It's been so long since I was last on here. We had many projects come together during the summer. But, then the girl's started school and I was overwhelmed. Both girls are now going either full time or part time. You'd think it would give me more time to write. But to be honest, I needed time to focus on me. Time to hike and go back to yoga. Time for our poor dog Penny who gets whatever time I have leftover from the kids. She is patient but her sad face tells me when she's had enough. Also with the girls being in school comes 40 hours of mandatory volunteer time. I love being a part of their school community but it doesn't come without it's additional commitments. Anyway, here I am. I'm back. I've missed this outlet.
One project I complete was starting a vertical garden. As I've mentioned before, our west and north walls are very sun exposed. The only plants successfully growing on the west side are succulents, and not all succulents can take the heat. My plan, or dream, is to successfully grow edible plants vertically along the entire west wall so when I look out I'll see a wall of green. Here is the beginning of my adventure!
I think part of what's harming the plants are the ceramic pots they're in. They only intensify the heat. So, I thought what if the plants are "hanging" and not coming in contact with the hot floor? I started looking into Wooly Pockets, which I've been eyeing for quite some time now. But, I wanted a product that was better priced. I want to cover a large space. I found these on Plants on Walls. They're 3'x2' and they have a drip irrigation line already running on top so you can plug it in. I decided to start with one of these. With twelve pockets I could do an entire herb garden.
Next, I had to figure out how to hang them. To avoid damaging the fence I thought I'd configure another option. I saw these palettes below at Whole Foods. It looked like a good way to go. I pulled out my tools and Dave picked up a palette I saw on the curb about a block away.
I got to use my new Kreg jig and I love it. Can't wait to do more with it!
Construction finished! Mission accomplished! Now time for the gardening. I left that in P's hands which she took care of very well!
The finished product is up and running and doing well. Some of the plants aren't too happy in this spot. Others, like strawberries, are very happy campers. I'm considering doing this section with just strawberries.
I like how the plants look pool side. It's much nicer to glance out from our dining table and see green, green we can eat. This is the beginning of a good direction.
Labels: edible garden, garden, outdoor living, wood work
