Nearing Completion of Raised Bed Garden

 I bought the wood last week.  This time there will be one 4 X 8 bed and one 2 X 8 bed.  In the location where I want to finish installing raised beds, that is how the spacing works out.

Yesterday I cut the wood.  It's easy on a table saw.  Two 2 X 6 X 8 ft long planks were cut into 4 foot sections, and one into 2 foot sections.  For the corners, a 2 X 4 was cut into 11 inch sections.

 This morning I thought, I'm in no hurry.  I'll see if I can pre-drill the corners.

That wasn't too bad.  So I used 3 inch deck screws to assemble them.  I discovered, it's easier if I remain standing and use something as a workbench, which was the cage that was sitting there anyway.

That wasn't too bad, so I cut woven plastic feed bags and stapled them to the inside, and the bottom edge, for liner.  We've been saving them for that purpose.

 I don't know if the liner will make them last longer.  But that's why I'm using it.  I don't want to use preservative chemicals or paint.  The liner is free and otherwise would have gone into the landfill.

I thought I only had enough for one bed, so completed the narrow one.  Later Ning told me he had more chicken feed bags but I was too tired to work on the other bed.

Last, I cut sections of chicken wire.  In previous posts, I used hardware cloth.  Hardware cloth has smaller holes and is stronger.  It's also more costly.  I might regret it but this time I went with chicken wire again.

I did the construction work next to the house.  It's easier on a level, paved surface.  Then Ning helped me put it on a wheelbarrow and move the bed to its final location.

It's nice having one started now.  I can fill it gradually through the winter, no hurry.  The usual combination of mile hill soil and compost, roughly 50:50 mix by volume.  There are lots of mole hills to collect now.  For the bottom layer, there are sod pieces that will compost in place.  I put those in upside down.  There has not been a problem with them regrowing.   Also some pulled weeds.

The 4 X 8 bed required 6 planks.  The 2 X 8 bed required 5 planks.  For one additional plank, the larger bed has double the growing area.