Posts from a bed frame

Bienvenue !! The images didn't quite work out but they should help convey the process. Ocasionally you will see bedframes that you can acquire. They can be used to make durable garden stakes. Tall enough to hold a pea or cuke fence. Deconstruction is a fairly simple process but it takes some work. You have two indentical halves. First use a hammer to knock the wheels off. Don't smash them, pop them out. Use a hacksaw to cut the rivets connecting the long piece from the two short pieces. Then just yank the short piece off the long piece. Sometimes they are stubborn and need to be drilled out. You are done with the long pieces unless the have brackets on both ends. If they do you should remove the bracket from one end or you will not be able to drive the stake into the ground. There is some variation in the way the short pieces are designed to connect. Some bolt, some have sliding connectors. In that case just drill off one connector and bolt the two pieces together.

You will need a hacksaw, a hammer, a punch and a drill. A grinder would also work. It's all about getting the rivets out of the way. Whatever works.

Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome. This blog is intended to be a way to share ideas and to promote a philosophy of being aware of how to make use of the resources that are available locally. I am no expert at gardening but I have a passion for it. But I like to do it on the cheap. There is nothing better than being self-sustaining. So I hope to share some ideas and get some new ideas from others that share the same belief. So, here we go. This garden is in USDA zone 8 near Bogue Sound, NC. The area is known for growing excellent watermelons due to the soil and climate conditions. If you ever get a chance to try a 'Bogue Sound' watermelon make sure you don't pass on it. The pictures are of Bogue Sound. A truely beautiful body of water about 200 yards away from the garden. Best Wishes, Spudigger.

Local Resources

Not the best day for photos. Snow is unusual in this area but we get some occasionally. To the point. The raised beds are made with old utility poles. Obtained at no cost. Yes, I know there are those who say you should not use poles or RR ties to make raised beds. I don't care. I am not recommending you do it. Do your research and make up your own mind. I have to use something to slow down the centipede grass and pennywort from invading the beds. The poles are free and available locally. A lot of work to obtain them. The fence came from two sources. A friend had a dog pen she didn't need anymore. All I had to do was go dig up the posts and take the fence. The rest of the fence came from the local high school. They were replacing the fence. I called the school and got the name of the contractor. Then I called the contractor and asked if I could have the old fence. He was very happy to inform me I could have all I wanted. Less disposal cost for him. I used trunks from Cedar trees that I cut down for the posts. They should last for several years. Again, some labor but no cost.

The Containers. The wooden tubs are made from Oak and Pine pallets. Again, free. A lot of work to disassemble but businesses are happy to give them to you. They are sitting on blocks that were left on our property. ( I will do a post on how to take apart pallets and build containers in the future.).

So the point is this. Look around. There is so much going to waste right in your own neighborhood. You can make use of it with a little effort. We need to rethink our way of living. Do it for your kids and grandkids.

Spuds and coldframes

I had some potatoes that were getting too old to eat so I figured I would plant them. The thing is that it was in mid-January. Just a bit early to plant spuds in this neighborhood. Cold frames to the rescue. And hotcaps. Well I used milk jugs with the bottoms cut off for hotcaps. But I was short one jug. So I used a shoebox on one plant. The plant with the shoebox thrived while the plants with the milk jugs suffered frost damage. Serendipity!! Cardboard insulates better than plastic. So the picture with the blue shoebox shows the plant that is doing well and the other shows the plant that suffered damage.

Now for a word about the cold frames. They are both made from windows I picked up from someone's trash. A quick trim with the saw and a few screws and I have two coldframes for no money. Get the idea ? My Irish ancestors would be proud. I plan to modify the frames. There is no need for glass on the north side. I plan to remove it and replace it with wood from pallets. That gives me more glass to build more frames.

Do you want to build a coldframe ? Call a local window contractor. You can look in the Yellow Pages or go to one of the home improvement chains and get a list of the people they use as window and door replacement contractors. I'll bet they have old windows and glass doors to get rid of. They have to pay to dispose of them. They will be happy to give them away. The source is where you find it. We need to stop discarding usefull things and make the most of our resources.

Ready For Spring

So, planting time is upon us. The first picture shows onion sets harvested from last years onions. We did not harvest all the onions and just let them overwinter. When we pulled them up we realized we had an abundant supply of onion sets. No need to buy any. The fence and posts are scavenged from other people's trash. Just keep your eyes open. Seek and you shall find.

The other pictures show the 6 raised beds ready for planting. Actually, the peas and beets are already planted. They will emerge any day now. The beds are 4' x 25' for a total of 600 sq. ft. of raised beds. We will add at least 3 more, probably more. A lot of work to establish but easier to maintain than the traditional row crop method.

And of course the truck. Big Red. A 1983 Chevy C-10 shortbed. The most reliable vehicle we own. Used to haul leaves, manure, utility poles, fencing and whatever else needs to be hauled. The truck has been invaluable helping us to set up the garden. It took a lot of labor to fix it up so it would run well. Old junk to some but need I say it again ? Usefull and low cost.

Well, that was exciting, wasn't it ? Keep recycling and reusing. And get your hands dirty !! Grow some food and share it with your neighbours. Best Wishes, Spudigger.