Anytime I make a new area or bed, I always edge it with something for weed control, usually stones, timbers, or plastic edging. This time, since the area didn't need to be very big, I chose something I had on hand to use. I used a plastic 55 gallon drum.
First I marked the drum (top already cut off) into 6 inch rings and used a sawzall with a wood blade to cut them. A metal blade tends to hang up more with plastic.
Then I used my grinder to take the burrs off the edges of the cuts, which you can see on the left side of the grinder. (clean on the right)
I set the rings where I wanted them, cut the edges with the shovel and removed the ring.
I took out the soil, putting the sod on the compost pile,and mixed the soil with fresh compost.
After mixing the soil and compost, I filled the holes and covered them with 8" or so of leaves as a mulch until we can put in seed or plants.
This is the one I watched Rick Pratt make last weekend from all willow. I haven't found a source for willow yet, but I'll be making some from birch and doing the winding part with grape vines. Tammie and I went on a search for willow earlier this week, and though we didn't have any luck finding any, we found an area being logged that was laying full of birch branches and grapevines as far as the eye can see. We gathered enough for her to start some of her own, so I'll have to make another trek to get some for myself. I'm hoping to start them this week so they're out of the way, but the weather is supposed to get cold and rain again...ugh. Ah well, plenty of time since we won't be frost-free until mid-end May. I'll probably make some for the tomatos and cucumbers in the main garden too. Hopefully this isn't a really boring post, but I'm going to start posting more things I do as a sort-of tutorial/picture log step by step. If I'm happy with the way these turn out, I'm going to make a few extra's and put them in the yard with a for sale sign and give it a shot. I'm hoping with us being on a busy road and a popular garden center less than 1/4 mile away, they'll get some attention. What the heck, it's worth a shot, and I can get all the materials I want for free. I have an idea to make one with large vines in a circle at the top and hang a small windchime from it.....can't wait to see how it turns out!!
If you are interested in these, go to my friend Tammie's blog and watch the video of the one in the picture being made...and admire my FINE camera work, LOL. She had to make it a 2 parter, so she should get the second half up soon. http://unusuallyunusualfarmchick.blogspot.com/2010/03/our-first-video-segment.html
To see what Rick REALLY makes, visit him at www.aroundthebendwillowfurniture.com His work is amazing....Lisa really really wants me to make the stars & moons bed...guess I better find that source for willow!!!
