Vegetable Garden Project

For the longest time I've wanted my very own vegetable garden in my backyard that I could easily grow, harvest and of course cook with. I finally had a weekend free and decided to buy all the materials and build one myself...! (when I say myself I mean my hunk of a boyfriend).

The first step I did was level out the area where I was placing the box. (Make sure to chose a sunny area.)

I went to my nearest hardware and supply store for the materials. I picked up some redwood for the box and thick outdoor screws to keep it together. 

Now the fun part begins! (not really) As we were putting together the pieces of wood, some of the pieces were a bit warped and uneven. As long as it held together, it was fine by me. 

We stacked the boards on top of one another so it would be a bit raised.

A few extra screws and you got yourself a decent looking raised bed!

To keep gophers and any other pests from ruining your veggies, it's a good idea to buy some chicken wire and place it on the bottom of your bed.

After the wire is on, it's time to prep the area.

This step is optional. I chose to cover the entire area with this mesh to prevent weeds. (I eventually will be placing rocks and stepping stones around the box.)

Place the bed wherever you may please and start by filling the bottom with rocks for good drainage and extra gopher protection. Then I mixed a blend of plant compost, soil and chicken manure. (For this 5x4 box I used 3 bags of rocks, 9 bags of soil, 3 bags of chicken manure and 3 bags of plant compost.)  

Arrange the plants to your preferred placements. Just an FYI, I planted: yellow straight squash, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, red  bell pepper, purple bell pepper, jalepenos, ixtapa peppers, pimento peppers and zucchini :)

......and plant!

(Planted JUNE 1st, 2014)

I wanted to do an update on how much everything has grown in just under a month!

I took this photo on JUNE 25th 2014. The tomato and squash plant have grown like crazy! I have to trim them at least once a week. I water them about every 2-3 days, or as needed. 

So far, I've picked 3 zucchini and 4 jalepenos!