Well, I finally build a garden box so we could really start growing some veggies.

We have been in this house a number of years and grown everything from lawn to flowers and some potted peppers and tomatoes but you wouldn't really call that gardening. Last year, one of my little ones also got into researching and growing her own variety of edible flowers which was really neat. But, it was time to use some wood I had laying around, use my tools, and see how inexpensively I could build a real garden box so everyone could cooperate and learn how to grow food.

I started with a plot scoped out in the yard, couple of 2x12s I had left over from the ice rink I used to have in the yard (I ended up shoveling it more than the kids skated on it so enough of that) and parts of a free skid a business was giving away. I had the saws and screws and nails and other assorted stuff so I might end up not having to spend very much money.

The box went together fairly nicely and I even used some of the plastic from the old ice rink to seal the back off so the earth wouldn't get washed into the neighbor's yard or his weeks wouldn't come through this way.

The beer-fetching dog was definitely helpful.

It was time to spend a bit of money because I didn't have any chicken wire to line the bottom so that critters couldn't burrow up and turn me into Elmer Fud. A roll that ended up being EXACTLY enough cost me $25 CDN.

I used some of the cable staples I use for wiring to secure the chicken wire so that was free as well!

The soil was definitely the most expensive part as 18 feet by 3 feet is actually quite a bit of volume. All in all, I think I spent $80 in a combination of compost, triple mix (this is the good stuff, weed-free, PH balanced, low in uric acid, fertilizer built in) and topsoil.

As of right now, we have the following growing in there that we either started from seeds, or bought seedlings:

• Sugar Snap Peas - 2 varieties that will grow up the metal on the far end.
• Hot Peppers - Jalapenos and Chilis on the close side (far right where most of the sun is)
• Tomatoes - A mix of Beefsteak, early girls, and cherry tomatoes (as my veggie likes to snack)
• Corn - One row of sweet corn for fun along the back left
• Cucumbers - on the back right, up those sticks will grow English cucumbers
• Asparagus - After I got these in the ground, I learned they won't yield for a couple years so I may create a patch somewhere else to transplant these and let them take their time.

The sticks are actually from the HUGE grass that grows every year and I have to hack them down in the spring. I have also planted Greek Oregano around the tomatoes, and added a few marigolds to fend off bugs and add some colour.

I am thinking that I should plant Green Peppers in the place vacated by the soon to be screwing off asparagus which leaves me a question maybe you can help me with:

What would you plant in the open spot when I move the Asparagus if it were your garden?