How to make a Raised vegetable bed

Well it has been my wish to be able to grow a few vegetables in the garden.

I have over the years had minimal success with Runner beans , Tomatoes, cucumber , lettuce and herbs.

I decided this year that I was going to turn a part of the garden into 3 raised vegetable boxes. This is the Blog of that event. Over Easter I cleared the bed and left it empty till now so I could de weed again.

Friday i went to Build base and described to the very clever man what I wanted and that was 6 pieces of rough sawn timber 5 foot in length and 6 pieces 3ft in length well while I paid this very nice man cut the pieces.
i drove home and let Ian know that i had started the beds well bought the wood at least. Saturday morning arrived bright and sunny so it was off to the nursery to buy 225 litres of compost and some veg plants. ( next year i may well grow from seed)

First things first we needed a brew

Tilly was clerk of works she made sure no cat got in the way.

A short while later the three beds were made and now to level them and fix in place.

Once Ian had done the difficult bit I then took over . First the Horse poop.

Then the first 225litres of compost. I had underestimated by miles we had to nip to Homebase and purchase a further 240 litres. It was going to be a tight squeeze getting 3 boxes in because of the Wisteria so decided to have a big gap between 2 and work on the 3rd one from the other side. My friend Linda always manages to turn up at just the right moment and she set to work weeding the path this freed me up to plant up .

This was a very unkind photo of me planting sweet peas .

In this bed I have planted Sunflowers, broad Beans, french runner beans, Peas and a row of Radish seeds at the front.

This is the salad bed plus perpetual spinach and rows of spring onion salad carrots more salad and beetroot seeds.

At the front I have planted the herbs we use

This is two thirds of the way through.

Today we needed to make a cloche of some sort and this is what Ian designed seems to work well and hopefully will keep the more tender plants warm for the next few weeks.

In here I have planted a couple of squashes , tomatoes Aubergine and peppers.

I have also put seed trays in to help germinate.

I will keep you posted on how we do

Off to tidy the garden now.