Friday, February 10, 2012

Under construction-- A cold frame and a cedar raised bed

The weather is still mild.  I built a frame out of an old 12" plank and a piece of 6" cedar between two existing raised beds, laid a salvaged vinyl-coated window over it and made a coldframe.  I'm going to mix some manure into the soil and start spinach under it on March 1.
The gap on the right will keep it from overheating, and I can lay an old towel over it on cold nights.
I also learned that cedar splits easily, and so used coated deck screws, gently driven, to build my next project, a 16' by 4' by 12" cedar bed strengthened by 12" high  chunks of 4 by 4 pressure treated lumber.
It was almost dark by the time I attached the lower tier of cedar, which is the most precise part of the
job.  I'll finish the top soon, and then put sand under the 4 by 4's and level it before filling it with compost and topsoil.  This year I'm going to plant  this new bed  with tomatoes or potatoes, and next year I'll extend the fence to enclose it so I can grow the tastier crops (to rabbits, I mean)  like lettuce and peas.
I used three extension cords to get my old corded drill to the spot, but it did the job. Why replace it? It still works fine, even if cordless drills are all the rage-- god, I sound like a crotchety old lady!   -"Those young folks with their fancy drills"- but I'm just trying to spend mindfully.
Here are all the tools I needed: The screws even came with a drill bit.