cool little greenhouse...

I started the bench a year ago with 4 logs I had from a maple I had cut down.  I had some old barn wood that just spoke to me to use for the top.  I used it as a garden bench/fish cleaning bench/harvest bench...

I had some old windows I had been collecting for a bigger project that just seemed to be the right size for the bench. The glass slides horizontally which works well.

Now...  Just need to make some ends...  (To keep the girls out)

P

I have some rough sawn lumber I've accumulated from my dad's old saw mill that will work nicely...

Measure 20 times...  Cut 30 times...

I ran the backs of the A frame through the router for the glass to sit in..

I bought a $7.00 glass cutting tool to cut the triangular end glass...  Well...  5 pcs of glass later...  I "mastered" the science of glass cutting...  (Not really...).   A little bead of silicone to hold the glass in place and...

The finished product...  It's not perfect...  But... IT IS ...

My helpers...

     The Ladies are very good "helpers" in the garden.  They are curious and quite social when the hoe and rake start sifting up the soil for a new season of planting.  They are quick to scratch and pick cutworms, grubs, beetles and millipeeds out of the freshly cultivated soil. Not too mention the "fertilizer" that is dropped at various spots when the "moment" strikes them.
     It's worth the few plants that get uprooted to have the company of girls around your feet.  It's a laugh to see one of them find an worm and take off on "the run" and the rest of the gardening crew on "the chase".  The purrs, clucks and scratching is a welcome part of the whole experience. 
     There's a couple girls that just won't leave my side when I enter the garden.  In fact...  it's quite hilarious!

Getting the bug...

Mac cold frame...

I've seen some cool things done with old Macs...  Aquarium kits are available...  http://web.mac.com/capturephotoandvideo/Macquarium/Macquarium_Kit.html

With my love for gardening...  I thought it would make a cool cold frame...

After hours of gutting it...  I glued it back together...  I'll be putting dirt and seeds in it a few months from now...  I'll add the pics when that time comes...  I'm getting the itch!!!  (come on sunshine...)

Offseason...

Having a purpose

Almost ready to open

Almost there

Cool view

Look at all the bird food!!!

 

 

Mission complete...

Straw bale planting

I found an interesting article about growing vegetables in straw bales and decided to try it this year.  It proved to be successful, but  I will try a couple things different next year. 

   (1)  Start the straw bales that I'll use next year this fall instead of next spring. The decomposition of the bales will be farther along when I plant seeds in them next year.  Make sure the straw in the bale is in the vertical position to allow the elements to penetrate easier.

       (2)  Make bigger pocket holes in the bales that I put potting soil in.  This will give the roots of the plants more room to develop before starting to expand into the straw.                                          

     (3) Add a rope or something around the bale to keep it together better than the 2 pieces of twine that came with the bale.  I had one piece of twine rot and break from the weight of a sunflower I planted.   

     (4) Place the bales on the perimeter of the garden.  They also work well as benches if the plants don't take.  Be advised...  the bales do have a distinct "odor" after the rain when the sunshine heats them up...

                                                        

This bale has Swiss Chard, a sunflower and Nasturtium that did well.  A cucumber did not.  I think I needed more dirt inside the bale when I first planted the seeds.

This bale has a Kale plant that is doing very well and a sunflower that liked it also.


 Plant Inn Raised Garden (Google Affiliate Ad)

Zen Grass Garden Plant Cube Kit (Google Affiliate Ad)

tomato trellis

I came across an article in the newspaper showing a tomato trellis that a local nursery used.  I decided to give it a try and build one this year.  I used 1" x 2" furring strips for the frame work.  I ran the vertical strings spaced out about 6" apart.

It is 4 ft wide at the base, 6 ft long and 7 ft tall.

I have 3 tomato plants in the trellis

The branches of the plants can be easily woven into the vertical strings to keep them growing straight.

I did add some more cross members on the sides to support the branches.  These guys just keep growing!

ThermoQuick 110 Compost Bin (Google Affiliate Ad)
Suncast Tomato Tower Garden Station (Google Affiliate Ad)

Sunflower obsession

  This is last year's giant!  (I'm 6 ft tall)  To me...  a garden isn't complete without sunflowers.  Besides looking cool, they attract bees and birds to the garden.  A win/win situation.