So the Kids Wanted a Garden....

Bonita Snodgrass
by Bonita Snodgrass
Even though we have a huge yard, having a garden has always been difficult. With our 4-6 very large Rhodesian Ridgebacks, it was rare that I could ever pick anything grown before they helped themselves. The year that our Foundation boy decided to make a bed out of all of my tomato plants put an end to my spending the money on trying to garden.
The Front yard has sun issues as it is covered by massive old oaks. Growing a lawn was a lost cause so we settled for some decorative shrubs. It dawned on me the other day that if we built a vertical garden and made it mobile, we could chase both sun and bees !
I have very few skills when it comes to carpentry. Plus I wanted the kids to do a LOT with a Little. Together we went to Lowes where we purchased 2 2"X6"X8' and 4 2"X4"X8', I had Joey cut all of the boards in half. Adding some chicken wire, hinges, nails, cardboard, paper, and potting soil and we were ready to begin. Since we'd had the wood cut, and we would not be using wood screws, ( SOMEONE forgot where he put the drill....) all we need was a staple gun, hammer and wire cutters.
Ceattle stapled the wire to what would be the inside of the 2"X4"X4' s, making sure to leave room at the ends for them to be attached to the uprights.
Simple hinges, we used 3. I did not insist on using 6 nails per, as long as we have 4 the pull and weight are evenly distributed.
Tris and I connected 2 of the 2"X6"X4' uprights with the hinges. Then he began assembling the frame and beds.
We used a wire bottom to lighten the weight of the unit, and to avoid both wood rot and likely killing the plants with overly soaked soil. Once together, we used a long strip of cardboard, then some end roll paper that we get from the local newspaper. This is all it takes to keep from the soil falling out. And as my Granddaughter pointed out, it's all biodegradable!
Because of the hinges the garden takes on an L shape. This allows it to stand alone and be adjusted when needed. When we are done with it for the year, we can fold it closed making it only 12" deep.
Bedding plants were added making sure that flowers were scattered between veggies and herbs to help attract bees for pollination. The top level became our Grape Tomato and herb beds. I think I can add a cage of sorts if the plants really need it, but they are already taller than anything else we intended to plant.
The bottom level had a wavy wire added for the snap peas and green beans to climb.
If this works out we will build more next year, maybe even later this year. Even if the garden bears zero fruit the kids and I had a great time, we all enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 6 questions
  • Kari Kari on Feb 24, 2016
    This is neat for apartment patio gardening????
  • Naomi Hoeppner Knowles Naomi Hoeppner Knowles on Feb 25, 2016
    What happens when the paper biodegrades? Will all your soil fall thru the chicken wire? Or do you plan to use new soil every year? That could get expensive
  • Amy Ogden-Paparone Amy Ogden-Paparone on May 30, 2016
    Wondering how your garden did? I'm loving this idea and would love to try it. Did you take pics as they grew? Thanks!
Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 134 comments
Next