Life has returned back to normal at our house. Now I'm focusing on gardening.
From Chicken Coop to Vegetable Garden
One of the things I enjoy most about homesteading is finding new uses for things we already have. After the chickens moved to another area, it didn't take long to realize their old coop had become the perfect place for a vegetable garden. Years of scratching had kept the weeds under control, and the soil had benefited from natural fertilization. Instead of letting the space sit unused, it became the perfect location for a new gardening project.
Building Raised Beds from Reclaimed Lumber
Rather than purchasing expensive materials, I recycled lumber from a neighbor's old wooden playscape. With a little cutting and creativity, the boards became sturdy raised garden beds, and even the old ladder found a second life as a trellis for climbing green beans. Reusing materials not only saved money, but also kept perfectly good lumber out of the landfill.
Gardening Is Constant Problem Solving
Every gardener eventually discovers that growing vegetables also means competing with squirrels, birds, slugs, insects, and sometimes even the weather. Protecting young plants often requires a little creativity and a willingness to experiment. That's part of the fun. Every season teaches something new, and each challenge makes next year's garden a little better.
Our old chicken coop has been turned into the garden. For years, this side of the house was never used. Just a real pain to keep mowed. Mainly, out of sight, out of mind. It became overgrown with weeds too uncontrollable. After the chickens moved in, they took care of everything. Now that the ground has been tamed and fertilized, I'm looking at this plot of land with new eyes. The chicken wire has served perfectly to make an enclosed garden plot.
I have several garden pots growing in the front yard. Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Zuchinni, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Jalapeno, and Serrano. After this morning's incident with the bird I'm transferring everything to the garden coop.
Last week I planted two watermelon's and two cantaloupes. I was shocked that in less than half an hour my plants were dugged up and tossed across the yard. Sometimes I'd like to take a hidden camera and see what exactly is going on. Those nasty little critters! I'm so glad my dog likes to chase squirrels.
So far so good, with everything covered under wire. I had to sit out some bowls of beer for the slugs. They all slid in, and drank themselves to death. Not a very pretty sight! Won't try that anymore either. It works, but guess who has to haul them off?
My neighbor was tearing down a playscape in his backyard. I asked him for the wood. I'm sure my husband was thinking I was junking things up with all that wood we had piled to the side of the house. Well, look what I did... Raised garden beds! The boards couldn't have been more perfect. No nails used either. I sawed wooden "pins" to hammer the boards into place, then filled each box with fresh potting soil. I sawed the playscape ladder in half to use as a trellis for my greenbeans. I plan to make enough raised beds to line the entire length of fence where it can get lots of sunshine. The melons will get to roam the rest of the coop.
The garden bed is enclosed in a plastic green fence that is easily moved to the side. I was worried the squirrels would dig everything up. Do you think they will climb down the side of the wooden fence and still get to them? Should I cover the top of the fence too? I'm hoping this works. Now off to the store I go for some organic pesticide.
