I had been throwing myself a real pity party earlier this year, as another season was passing in which I wouldn't have a garden. Again. I was battling health issues, Colton hadn't finished my raised beds due to weather and time restraints, it was difficult to manage with small children, etc... But then I stopped myself and said, "Kelsey, the real reason you don't have a garden this year is because you haven't planted one." So I got to work and my small children helped.
We have a little shed in our garden that we bought second hand a couple years ago. It has always been my intention to dress up the outside and make it pretty, so that is what I focused on. I had a water trough that I had pulled out of the dump and that was going to be my planter, along with empty pots I already had. This was the state of my area:
This was after I had already started weeding, so you can see it was in need of attention! After I weeded, I put down paper feed sacks that my father-in-law had been saving for me. The children acted as paperweights since there was a breeze.
We topped that with a good, thick layer of wood chips that Colton had previously chipped. The children had fun with this. Can you spot their little green wheelbarrow below?
I lined the trough with plastic (free from a co-worker of Colton's) and filled it with dirt.
I added a new liner to my window box and planted strawberries in it at John's request. (Colton built me faux shutters from wood scraps, which I still need to paint, along with the window.) I planted four spearmint plants in the trough. I love spearmint, but it's invasive so it needs to be contained. This was the perfect solution.
Here is how everything looked after it all filled in:
The pots next to the trough hold my elderberry bushes. These had been in smaller plastic pots, and once I transplanted them, they really took off! The pots at the front of the shed hold a jalapeno and basil plant, both purchased during a plant sale. (The trellis you see isn't staying there- it's going in between my raised beds.)
I am very pleased with how it turned out. It may not look like the big vegetable gardens I've had in the past, but something is always better than nothing. And when we want something, pity parties don't get the job done- hard work does. 😉
I think it looks a lovely little corner, and productive too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elizabeth!
DeleteGood job Kelsey it all looks just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteVery modern take on an old shed! So pretty! andrea
ReplyDeleteThank you, Andrea!
DeleteGo you! Our container garden gets simpler every year but still gives us so much pleasure. We only planted one tomato plant this year because we are so tired of chasing off the squirrels. Maybe they won't notice the one plant in the middle of the green beans!
ReplyDeleteThose pesky squirrels! Hopefully your camouflage tactic works and you can get some tomatoes.
DeleteGardening gives me pleasure too- I think I enjoy the process as much as the end result.
Kelsey, what a delightful post! You go girl! I love the way it turned out and what I like just as much is that you didn't spend a lot of money on it. As for the pity party, I've been known to fall prey to the same sentiment at times, like you, the cure was in changing my attitude and way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patsi! Changing my attitude gave me tangible results. Where there's a will, there's a way!
DeleteHi, Kelsey!
ReplyDeleteYour shed and garden are beautiful and I'm glad you "got to work"! :)
The shed reminds me of the cabins of the Barnwood Builders! Love it and I'm sure that when the garden starts to flourish, it will look even lovelier.
One thing that would look great there, too, is an old wheelbarrow with some greenery in it.
Like you said, "when we want something, pity parties don't get the job done- hard work does", so keep up the good hard work! ;)
Thank you, Paula! That was actually my intention with my old wheelbarrow- I just couldn't situate it against the shed in a way that satisfied me. I might find another spot for it or a way to work it in because I like the idea of using it as a planter!
DeleteGreat minds think alike! XD
DeleteCan't wait to see it!
This looks fabulous! I remember all the years gardening with the children about. They each loved every minute of it and they have a wonderful relationship with outdoors because of it. Your hard work will pay off and it will provide you with fruit too! Thanks for visitng.
ReplyDeleteThank you! When Colton brought home my spearmint plants, he also brought a bundle of multiplying onions for John. John was thrilled and soon had his own little patch of onions, to which he then added a tomato plant, sunflowers, and zinnias. I am happy he loves it so much. It is so hot right now that our garden is pretty well finished, but he is so excited about getting started again in the fall that he has asked for a bigger section of garden. I don't mind one bit!
DeleteHi Kelsey! I'm a new follower (found your guest post on The Bluebirds...) This is what I want to do in my yard, but am not the kind of woman that just goes out and starts projects without my husband's muscles :) I see women puttering in their gardens and I have the desire, but must not want it enough to turn me into an outside girl ;) Maybe in the Fall. It's too hot in S.E. Texas!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I actually discovered your blog yesterday and bookmarked it, and here you are!
DeleteI know what you mean about muscles. It takes me all day to do what Colton can do in an hour, so I often wait. I knew I could manage this myself, though, so that's what I tackled. I wasn't about to get the tiller out and try that myself! I see you are in Texas like me- I did this project before the heat hit, for sure. Everything outside is struggling right now, including me when I'm out there, haha!
Thank you so much for commenting and following along!
Hi Kelsey, found you on Annabel's site! Loved your guest post over there. Your shed and garden looks just beautiful. Wish I was closer to you, I would have come over to help you get a garden planted. My husband was planning to move my raised beds to an entirely different part of our yard this summer, but it never happened. I had been waiting and waiting to plant until he got it finished. Finally in May I'd had enough waiting, and I just started planting in containers, hanging baskets, and little pots I had sitting around the backyard. So this year most of my "garden" is on the deck. It actually worked very well so I plan to do it again! It's a lot of watering (mostly every day), but almost no pests and everything is just a step or two away from the door.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much and welcome! I'm glad you found a way to have a garden, even if it wasn't what you had planned. That is great it's going so well- now by the time the beds are moved, you will have expanded if you decide to do both!
DeleteThank you so much, and welcome! I'm sorry for such a late response- I just discovered today that my own reply to you went to my spam folder for some reason!
DeleteI'm glad you found a way to have a garden, even if it wasn't what you had planned. That's great that it's going so well. Now by the time the beds are moved, you will have expanded if you decide to do both!