Kitchen Garden ~ Raised Beds Complete!

New raised beds have been in the plans for two years now. We wanted more planting space and a better design than what we had installed when we first purchased our home. 

We had the area leveled last summer. In the foreground are the blueberry shrubs and in the back behind the brick wall is our small 'orchard'.

My husband designed the beds and had every intention of putting them in but life got busy and it just never happened. So he finally decided to hire someone to put them in. We purchased the cedar timbers and the work began. It took two weekends to build the boxes, line the bottoms with gravel (for drainage and to keep out the voles) and fill with an organic soil mix.

Drum roll please...the raised beds are complete! I think they are fabulous!

Five raised beds ~ the longest bed is 20' x 5' and runs along the back of the area. The two middle beds are 10' x 5' and the two front beds are 8' x 5'

When the beds were going in we realized just how much of a slope there is in this area. 

In order to have all the beds level the beds in the upper section are built two boards high and the beds on the lower section are 8 boards high. I was a little concerned at first but now I love the result. The highest side acts as a wall and frames the kitchen garden. We even created a little step up between the beds.

In the center of the beds is a raised pot on four 18" x 18" blocks of flagstone. It gives a little bit of a sculptural element to the area and breaks up the ridged lines.

I haven't decided what I will plant in here yet. Something that takes full sun, drought tolerant, a showstopper and perennial. I am open for suggestions if anyone has ideas.

Today, my kids and I transplanted the strawberries and herbs from the old raised beds so that they can be dismantled to make room for the stock tank pond. We planted seeds for carrots, lettuce, radishes, onions, spinach and cabbage. We should be able to get one harvest of these cool season crops before it is time to plant most of our summer seeds. Also planted were tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, German chamomile, parsley, basil, cilantro, and dill.

I was one of the lucky winners of the giveaway from Gardens Eye View. Last week I received my package of Beefsteak tomato seeds. Thank you Donna! You will see these big boys in a subsequent post later in the summer.