Bed construction complete!

I was so worn out from the past few days that blogging went by the wayside I'm afraid.  But, the beds are finally done!

The upper bed needed another landscape timber; it just didn't look right without it.  To dig it in so it would be reasonably level -- and keep the bed at about 36" wide -- meant ripping out a big 8' strip of sod.  (More sod.  It figures. ;-) )

Then there was the matter of the sod the other timbers are resting on.  Hubby assured me the timbers would kill the sod, but I was dubious about that in a few places, so I ripped it out.  I have lost count of the number of green buckets of sod that have been pulled out of the tilled soil or shoveled/cut out.  Ten?  More? 

After pulling out the sod, though, there were holes in both beds.  (Wish I could figure out how to post pictures side-by-side.)

Here it is.... holes patched, grid set up, and SEEDS PLANTED!  (Most of them, anyway.)  What I find ironic is that it doesn't look all that different, despite all the hours of work involved.

 

Here's the strawberry jar... with a few onions planted at the top.  Supposedly onions and strawberries are companion plants?  I want to try planting onions (bulb or spring) in with my carrots and lettuce... and just tonight I read something about them helping against squash bugs, too.  I cannot find garlic starts anywhere!

Immediate to-do:

• tonight -- plant more seeds indoors (slightly sunny anti-cat window?) as back-up for the tomatoes, peppers and basil, maybe a few other things?  Cabbage -- probably too late, but I'll try.  Marigolds, for the little girls next door.  And catnip.  Must please the kitties!  DONE

This week, weather allowing:

• mulch the new landscaping fabric and existing beds
• general yard clean up / mowing
• transplant thyme and marjoram / consolidate (and replace?) herb planters
• sow onion seed

Longer term:

• build trellises

Still no signs of life other than two onions in the strawberry jar, but those were sprouted already.  It's going to get cold tonight, too.  Shouldn't freeze but it will be down in the mid-30's.  Brr!