Sunday, April 20, 2008

new fence - day 1

corner rocks tie wraps
posts
My new community garden fence is looking good. I had super helpers. We bought posts, fencing and door materials, moved rocks from the perimeter, pounded in posts and attached the fencing all around using tie wraps. Its a green vinyl coated fence with 2 by 3 inch openings. 5 feet high. I'll dig in chicken wire about 4 inches deep and 1.5 feet tall all around the bottom later. (This is because of the very aggressive woodchucks all the gardeners tell stories about.) The door posts are 4 by 4 inch pine posts. My husband is making a door today. Its going to look really nice.....

garden structures

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What beautiful spring weather you appear to be having! I love the rock boarder (very New England). Once your garden is in how often do you plan on tending to it? Is the watering system automatic? I like the fruit tress, are you adding them or are they established trees? I could use a couple of your garden helpers. Your progress is impressive. Looking forward to following your gardening!

ChrisND said...

Such an exciting process. I am interested to see how your garden plan works out over this season. I have thought about doing some inter-planting this year. It adds more interest to the vegetable garden.

kathy said...

The pear trees are espaliered on fences in my yard. They have never bloomed, because there's not enough sun. I hope I can recruit my helpers again later this spring to move the trees to the community plot. I will keep then trimmed small and espaliered along my new fence. Who knows, maybe I'll even get pears?

As for tending and watering, I'm not sure. I haven't asked this of the current gardeners. I'm thinking once everything is planted, it may not need much tending. I'll try to mulch well to retain moisture. I'll do the usual hoping (chanting, dancing?) for regular rainfall. I'll also minimize direct sowing, so I can avoid having to tend delicate sprouts out there. Plants I will seed directly into the plot are carrots, parsnips, nasturtiums, and soybeans. I'll raise seedlings at home for beets, onions, squash, pumpkins, watermelon, gourds, dill, marigolds, and tansy. The potatoes are from tubers and I have some onion sets too. I hope I don't need to water too much. All that is available is hand watering with a hoses. My faucet is several plots away.

Unknown said...

when the season ends do you plan on leaving the fence for whoever gets this plot next year? or would you take it down and reuse it yourself?

kathy said...

I think I'll be at the plot at least 4-5 years. I'll decide then. Fencing is not cheap. I didn't expect to spend so much on a plot..... 16 poles, 2 50-foot rolls of fencing, tie wraps, "custom-made" gate, 2 rolls of chicken wire.....

The previous tenants on my plot have taken their fence with them, though it appears most leave their fencing. I suppose it depends on how long I am there and whether I have a use for it when I leave.