"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Sunday, February 13, 2011

The lawn is gone!

We were able to get so much accomplished this weekend, much more than I ever imagined.  We started out Saturday morning going to watch Sweet Pea and her team play probably their best basketball game ever.  As soon as we returned Sweet Pea and her Dad headed down to buy the lumber we'd need for building the two large raised beds we are going to have in the front part of our front yard.  The weather became very windy and very rainy so we were glad to have a project that we could work on in the garage.  We are also very lucky we didn't lose power during the building, we watched doormats and garbage cans blow up the street.

Raised bed number one was completed by late afternoon.  It is made of untreated cedar since we plan to grow vegetables in it.  The bed will actually be turned over - the feet are to help hold it in place.  This bed is 4 feet by 14 feet.

This will become bed number two.  Our plan was to build it today, but when we awoke to sun we decided we'd put this off for another day when it rains.  We can always count on a rainy day, but the sunny ones this time of year are much harder to come by.

The inner grass here had been cut already with the sod cutter by my husband.  We laughed when we finished this area because we said after 13 years of marriage this was the best team work we've ever had during a project.  He pushed the sod cutter while I pulled it around the curves.  I just wish I would've gotten a picture of the sod cutter, but he was anxious to return it.

Sweet Pea got right to work helping to roll the sod.  She is such a hard worker, she loves being outside and being busy.  I think she helped as much as an adult.  Her little sister was inside organizing her toy jewelry.  My husband and I laughed at how different our girls are - one out in the mud and loving it, the other staying clean inside playing with dolls.

My husband aka The Muscle with his favorite tool - the pickax.  He seems to find a use for it no matter what we are working on.  Rolling and lifting sod (especially when it's wet) is very heavy and hard work.

Sweet Pea and the Littlest Gardener on top of our own mountain of sod.  Next weekend we plan to get rid of it.

The inner grass area with it's own little mountain of sod.  This area will be a little seating area with container plantings around for some color.  It's very sunny and warm here during the summer and will be a nice place to enjoy the sun.  Our backyard is quite shaded during the summer and is a nice place to enjoy on days that are especially hot.

The front yard free of grass!  What a nice feeling to have this job finished.  

Our next project will be to finish the other raised bed and start spreading gravel, that probably won't happen for another week.  Until then I can enjoy some of the new flowers I've found blooming around the yard and maybe get some seeds started.
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38 comments:

  1. I Love raised bed gardens; What a great way to utilize yard space. I'm really looking forward to seeing the pictures once they have plants in them:)

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  2. Hi Catherine,

    We did this with the sod the first year we were in our house. Rather than paying to have it hauled away we did lasagna gardening, turned it all over in the beds and used the auger drill to plant through it. The following year it was lovely compost all around our plantings.

    Eileen

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  3. You have all been very busy. That is a lot of hard work even with all the help. I will be anxious to see the end results.

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  4. I love that you are putting a patio in the front yard! I'll be by with a pitcher of Margarita's this summer.

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  5. Hi Catherine, We grow all our veggies in raised beds. I love how the design has taken shape. You and your family have done a fabulous job. Happy gardening:)

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  6. What an awesome job!! Umm, didn't see any photos or you, were you organizing your jewelry too, between photos? lol

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  7. Catherine,

    Funny you spent the day taking out the sod. While I planted grass seed in hopes of getting rid of mud. The raised bed looks great, around here cedar 2 x 4s would cost $3 a ft.

    I've a plan to build a big raised bed inside a big cold frame that the plastic could be removed and the hoops would be fenced part way up to keep the deer out.

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  8. What a lot of hard work you all have done! Your posts are always an inspiration to me. I am looking forward to see the raised beds !

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  9. You and your husband remind me of a much younger John and me! We have removed so much grass through the years making room for flower beds. It is very hard work but so worth it. We will be moving from our beloved home in less than 2 weeks. The new family (2 children) is about the age of yours and is so excited about maintaining all the flowers. It makes leaving much easier. I can't wait to see your yard during the next few weeks. Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

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  10. WOW! Looks like you guys got the most out of your weekend...can't wait to see what's next

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  11. I just had to smile when I was reading this post since we have two girls that are polar opposites also. Our oldest is all girly and doesn't want anything to do with outdoors and dirt while the other one is drawn to it like a magnet.
    How nice it will be to not have to mow all that grass! Can't wait to see how the end result looks!

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  12. It's looking good! The sun this morning WAS such a nice surprise, wasn't it? I did a bit of work out there too, but nowhere near as much as you and your family. It's wonderful that SweetPea likes to get dirty. When I was the same age as Littlest I used to help my mom and dad in the garden by looking for worms and walking around with a fistful of them figuring out where to put them to do the most good.

    Can't wait to see it with both raised beds in there, and the little sitting area in front.

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  13. Catherine, bless your hearts! what a great accomplishment and those raised beds will be put to the best use. We don't have a lawn: when we moved here 16-17 years ago, it was raw and we decided "no lawn" and we love it!

    PS: you need any heirloom vegetable seeds?

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  14. It is going to look so good. I don't regret doing away with the grass in our front lawn. I love the gravel.

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  15. Wow, you guys have been busy, and I love what you have accomplished. Can hardly wait to see the beds in place and to see them filled with all sorts of goodies.

    Keep enjoying working together, and setting it all up, you're doing a GREAT job.

    Happy Valentine's Day ~ FlowerLady

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  16. My you and the whole family have really been busy. Good plan to wait for a rainy day to finish - not like asking for much to get rain around here is it? In fact I was wishing I had taken the 'boat' to town yesterday as it was raining like crazy by the time I headed home.
    Your raised beds are going to be great - they're huge too. Can't wait to see them all full!

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  17. What a team your family is! Good work! I can't wait to see it as the seasons unfold.

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  18. Great job!! We used a sod cutter when we made the first beds in our yard. Those are interesting machines. I remember feeling like I was being shaken the whole time.

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  19. Wow! Look at you go! Start one project and it just blends in to the next! Wish I had watched the weather--instead I had planned on painting today--indoors! Got a nice walk in and saw lots of bulbs coming up!

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  20. Such great job you've done with that area! I really enjoy following the work and I'm looking forwqrd to see the final result. Happy Valentines Day Catherine / gittan

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  21. That's quite a project! I bet you're going to love, love, love those raised beds.

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  22. Dear Catherine, How liberating that the grass has gone. And, what a perfect seating area this will be to enjoy the summer sun. You all obviously worked terribly hard to achieve so much, but how very satisfying to have reached this point with the gardening season stretching ahead of you. Now the fun begins!

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  23. What a fun post to go through this with you all! Great job! Hooray for the teamwork. That great big pile of sod and soil looks like a gold mine to me-I'm thinking compost. It's be fantastic. Are you giving it away? Someone on Freecycle (like me) might take it. I can't wait to see the veggies you grow in your new beds.

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  24. hoorah no more grass. I keep thinking of lifting mine in the front but I havent made that leap yet.

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  25. I love watching a plan come together. Of course I would since I am not the one doing the work. LOL! My neighbors would be saying "What in the world is she up to now".LOL! A seating area sounds like a great addition too Catherine.
    It will be fun watching your transformation and the adding of the picket fence.

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  26. This is looking amazing, Catherine! What a huge amount of progress in a relatively short space of time. Three cheers for team work! Believe it or not, I feel as excited for you as if this were my own project and I'm enjoying being part of it all, every inch of the way...especially so, as I'm not the one getting all hot & sweaty and grimy :)

    You've shared such lovely pictures with us - your daughters are so pretty and clearly had a great time. I see the littlest one came out to climb the heap of grass sods - who could resist that? Sweetpea looks justifiably proud of her input...and WELL DONE! to her & her team for their winning game! Muscle Man looks so disarming...what a sweetie he is!

    We're just missing seeing the lady of the manor???

    It's all looking so promising, Catherine. I can't wait for the next update!

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  27. Thank you all for your nice comments. Today it's pouring rain and I'm glad we took advantage of the dry day!

    Eileen - I love your idea of using some of that sod in the new beds. My husband loved the idea, especially since it means less to get rid of.

    Tina - Also a great idea about Freecycle. I wondered if anyone would want it for compost. I think we may do that for whatever is left.

    Someone had to take the pictures, and I was more than happy to be the one, especially with how I looked by the end of the day :)

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  28. What a project! I assume you have plans to make sure the grass roots are completely removed before you add soil or other plants (did I comment about this before?). My big, ugly, awful garden job this year is trying to figure out how to get rid of the grass that is growing in my new flower beds - the sod cutter didn't get all the roots and they just grew right up through several inches of new soil. Better luck for you!

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  29. Catherine, I am very much enjoying watching the transformation of your yard and garden as well as seeing you outside in shirt sleeves! Spring is indeed coming!
    Blessings, Beth

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  30. Wow - that is a lot of work! Thanks for posting such great photos of the progress. I am anxious to see the finished project (as I am sure you are too!)

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  31. Wow. You all sure know how to get a project done. I can't believe how fast it's progressing. It will be great not to mow and by the size of your raised beds, you'll be growing a lot of veggies. I bet the neighbors are really interested in what you're doing ~ at least when I even do something small, they are curious here!

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  32. What a lot of work!!! I am not ambitious enough to remove so much sod at once, but maybe a sod cutter would help. Can't wait to see the project once completed. :)

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  33. What alot of work!!! But it looks great.. What color blue is your house?? LOVE IT!!!

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  34. Nice going, Catherine. Thinking back to my own sod-removing days, I can remember how difficult this work is. Kudos to Mr. Muscles and your helper too. I look forward to more of your redux.

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  35. Wonderful---just wonderful! Very proud of you 3 out there working hard. I like the way you are laying this out...very cool

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  36. I just love the sight of grass-be-gone! I know this was extremely hard work. Cannot wait to see the next step!

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  37. Are you putting the raised beds in the front? I took out the grass in most of the front yard but ours was mostly burmuda grass, which is oh so not fun to get out.

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  38. Julie - Yes, the beds are going out front. It's the sunniest part of our yard and a good spot for veggies. Our lawn was a mix of moss and weeds with some ugly grass mixed in.

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