Garden
If you don’t have space in the ground, you can grow vegetables in a convenient raised bed or planting box. This one is 4 feet by 4 feet, constructed of two 2-by-6s on each side. Fill the planter with a commercial soil mix; if you plant in the ground, improve the soil by adding a layer of several inches of organic matter, and work it in to a depth of 8 to 10 inches.
Two weeks after the walls were up, a corrugated polycarbonate panel roof was on. While its longevity is yet to be determined, as of now it keeps the rain out. A pitched roof was originally envisioned, but this shed roof design involved a lot less cutting and less square footage — a plus when the panels cost $30 apiece.
The windows and design of the greenhouse strongly influenced its framing. Moore says she framed the greenhouse rather unconventionally to accommodate the maximum 27- by 42-inch window span. "Solid 2-by-4 horizontal beams between each row of windows give strength and stability to the walls," says Moore. "The weight load is carried by the horizontal beams and vertical 2-by-4 jack studs, while accommodating the existing oak frames of the windows." Building from the ground up, Moore squared and plumbed the structure as she went. She used decking screws to build it, saying, "They don't back out with the swell and contraction that wood goes through seasonally." Moore's property is advantageously situated on the southeast side of a tall ridge, which offers shelter from most direct winds. "I do consider the 70-foot-tall trees a potential disaster. God willing, it'll be here for a long time," she says. While Moore has a home renovation and other garden building projects under her belt, she’s the first to admit that this project wasn’t without its challenges. “I’m not a professional builder,” she says, and between maneuvering a 6-foot-tall ladder on an 8-foot-tall wall and cutting rafters...
Cinderblock Raised beds made from cinderblock can be constructed in a number of different ways. Cinderblocks can simply be stacked to the desired height of the bed, or they can be mortared in place and then given a more elegant finish with a surface treatment and capped tops, as shown here. The former is much more rustic and inexpensive, while the latter is more elegant and pricier. Pros: Cinderblock is very inexpensive and widely available; you can purchase it at home improvement stores or building supply stores. It can fit a wide range of aesthetics, from rustic to urban to elegant, depending on the application. It's also fairly durable and will stay in place for many years. Cons: Individual pieces are fairly heavy, making this project difficult to do solo. Cost: There are a few different styles of cinderblock; materials alone cost about $9 to $15 per square foot. If you hire a professional and add a cap stone and a surface treatment like stucco, plan on triple that cost.
Raised beds. Resting raised cedar beds on gravel instead of soil is a smart move, because the gravel will drain water quickly away from the cedar and does not retain moisture. For the interior of a raised bed, a geotextile or landscape fabric can separate the bedding soil from the wood to wick moisture away from the wood and preserve its longevity.
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