I've been spending my free time working on the layout of my new vegetable garden. It’s such a luxury, isn’t it, being able to plan a garden from scratch? I'm somewhat constrained by the existing fencing, but my husband, nice guy that he is, is willing to move a fence if I need it.
The space is 33 feet wide by 89 feet long which is too large for our present needs, as well as the time I have to devote to it. I’ll cut it almost in half by extending the yard fence across the corral, making the space 45’ x 33’, much more manageable. This space will be divided from east to west by a five foot walkway, with gates at each end allowing me to pull though with the lawn tractor and wagon.
The existing gate on the east end is too large, in the wrong spot and frankly, too ugly. Garden aesthetics matter. Truth be known, I’m not fond of the fence either, but this same fence completely lines the driveway and surrounds the house and back yard. Seems a little too spendy to consider changing it, but the gate has got to go. The west gate will open to the other half of the corral, which borders the driveway.
I’ll leave the north side of the walk for open beds that can be divided into a series of beds for a five year rotation, 4 cropped, one fallowed or planted to green manure. I’m not sure five years are needed here, but corn smut absolutely required this in
Washington State. If a three or 4 year rotation is all that is necessary then leaving the bed undefined will allow me to change.
The south side will be divided into two rows of raised beds running east to west. Each row has five, 7’x3’ raised beds, separated by 30” walk way. I plan to build these with hoop supports to create mini hooped cold frames.
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