raise it up
From Habitat magazine - issue 09
Join the grow-your-own movement by making this easy-to-use raised vege garden complete with built-in tomato or bean rack.
Supplies for making a raised vege garden
You’ll need:
- Dingo (walk-behind digger), trailer, mitre saw, level, electric leads and RCD power box
- Personal protection equipment (PPE)
- Post hole borer, nail gun, wheelbarrow, shovel and spade, lawn mower, weedeater, tape measure
- Enough compost to fill your garden (we used one trailer load)
- H3 treated timber (for exact measurements please see www.hirepool.co.nz)
- Galvanised nails and pins, clothesline wire for tomato or bean rack.
Step 1:
Prepare the site by mowing the lawn, weedeating and clearing any debris. For a larger site, you may choose to use a dingo to clear and turf the area. Measure and mark your timber to the correct length. Our garden is 2.4m (l) x 1.2m (w) x 0.4m (h).
Step 2:
Cut the timber to length using a mitre saw and ensuring you use personal protection equipment at all times.
Step 3:
Secure the boards on the two long sides of your garden by nailing to your uprights (we used 50mm2 H3 pegs). Pin the short side boards together using H3 25mm2 beading. This will then enable you to nail together three sides. The fourth and final short side will be attached once the garden is in place.
Step 4:
Measure the area where the garden is to be placed. Bore the two 0.4m holes for the end posts – these will be used for the tomato or bean rack.
Step 5:
Sit the pre-nailed three sides in place with the open end at the installed posts. Nail both the remaining short side and the open long sides to the posts, ensuring both posts and completed box are level. Measure and cut the capping timber once the box is in place and level. Use the mitre saw on the corners for a professional finish and hand-nail these to prevent splitting.
Step 6:
Fill your garden with compost using either a dingo or wheelbarrow and shovel. Check with your local garden centre for the best type of compost for vegetable gardens. The timber can be finished with
Resene Lumbersider exterior paint or with
Resene Woodsman stain.
Step 7:
Run and pin your clothesline wire for your bean or tomato rack at approximately 10-15cm apart. Get planting and happy gardening!
Finished Vege Garden:
For more comprehensive instructions and materials please see www.hirepool.co.nz.
words and pictures: thanks to Hirepool
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