Well guys, this time last year we were working on the garden. (HERE’S THE POST on that if you want a refresher.) It was completely planted by May 4, and I can tell you that isn’t going to happen this year sadly…mainly because the garden beds need some work.

We lined them with plastic to avoid any stain or chemicals leeching into the soil, and to help slow down the rot on the sides of the beds, but that needs some touch-up, too.

Even the beds we made a year later with pallet wood aren’t looking so hot. (HERE’S THE POST on those)

Yikes.

Yep, our HOLLOW CORE RECYCLED DOOR BEDS lasted pretty well for four years, but this year, we can tell it’s time to replace or repair. Last weekend we went to Home Depot to price our options (cedar is expensive!) and came up with a plan that should allow us to repair these for under $300 total. It still sounds like a lot, but they should hold up pretty well for awhile again…at least that’s the goal.

So, we’re hoping to find time to work on that project in the next few weeks, although with the basement project in full swing (slow swing, but still full) and a garage sale coming up, along other spring things and Wyatt being super busy at work, I’m not sure when this will get done. Hopefully soon!

In the meantime, we also have the frustrating dilemma that our asparagus and our strawberries didn’t come back at all this year. Boo!

The only signs of life in the garden right now are a few blooms on the blueberries….not many at all!

And some lettuce that appears to have survived the winter.

The bird barrier house we build to keep the birds from eating our berries also looks like it needs a little TLC.

The good news is that Will loves “helping” in the garden and the yard, so we should be able to work on these projects other than just at naptime…which is when we have to do most of our other projects since he thinks tools are toys.

In the meantime, any suggestions on garden bed materials that are non-toxic and non-expensive? It seems those two things don’t coexist!