Some gardening blogs I read share “to do” and project planning lists. I usually put together such a list, as well. It’s always a New Year’s resolution kind of list, and sometimes some of the stuff actually gets done. In 2011 my “big three” items were
Build a greenhouse. This has been a “life long” yearning, and this year it got done. It’s basically an 8 x 12 shed frame clad with polycarbonate panels. Nothing fancy, but it helps overwinter some plants that are not reliably hardy in Zone 7, and gets me off to an earlier start with seed starting for vegetable and bedding plants. I organize a Spring Plant Sale for our church, and the greenhouse is home to much of the “stock”.
Building a garden walk. The walkway was a Christmas gift for Ellen. Our walk had been a series of 18″ square “pavers” laid on top of the “lawn” between our driveway and the front porch. It was, to put it mildly, hideous. We replaced it with a concrete walkway using a Quikrete Walkway mold. It was easy (but hard work), and turned out very nicely.
Building a composter. Some of you may remember Jim Crockett, author of Crockett’s Victory Garden in the early 70′s. He had a plan for a composter he called the “Cadillac of Composters”, holding about 3 cubic yards of material. I completed it in the Fall, and it’s working nicely. The front has removable slats that make it easy to turn the pile, and to transfer the materials from the starter bin to the partially composted bin in the center, to the finished compost bin.
