Alex and Harper’s DIY Cottage Garden
DIY Sample
(More Samples Available with Additional Consult Appointments)
Front Yard
Do-It-Yourself
The first step will be to remove the grass, then prep planting beds with compost and soil if needed. Place taller plants at the back or in the center, with shorter plants at the edges or close to paths. A path or series of paths will need to be edged and laid with gravel, and pavers or stepping stones placed if desired. Before plants go in but once other structures are in place, irrigation will need to be installed. Above ground tubing is recommended and easy to install, fed by any spigot that will attach to a hose. Once the garden spaces are prepped, paths are built, and irrigation is installed, plants can be put in the ground.
Process
Once path and bed spaces are determined, measurements will be taken and material amounts can be calculated. Depending on the amount of material needed it will be purchased by the bag or by the truckload and loaded in from the back by wheelbarrow. Trenches will be dug for edging, edging installed, then sand and gravel for the paths. If pavers are desired they will be placed after the sand and gravel. Once the paths, edges, and beds are ready the irrigation can be installed. This can be soaker hoses or irrigation tubing, but tubing is more durable and easier to work with over time even though the installation is more labor intensive. We highly recommend automating irrigation as much as possible, and it can be done by a layperson without much trouble. You will want to give your new plants about an inch of water per week during the growing season, including rainfall. Native plants have lower water needs once established, and can be weaned down to once a month over two-three years. After all the irrigation is installed plants can be put in, and you can enjoy your garden!
DIY Resources
Structures & Tools
DIY Raised Bed
Simple wooden raised beds can be built from pier blocks and lumber. We recommend using untreated or heat treated wood, there is no need to risk contaminating your crops but moreover, no need to contribute to the social and environmental degradation created by the manufacture of chemically treated wood. Douglas fir lasts 3-5 years, especially when placed on gravel rather than soil. Alternatively, cedar or redwood will more than pay for itself in terms of how long it lasts relative to fir.
Trellises
We like to use wire remesh panels, also known as rebar or cattle fencing, attached to metal fence stakes for our arbors and trellises. They can be cut with tin snips and bent into shape for an arch over your raised bed. Simply pound the stakes into the bed inside the profile of your wooden bed.
Hand Tools
My favorite tool for removing spreading weeds like grass or clover by the roots is this mini-tiller, also known as a combo hoe / cultivator.
