The herb garden has been in sad shape for several years. Dear Husband constructed it for me as a wedding present about seventeen years ago. The timbers he chose did not stand up well to the test of time, so this time he decided to work with cedar.
This is what the northwest arm of the garden looked like before he got started:
The fifteenth of April, DH started ripping out the old timbers and rebar. Second Son got the chore of moving all the crumbing wood out of the work site. The timbers had to be measured, then cut to the right length, and then drilled so they could be dropped down over the existing rebar. Here's a shot of DH drilling away:
There are still two long timbers that need appropriate underpinning. The top timber has been measured and dropped into place, but we need to improve the foundation for the timber. A great deal of water flows through the herb garden during spring melt, and DH feels that we need to consider either brick or block foundations for these two areas. When we are done with the repairs, we'll truck in a load of tailings or chat, and resurface the walkway, so it's likely the underpinning will never show.
The herb garden is much safer now, so I'll be able to let visitors walk through it. With that in mind, I have one entire arm to replant, and several other areas to renovate. Dear Husband gave me a hand with the weeding while he was working on the bed. Unfortunately, one of the things he "weeded" was lavender that I'd been babying for several years. I teased him about it. The lavender wasn't happy there. It likes drier soil that isn't as fertile, so I was going to have to move it anyway.
I may use part of that northwest arm for tomatoes this year. I'm also renovating the veggie boxes this year, so I might get tomatoes sooner if I use the established garden. Tomatoes from my own garden...... sounds like a bit of heaven!
Comments (4)
Goodness, you are doing a lot of work. Cedars sound like a good framework, over here it's quite common to use railway sleepers instead (they are, of course, designed to last a long time outdoors). Have fun with all your replanting.
Posted by Adele | May 7, 2007 3:25 AM
Posted on May 7, 2007 03:25
Adele, we use landscaping timbers that are very similar to railroad ties. The problem is, that some of these timbers have been treated with chemicals that are toxic. We had to line the beds with flashing to keep the chemicals out of the soil, and then the chemicals didn't do much to prolong the life of the timbers. Cedar seems like a MUCH better choice, but it's rather costly. We hope that we won't have to re-timber again.
Posted by Buffy | May 7, 2007 11:46 PM
Posted on May 7, 2007 23:46
Buffy, yes I can understand that. Sometimes there is publicity not to use the railway sleepers dosed with some chemical or other (creosote?). Sorry, I'm a bit weary after today's trip to hospital (and I didn't sleep well last night either).
Posted by Adele | May 8, 2007 1:34 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 13:34
Yes, some have creosote, and others have arsenic and heavy metals. It pays to know what you're setting in place if you plan to eat from the garden.
I doubt I would have been able to sleep at all last night, and the trip to the hospital had to be tiring. I hope things go smoothly.
Posted by Buffy | May 8, 2007 1:54 PM
Posted on May 8, 2007 13:54