straw and it got thin and now the rows are weedy...

I prioritized weeding when things were small. Now, I'm doing what I can, but that means that I'm keeping only the areas right around the plants clear, and I'm always behind in weeding! (I'm behind in photos too...I just looked at my pics on Flickr and things are about 3x as big :D ). Mine looks nothing like Martha's either. C'mon, she's OCD and has hired help.

Oh, and I recommend newspaper then straw. I did just straw and it got thin and now the rows are weedy...

I prioritized weeding when things were small. Now, I'm doing what I can, but that means that I'm keeping only the areas right around the plants clear, and I'm always behind in weeding! (I'm behind in photos too...I just looked at my pics on Flickr and things are about 3x as big :D ). Mine looks nothing like Martha's either. C'mon, she's OCD and has hired help.

We also use newspaper or empty paper grain bags and I even had a roll of brown packaging paper I used when we ran out of the other. It does slow the weeds down more. They are ALWAYS one step ahead of the gardener, unless you zap them with poison and I know none of us do that :).
It feels good to have everything nicely tucked into a heavily mulched bed though. It is a "good thing":lol:

Oh yes, our beds have a push mower's distance between them. Makes it easier (though it kind of stinks because we use a riding mower for the lawn. I have to get the push mower out special. :lol:).

Oh yes, our beds have a push mower's distance between them. Makes it easier (though it kind of stinks because we use a riding mower for the lawn. I have to get the push mower out special. :lol:).

Funny because we measured the riding mower's distance between beds but ended up using soaker hoses (that stay in place) down each row of 4 separate beds (make sense). So I have to bring my push mower to their house (cause they don't have one) to mow between the rows.