more details on building the raised beds in the Medicine Wheel garden

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by Delena Rose in garden, medicine wheel

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garden, garden boxes, Medicine Wheel garden, raised beds, vegetable garden

I must apologize for the long delay in getting this post up, especially to the four readers who wrote in early spring asking for more details on building the raised beds in the Medicine Wheel garden. My eleven-month old son is finally taking longer naps -and I am also now able to stay up past his bedtime- so I can now get back to one of my favorite things: blogging and sharing my life with each of you.

In this post, I will go into more detail on how we got the dimensions for the raised bed boxes for those who are interested in building their own. Click here if you need to refresh your memory on the previous post that we did two summers ago on building the raised beds. If you would like your raised bed circle to be smaller or larger you can use what we did here as a guide and plug in your own measurements. On the other hand, if my dimensions suit you just fine, then skip to the end where I will just give you the basic details in a nutshell. Please note that later this summer (or early next spring), we plan to build the second row in the Medicine Wheel garden so this is a work in progress! The next boxes will be a bit shorter and wider and we will be sure to include the dimensions for that when we do it.

How We Calculated the Dimensions for the Boxes:

There was a bit of math involved in getting the dimensions for the layout of the beds. I started with some rough sketches of what I envisioned. As you can see, it looks like a pie. All I needed to do was figure out how large of a pie it should be, how much space I wanted in the center, and decide how wide I wanted the walkways to be in between each bed.

I started from the center and decided that I wanted a 10 foot diameter for the center circle. From there I knew I wanted the row of beds to be 4 feet long. I also knew that I wanted the walkways to be about a foot and a half wide, or 18 inches.

To get the dimensions for the beds, I calculated the circumference of both the center circle and the outer circle. The inner circle gives me the length of wood to cut for the narrow end. I simply subtracted the total amount of space needed for the walkways between each bed and divided what was left by the number of beds I wanted to have.

circumference = pie (3.14) x diameter

center circle: c = 3.14 x 10 = 31.4 or 31 ½ feet

outer circle: c = 3.14 x 18 = 56.52 or 56 ½ feet

I wanted 10 paths at 1 ½ feet wide: 10 x 1.5 = 15 feet in total

Center circle: 31 ½ – 15 = 16.5 feet (left for the narrow end of the beds)

16.5 divided by 10 beds = 1.65 or about 1 ½ feet for the narrow end

outer circle: 56 ½ – 15 = 41.5 feet (left for the wider end of the beds)

41.5 divided by 10 beds = 4 feet for the wider end

Then it was time to cut the wood and get building. We bought 2 x 10 untreated spruce. I chose untreated wood because I did not want any chemicals leaching into my garden soil and into our food. We cut the lengths for each bed: 10 pieces at 1-½ feet (narrow end) 10 pieces at 4 feet (wider end) and 20 more pieces at 4 feet (sides of the boxes)

Cutting the ends on an angle gives the boxes a finished look with no gaps in the corners. Brian is an engineer and did some quick calculations to get the angle: 36 degrees. You could also just use a sliding bevel. Lay your pieces out and use the sliding bevel to record the angle. Then take the sliding bevel to your miter saw and adjust the tilt of your blade to match the angle. Click here to see what a sliding bevel is and how to use one. The magical thing is that all of your cuts will be at the same angle so you only need to adjust your miter saw once. See the picture below: the narrow and wider ends are the longer pieces and the side pieces fit inside. This is the tricky part where you really don’t want to be in a rush: make sure you are cutting you angle in the right direction. I made quite a few mistakes before Brian came and took over so my boxes are actually a bit shorter than planned! It’s worked out all right in the end because we just made sure all of the boxes were the same size.

Once the pieces were cut, Brian screwed them together with deck screws. Then using the 10 feet center circle as our guide, we arranged the boxes in a circle, making sure that we had about 1-1/2 feet between each box for the walkways. This was not exact but once everything was in place it all looked beautiful.

In a Nutshell:

Use 2 x 10 spruce

Cut 10 pieces at 1-½ feet (narrow end)

Cut 10 pieces at 4 feet (wider end)

Cut 20 more pieces at 4 feet (sides of the boxes)

Arrange a box on the ground and use a sliding bevel to record your angle for cutting the ends.

Transfer this angle to your miter saw and cut your ends so that they will fit nicely together.

In the center point of your garden space, measure a small circle with a ten-foot diameter.

Place your boxes around this circle with a 1-1/2 foot space in between. I hope this helps! I would love to hear how your own raised beds turn out!

starting seeds with Chayton

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by Delena Rose in bellybabechild, garden

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children gardening, garden, heirloom seeds, kids gardening, seeds, sprouts, starting seeds, tomato seeds

Last year I wasn’t too ambitious in the garden as I knew I would be in my third trimester of my pregnancy in the summer and did not want to be working too long in the hot sun with a big belly and then have a huge harvest to manage right when baby arrived.

With spring just around the corner, Brian and I are really looking forward to getting back to our outdoor projects. These include: restoring our old well pit (which is attached to the basement and will be used as a cold room for root vegetables), landscaping a large fire pit area, putting in a raspberry and strawberry patch, restaining a wooden jungle gym (given to us by Erin and Mitch who used to play on it when they were little. It’s still in great shape!) and beginning phase one of landscaping the “Bird, Butterfly and Bee Garden”, which will do double duty as Chayton’s play area while he is still little. If we get a burst of energy we just may set up our chicken coop and get that going as well.

In preparation, Chayton and I started some seeds about three weeks ago.

We planted three varieties of heirloom tomatoes, yellow and green zucchini, spaghetti squash, both long and pickling cucumbers, basil, parley, chives, black-eyed susans and echinacea (purple cone flower). As always, it’s so exciting to see the seeds sprout and watch them grow.

It’s even more exciting planting with Chayton as this is his first year helping mom in the garden. I hope that our simple lifestyle will instill in Chayton an appreciation of good food, nature, fresh air, sunshine as well as the fun of growing things yourself!

We plan on planting more seeds this coming week and are looking forward to a new season in the garden!

Luminaria… holiday magic at the Devonian Botanical Garden

10 Monday Dec 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in appreciate the seasons

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candlelight, candles, Devonian Botanical Garden, family outing, garden, garden in winter, holiday, Japanese garden, Luminaria

Last night I attended ‘Luminaria‘ at the Devonian Botanical Garden. I had been meaning to take in this special event for years but somehow had always been busy on this particular weekend and missed it. This year I decided to book my tickets in advance so as not to let that happen again! I am so glad that I did as this was a very special holiday event that will now become a personal tradition.

Luminaria is held in the Japanese garden. If you have ever visited this particular area of the garden in spring, summer or fall, you will appreciate the peaceful winding paths, the gentle hills, the rocky waterfall, and the shelters and mini temples along the way. Now imagine all of this in the dark, covered in a thick blanket of snow and lit up by hundreds of flickering candles…

Imagine barrels of crackling bon fires here and there on the paths where people can gather around to warm up… complimentary hot apple cider… ice sculptures…. and two small groups of live carolers to fill the night with song.

There was a great turn out of people of all ages. It was quite exciting to share the evening with so many other visitors, yet the garden is big enough that it never felt crowded. I also appreciated how organized the event was, from the park-and-ride in Devon (which we took advantage of and did not have to wait any time at all for), to the many easily identifiable volunteers who directed the visitors, took the tickets and served the cider. There was also a first aid station, a special table where one could buy a candle for a special loved one and a craft sale on the way out in another building. With my two admission tickets I received a complimentary ‘free admission for two’ ticket for the Devonian Botanical Garden the upcoming season.

The most enjoyable part of this evening was its simplicity. Instead of garish electric Christmas lights flashing, inflatable Santa’s swaying and endless advertisements to keep one shopping for that perfect gift there was just the gentle flickering of candlelight outdoors on a dark winter’s night in a beautiful natural garden. The only sounds were the cheerful songs of the carolers and the hushed voices of friends and families sharing in this special time. In my mind, this is what the holiday season is about… unplugging, quiet time for reflection and contemplation, and opportunities for reconnecting with the natural world. It was truly a magical evening.

identifying edible wild mushrooms at the Devonian Botanical Garden

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in mushrooms & fungi

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cooking wild mushrooms, Devonian Botanical Garden, edible wild mushrooms, foray, fungi, garden, gem studded puffballs, identifying wild mushrooms, mushrooms, shaggy parasols, wild mushrooms

Last Saturday I spent a fun and informative day learning to identify edible wild mushrooms at the Devonian Botanical Garden, just half an hour from where I live. I am fascinated by mushrooms and have spent the past two summers observing and slowly learning about the different mushrooms growing in the woods and fields around the cabin.

So far, I have only tried eating a few wild varieties, mainly gem-studded puffballs (above) and shaggy parasols (below) as they are very easy to identify. The course on Saturday was really helpful as we got to foray with expert, Mike Schulz, and sample our findings with confidence.

The course took all day (with an hour lunch break) and included classroom lectures and an afternoon foray.

At the end of the day, we cooked and tasted our findings in the kitchen. It was interesting to sample the various tastes and textures of the different wild mushrooms found on the foray. Honey mushrooms were my personal favorite (crisp with a burst of intense flavor), followed by shaggy manes (firm with a milder flavor).

Many participants (including myself) brought a variety of wild mushrooms from home for Mike to identify and it was fun to see the variety of samples.

Once again, a fun and informative day spent both in the classroom and out in the gardens. This course runs three times per year and focuses on fall, spring and summer edible mushrooms. I do feel a lot more confident now in identifying the local edible mushrooms in my backyard and I look forward to more learning adventures at the Devonian Botanical Gardens!

the herb and tea garden gets a planter box and a new look

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in cabin living, garden, restore, reuse

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deck, garden, herb and tea garden, peppermint, peppermint tea, planter, planter box, stain, stain deck, trellis

Do you remember this restoration project from last spring? Below is the extreme ‘before’ shot of this little promising patch of garden in the front yard taken last May. I spent a week lovingly moving stones, enriching the soil and planting a variety of perennial herbs and teas.

Here is another view of the ‘before’ stage. Please note the old, weathered stain on the deck and pay particular attention to the open area where the top of the garden meets the deck…Here is an ‘after’ shot taken last May. I had the garden all finished and planted but notice the deck and the open space at the top of the garden still needed to be addressed. Also, notice how the color of the old stain seems to blend in and downplay the beautiful deck…

This past summer as I was making my way around the huge deck with my paintbrush and can of stain, B asked me what I was planning on doing with this big, empty, unproductive space? I told him that I’d eventually like to build a planter box there for mint. While I continued staining, he instantly began working on it…
B leveled the soil and then built this beautiful planter box mainly out of scraps and repurposed wood from the shed.

Once the planter box was finished he decided to take it a step further and address the empty space under the deck with some of the left over trellis from the patio project…

I love how clean this area looks now and notice the that by this time I had caught up with staining the deck in this area.

Here is another angle. The dark stain on the deck rails is a really nice contrast to the wood grain of the cabin. Instead of blending in it pops right out and frames the view quite nicely. Next year, I’d like to add a few large bright red clay pots in a variety of sizes to the concrete area for a splash of color.

Once again, here is another ‘after’ shot. As I write this, the planter is now bursting with peppermint that is waiting to be harvested and dried for peppermint tea. What was once a neglected, uninspiring spot in the garden is now productive and beautiful and adds to the ‘curb appeal’ of the cabin. The best part is that the new additions look as though they have always been there!

Stay tuned to see a neglected corner of deck turned into what I like to call, my restful Zen deck…

checking in on the raised bed garden…

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in garden

≈ 9 Comments

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brussels sprouts, garden, kale, leeks, Medicien Wheel garden, onions, raised bed garden, raised beds, red cabbage, Swiss chard

The last time I posted on the raised bed garden was back in May after it was just built. It was so exciting to see my vision of a circular Medicine Wheel raised bed garden come true! Next summer I will add a second row of triangular boxes and begin incorporating elements of the Medicine Wheel.

Back in May it looked like this: (click here to see the post)

I planted potatoes, peppers, a variety of onions, leeks and garlic, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, Swiss chard, red and green cabbage, kohl rabbi, tomatoes and a number of herbs.

A week and a half ago, the garden looked like this:

Brussels sprouts…

Leeks, onions and garlic…Red cabbage…

These raised beds have been very little work so far this season. I haven’t had to water yet as we have been receiving plenty of rain. I have only weeded a few times and there were only a few small weeds to pull. My main job so far has been keeping the slugs off of the brassicas. I have been picking them off by hand and then sprinkling diatomacious earth on the plants (which dehydrates and kills the slugs as they travel over it). This works very well until the rain washes it off and I have to reapply. Tonight I will sprinkle some woods ash around the plants and then put out a few half-filled trays of beer (the slugs apparently drown themselves in it while heartily singing pub songs). I will also put out small aluminum tart trays with a slice of cucumber in it (apparently the slugs hate the smell of the chemical reaction between the aluminum and the cucumber which drives them to drink the beer conveniently located nearby). I’ll let you know whether I am successful this year. Last year by mid-summer I had a lovely row of green cabbage one day and just the naked spines of the plants after a week of rain (and my neglect). This year I would like to enjoy the brassicas myself, thank you very much!

E tends to her garden

07 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in garden

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barrel pots, carrots, container gardening, E's garden, garden, peas, potatoes, trellis, vegetables

E came over last weekend to take a peek at her new garden and to see if anything needed to be tended to. She was delighted to see that all five pots were full of little sprouts from the seeds she had planted just two weeks earlier.

First, she noticed that her labels were fading in the sun and decided to improve them using masking tape and a new permanent marker (see picture below).

As peas love to climb, E decided to build a little trellis for them. I had some extra bamboo stakes in the greenhouse and some garden twine. I gave them to E and let her decide how she would design the trellis. I simply held the stakes wherever she wanted them and she did the weaving to hold it all together.

The end product looks like a work of art and we can’t wait to see the peas climb up the stakes…!

Next, we found a few neglected barrel pots and moved them into the Medicine Wheel garden. We filled them with good soil and E planted red potatoes in one and Yukon gold potatoes in the other. It doesn’t look like much now, but soon these pots will be bursting with baby potatoes for her family dinners… sent home with some garlic and chives of course!!!

The best thing about helping E grow her first garden is that I get to experience those ‘firsts’ all over again. Together, we can work together, learn together and watch her garden grown into something edible and delicious!

raised beds in the Medicine Wheel garden

26 Saturday May 2012

Posted by Delena Rose in garden

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

circular garden, garden, Medicine Wheel, Medicine Wheel garden, organic garden, raised beds, round garden, sacred garden

This was a very exciting weekend for me as I was able to finish the next phase of the Medicine Wheel garden. If you recall, last summer my neighbor simply rotatilled a small area and I created the garden straight into the ground using mulch to mark the pattern and paths. Click here to see last year’s Medicine Wheel garden.

This year, I had the time and budget to create the first row of raised beds. I used 2″x10″x8′ untreated spruce lumber. (As this is an organic garden I avoided pressure treated lumber as it is impregnated with chemicals.) I pre-cut the wood and later B came over and helped me cut out the angles and assemble the boxes.
I had some extra chicken wire laying around so I tacked a piece under each box to keep the pocket gophers from stealing my root vegetables.

Then we arranged the boxes into a circle. You can see the location of last year’s garden in the background. I like the new location as it is closer to the cabin and is close to the water supply.

We laid newspaper and landscaping cloth in the paths and middle section to keep the weeds out, and filled each box with a mixture of dried leaves, sand, compost, peat and topsoil. I will be adding casings from my vermiculture (worm bin) later to boost the soil even more.

Then we spread mulch over the landscaping cloth. This was where we stopped last weekend.

Yesterday evening, I got to work disassembling the fence around the old garden and moving the fence posts to the new location. It was a treat to see a Pileated woodpecker working on a tree nearby and then fly right over me. I call them the ‘punk rockers’ of the wood pecker family.

Then early this morning, Lucy and I awoke to a large coyote checking out the new garden! I let her out to chase it away. Later, after our morning walk and breakfast, I added a final round of newspaper and landscaping cloth around the outer edge of the wheel and covered all of the cloth with more mulch. Then I wrapped the fencing around the posts and secured it with wire. I left a few extra feet to wrap around the end as a makeshift gate. I didn’t get too fancy with the fence as it will be dismantled and rebuilt again next spring in order to make room for the second row of raised beds.

I planted the potatoes (red and Yukon gold), onions (red, white, yellow and shallots) and garlic. The fun part was transplanted all of the plants that I had bought previously straight into the raised beds; including tomatoes, green and red cabbage, broccoli, kohl rabi, brussel sprouts, red peppers and jalapeno peppers, cauliflower, leeks, northern lights Swiss chard, kale, anise, chervil, dill, fennel, curly and Italian parsley, and marigolds for both color and to keep pests away. So already, things are growing in the garden! I also have celery and two types of red lettuce but I will have to try and fit those somewhere else.

Note the VHS video tape that I tied onto the garden fence (below). This tape is very effective in keeping wild animals (including birds) out of your garden as it rustles and moves in the slightest breeze. Also, because it’s shiny it reflects light which also makes the animals uneasy. I recommend taking it down every fall and replacing it with fresh tape every spring. Unfortunately, you will be picking up the odd bit of tape after heavy winds but it is truly worth it, knowing that a deer or rabbit is capable of eating everything in this garden within 30 minutes. It also helps that I have Lucy, as wild animals tend to avoid areas where they detect the scent of a dog.

I tied pie tins and other noise makers to the posts. The also reflect light and when the wind blows they bang against the metal and make random noises, again keeping the wild animals at a distance.

It’s been a few longs days but the garden is now planted and safely fenced. I still have a few things to find room for and will be adding a few more large pots for the center area for summer squash. I am going to have to be creative in finding room for the winter squash, cucumbers, beets, beans and peas. Next year, the second row of raised beds will double my planting space but until then I will make do with what I have.

I look forward to sharing the garden with you as it grows over the summer as well as all of the scrumptious cooking and preserving I will be doing with the harvest. For now, its a glass of wine and a hot salt bath for me! Cheers everyone… and may you enjoy your own gardens this season!

in preparation for winter

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in appreciate the seasons

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artichoke, dog, garden, greenhouse, hike, Lucy, preparing for winter, squirrel, wreath

Winter is almost here and my daily work schedule has been changing in response to the shorter days and much cooler temperatures. Like the squirrel that lives in the woodshed (pictured above gathering hawthorn berries), I have been very busy preparing for the coming cold months…

This time of year, the rising sun greets me just as I also am ‘rising’ each morning. I like to sit quietly, sipping my hot water and reflecting on the beauty that surrounds me and nourishes my spirit. Now that the leaves have fallen, I have a much better view of the sunrises and the lake.

The Autumn colors are completely done now. Not a single yellow leaf remains. The wild plants and grasses are brown, dry and brittle. Lucy and I still hike every morning and evening on the trails behind the cabin. Each morning the heavy frost crunches under my feet and I am getting excited about the coming snow (lots of snow, please!) and trading in my hiking boots for cross country skis…

The Autumn chores are slowly getting done. Last week my neighbor K came over and together we blew out my irrigation system (I have ‘underground’ water both at the greenhouse and all the way out to the Medicine Wheel garden). I also cleaned out the greenhouse and did more tidying in the veggie garden in preparation for spring.

By the way, I am finding that there are still many interesting things to discover and photograph around the garden. Here are some artichokes that I never got around to harvesting:

Finally, I took down the Autumn wreath of orange and yellow Chinese lanterns and replaced it with the red berry winter wreath. This week I plan on sweeping the roof, cleaning the eaves troughs, raking the remaining leaves in the front yard, bringing in the last of the outdoor furniture and building Lucy a dog house. Then I should be ready for winter…

autumn harvest officially begins

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in appreciate the seasons, Autumn, garden

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beets, dig, garden, harvest, Medicine Wheel garden, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, spaghetti squash, tomatoes

I spent this lovely, windy afternoon in the garden harvesting potatoes (red, Yukon gold and banana), beets, spaghetti squash, pumpkins, acorn squash and onions. The wilderness surrounding the garden was breathtaking… The leaves on the surrounding aspen poplars have turned bright yellow and they almost seemed to vibrate against today’s clear blue sky. My sweet peas are finally in full fragrant bloom and the sunflowers swayed and danced in the wind…

Despite the back-breaking labor of digging potatoes, I always enjoy the process. The simple turning of the soil to reveal these tasty treasures always reminds me of an Easter Egg hunt, where one never knows what will be revealed under the black earth…

This Yukon Gold wins the prize both for size and most interesting shape…!!!

A small mountain of banana potatoes…

Another prize-winner for interesting shape, this time in the tomato category…

I harvested only two tomato plants today. Only twelve more to go! (What was I thinking planting all of these???)
I hauled three wheel barrels full of ‘spent plants’ a bit of a distance to my compost pile (behind the chicken coop, still in progress) where they will decompose and be dug into the garden soil next spring to nourish next years garden vegetables…