The new garden is longer than the two original raised beds. It is also two cinder blocks high. The bottom is fabric lined to keep out weeds. The first layer is leaves and sundry items (veggie peelings, dri... (more)

The new garden is longer than the two original raised beds. It is also two cinder blocks high. The bottom is fabric lined to keep out weeds. The first layer is leaves and sundry items (veggie peelings, dried flowers that weren't originally dried, etc. My darling husband hopes to get a load of "natural fertilizer" and a load of mulch in the next couple of weeks (extra "natural fertilizer" will be placed in Mulch Gulch and Beyond for future use). Plan to then let it set for a month or two before putting in good topsoil. It WILL be ready for Spring planting season. (less)

Spent the last days of December and January 1 doing last preparations for Spring. These two raised beds were used last year but they were only one cinder block high; with a second layer of cinder blocks I need to increase their "growing" content.
1. Stirred up old soil (to lighten it and, occasionally, find a stray root vegetable).
2. Added a layer of leaves.
3. Added a layer of mulch.
4. Final step will be adding high-quality Black Gold from nearby Nursery. Received a wedding gift of a giftcard from that Nursery and I think this would be the best use of it.

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We decided to create our "Mulch Gulch and Beyond" using wooden palettes, parts of an old bed, two bottomless wood chairs, and cinder blocks to build this area for compost, and storage for fencing, stakes, ... (more)

We decided to create our "Mulch Gulch and Beyond" using wooden palettes, parts of an old bed, two bottomless wood chairs, and cinder blocks to build this area for compost, and storage for fencing, stakes, and tomato cages. We also finished making the three raised beds two cinder blocks tall plus I finished putting together my gardening/potting table. Oh, and there was time for some doggie and human exercise. (less)

I recommend doing prep work.

Figure out your garden size. Cinder blocks are about 15 inches long, 6 inches wide. Because of the six inch depth carefully consider the layout of those blocks -- for pe... (more)

I recommend doing prep work.

Figure out your garden size. Cinder blocks are about 15 inches long, 6 inches wide. Because of the six inch depth carefully consider the layout of those blocks -- for people with short arms you may want a smaller width for the layout to avoid back and shoulder discomfort.
Draw out your plan (grid paper can be printed from the internet). Invaluable.
Put the garden together BEFORE growing season so you won't be rushed.
Cinder blocks are heavy. If you don't have a pick-up I would recommend only getting 12 blocks at a time and put them in the trunk. They are awkward to get out of a car and they leave white dust on seat cushions.
I used cardboard, newspaper, black roll made for gardening. They all worked fine. I prefer the back roll stuff for the actual garden. I recommend mulch around the raised beds (my husband hates to mow) but first put three layers of newspaper or cardboard on the ground to smother the grass. It helps detour long roots from slipping under the blocks into your garden and also gives a more pleasant appearance plus I like to work on my knees and mulch is comfortable to kneel on.
Consider the plants you will be putting into the cinder block openings. You can personalize the soil and watering process for those individual containers. Plan ahead for future years so you won;t have to modify the soil.
Experiment with the design. I'm adding more raised beds but at this point I plan to make them square for the appearance and the use.
Just don't try to put it all together in one weekend. Plan one week, block out the grass (tentative layout) and add cinder blocks the next week, then start mixing the soil the following week(s) -- all done before planting season. Your neck, back, shoulders, and nerves will appreciate it. And enjoy watching the growth process of your new garden.
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Here are the beginning stages of my garden. I really didn't get it put in until mid-May due to the continual rain and horrible storms (including tornadoes and floods). I mainly wanted to get in th... (more)

Here are the beginning stages of my garden. I really didn't get it put in until mid-May due to the continual rain and horrible storms (including tornadoes and floods). I mainly wanted to get in the structure for next year. I started planting just hoping something would do something. (less)