Vegetable Gardening: Part 2

You're back? Have you found the perfect spot for your garden and gotten sufficiently inspired over the past week? If not, check out Part 1 of my Gardening Series.

Now we need to determine the size of our garden. I wanted to make this project pretty straight-forward so I let the size of my wood determine the size of my garden:




I purchased 8 foot and 10 foot lengths of pressure treated lumber from Lowe's:



This determined that I would build an 8x10 foot garden.

Now, we need to begin to clear the grass. Measure the size of the garden and mark it with stakes or even spray paint.

We need to remove the sod. I wanted to use a chemical-free method since I would be growing food in this space and many friends and family members described the newspaper method. Simply spread several thick layers of newspaper over the desired area, holding them in place with rocks or boards, and keep them soaked. Soon the grass will die in that spot.

I'm pretty impatient. I think we all know by now I need immediate gratification when I begin a project. I layered the newspaper and kept a sprinkler on them several times the first day to really saturate the ground and hold the moisture in.



Then with brute force only a deranged-woman-in-need-of-an-instant-garden can muster...I yanked the sod out with my bare pretty pink gardening gloved hands. I used shovels and trowels and various other tools of torture to lift the edge of the sod and tore away chunks of it after a day of soaking. Waiting a week or so is much easier, but you have the week to decide.

Your mission this week is to clear the sod / kill the grass from spot where you intend to build your garden.



Meet me back here next week and will construct the box to surround your garden!

Come on back tomorrow to link up your own tutorial for Tutorial Tuesday...
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