This front space of open ground has been calling out for a nice bed of herbs since we moved in. With a herb bed out front, I can lean over the porch to get what I need to complete the meal I'm cooking. Building a bed for the space was one of two goals I set for my two weeks off of work.
I was particularly excited to get rid of these spiky plants which came with the house and which I never liked. Last year, I dispatched one and planted an evergreen huckleberry. The huckleberry has not thrived in that spot and I decided it was time to move it to the side of the house. It doesn't like direct sun.
A close-up of the spiky plant. It is surrounded by pansies which came with the house and which I wasn't opposed to, per se. I became impressed with their survival. I did nothing to them for more than a year and they were still growing. However, my commitment to edible plants and a kitchen herb garden means the pansy must go. (And yes, I know they can be eaten. )
To construct the box, I bought cedar fence boards. I wanted cedar, because it lasts a long time in the rain. I did not want to pay for 2X4's, or god forbid, 2X8's of cedar because that would price the garden bed out of my range. Cedar fencing is about 2 dollars per six foot length and was the affordable, if less solid, option. I also bought one piece of square cedar (I think that is a 2X2, but I'm not sure). The whole cost of the lumber was around $30.00. I also paid Chris $10.00 for gas money to drive over and help with the construction. Chris also brings tools, so $10.00 is a bargain.
The bed is almost 12 feet wide. Given that our fencing was not 12 feet wide, we had to join two pieces of wood together in the middle. This photo shows (not well) the simple joint we made to attach the two sides together.
Here are the holes we drilled. As usual, we bought screws that were too short. (We may have some sort of faulty gene that causes us to underestimate proper fastener length every time.) So we had to countersink the holes again. Also, I mis-figured when measuring for the screw holes, so we ended up with two sets of holes. Ah, do-it-yourself, you are a living math problem.
Here's a picture of half of the box complete. I like drawing up plans for projects and implementing them. What makes total sense in my mind tends to need a bit more thought once starting. For instance, how should we best join the sides? Should we attach the front halves first and then the sides? Or should we make each half, and then bring them together in the middle? Working with another person on projects is also good because I'm forced to explain what I mean and answer questions about the process. This helps avoid mistakes.
Bringing together the two sides.
The finished product. Or is it?
We got to looking at the corners and decided they needed a triangle to cover them. So we cut two and attached them with nails.
A close-up of the corner. There was some talk of building a ledge along the top, but that would have required another trip to the store, more time, etc. So we left it. I rather like the result.
Overall, this was a great project. Planning and building probably took 4 hours of my time (and Chris' time) and $45.00 max. Yet it gave me 36 square feet in which to plant herbs for my cooking.
(Note: I can't tell you how many people of a certain age thought I was talking about something else when I was describing my herb bed. For the record, I am talking parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. What Simon and Garfunkel sang about, not smoked.)
I was particularly excited to get rid of these spiky plants which came with the house and which I never liked. Last year, I dispatched one and planted an evergreen huckleberry. The huckleberry has not thrived in that spot and I decided it was time to move it to the side of the house. It doesn't like direct sun.
A close-up of the spiky plant. It is surrounded by pansies which came with the house and which I wasn't opposed to, per se. I became impressed with their survival. I did nothing to them for more than a year and they were still growing. However, my commitment to edible plants and a kitchen herb garden means the pansy must go. (And yes, I know they can be eaten. )
To construct the box, I bought cedar fence boards. I wanted cedar, because it lasts a long time in the rain. I did not want to pay for 2X4's, or god forbid, 2X8's of cedar because that would price the garden bed out of my range. Cedar fencing is about 2 dollars per six foot length and was the affordable, if less solid, option. I also bought one piece of square cedar (I think that is a 2X2, but I'm not sure). The whole cost of the lumber was around $30.00. I also paid Chris $10.00 for gas money to drive over and help with the construction. Chris also brings tools, so $10.00 is a bargain.
The bed is almost 12 feet wide. Given that our fencing was not 12 feet wide, we had to join two pieces of wood together in the middle. This photo shows (not well) the simple joint we made to attach the two sides together.
Here are the holes we drilled. As usual, we bought screws that were too short. (We may have some sort of faulty gene that causes us to underestimate proper fastener length every time.) So we had to countersink the holes again. Also, I mis-figured when measuring for the screw holes, so we ended up with two sets of holes. Ah, do-it-yourself, you are a living math problem.
Here's a picture of half of the box complete. I like drawing up plans for projects and implementing them. What makes total sense in my mind tends to need a bit more thought once starting. For instance, how should we best join the sides? Should we attach the front halves first and then the sides? Or should we make each half, and then bring them together in the middle? Working with another person on projects is also good because I'm forced to explain what I mean and answer questions about the process. This helps avoid mistakes.
Bringing together the two sides.
The finished product. Or is it?
We got to looking at the corners and decided they needed a triangle to cover them. So we cut two and attached them with nails.
A close-up of the corner. There was some talk of building a ledge along the top, but that would have required another trip to the store, more time, etc. So we left it. I rather like the result.Overall, this was a great project. Planning and building probably took 4 hours of my time (and Chris' time) and $45.00 max. Yet it gave me 36 square feet in which to plant herbs for my cooking.
(Note: I can't tell you how many people of a certain age thought I was talking about something else when I was describing my herb bed. For the record, I am talking parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. What Simon and Garfunkel sang about, not smoked.)
Ooh looks very nice! And I am impressed with your resourcefulness. Have you noticed that your herbs get purloined by passersby? Just wondering. -S
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