Some of you may remember Linda Cockburn’s book I referred to last year. One of the greatest inspirations to my lifestyle for a long long time.
Our little garden is ever growing, in fact I must post some of our latest photos. We have dug even more grass out of our back yard and adding more structured beds. We have started more serious planning for the front garden, mainly fruit trees. In fact the front olive tree yielded its first 20 or so olives this year. They are marinating in the cupboard as we speak. The chickens remain a happy little family of 3 supplying us with a never ending steam of eggs…and a few mice mice, that we could do without 🙂 The compost heaps (3) need some work, I think I am doing something wrong as I get little heat from them and for not long enough to kill seed, so I am learning, this is mainly my area, Chris is the main veggie girl, I am her labour. We occasionally come to heads about exactly what should happen in the garden and yesterday it was a decent fight over raised beds, how high, what materials, design etc. So I went and sulked at a mates house and played on our Apple Macs and made videos of our Tassie kayak trip and Chris did the garden – it looked great by the way – aghhh.
Christine made a wonderful basil pesto with bits from the garden the other day. I can’t wait for a day when the olive oil might come from the garden too. So it is all going well, just keeping the balance between places where kids can play on lawn and places mum and dad want to rip up and garden…heck they have parks!
Have a look at the Today Tonight episode of our heroes Linda and Trevor.
No Guarantees 
So did you end up doing raised beds and if so what did you use?
My front yard is about to get the vege makeover but the raised beds will be a necessity – also until the olive trees grow I may need to put up shade cloth during summer – this will require decent supports I think.
I will post a photo of the finished product – when we finish it – but what we have done so far is just mark out where the beds will be by digging trenches.
We went to the tip at Tamala Park and found some white ant ridden sleepers…and left them there, not only because ofthe ants but sleepers are so big (wide) and you loose so much garden. Whilst there we found light green roofing tiles. Christine suggested burying them on end and overlapping them as they would side by side on a roof for the beds. I am still not convinced of the look or how they would hold together with some dirt in side. We are not raising them a heap, just 20 or so cm higher than the saw dust paths surrounding them. If we don’t use the tile idea we will use some kind of high grade treated pine…but only if we can find it for free, otherwise whatever we can find and feed it to the ants and rot.
Looking 4ward 2 seeing the new beds. Glad mine r raised, thanx 4 ur help scott, as I’ve put my back out (yes, it’s catching)but can still have a little dig around my winter lettuce, strawberries, & mini cauli’s. Very fun. Looking 4ward 2 new beds soon- veggie & bed mattress! Suzy Q
Vawz – don’t use old style treated pine anywhere near your veges if you can help it. Plants do uptake the chemicals it is treated with.
I understand that there is a new pine treatments that is NOT CCA – called ‘Ecowood’ from Koppers, but that is about $30 a length.
Like you I want to maximise the bed area so straw bales are out for me – but I hadn’t thought of old tiles!
I have been enviously eyeing the pre-made colourbond beds, but I think I have found a way to use sheet steel folded around a frame (so no sharp edges).
Good luck with the beds!
I think we need a garden exchange program going. . .
Hey mate,
I’d keep away from using sheet metal or colourbond as they will rust in time.
Kerensa had a brain wave, she found out that the local poly water tank makers had made a dud tank, so she scored it for $500. We cut it up into two metre high sections and onne foot high section, and then squeezed them into oval shapes.
So far I have only filled one bed (I am the labourer too!) mostly it is filled with rocks and old bricks and pavers, and then just crappy fill sand, then a foot and a half of good stuff.
You should come up and have a look and a coffee and catch up!
two one metre high sections that is…
Thanks for the discussion here guys. Yes, I too had read about how quick zinc and colourbond and even aqua plated colourbond dissolved into the soil!
I have not picked up the green tiles yet…actually I need to pick up a car first, as in buy one. Then I might be able to throw on my trailer and go get some of this stuff I have beenn talking about!
Man I hate buying cars!
“Man I hate buying cars!”
Aww, princess!