Irrigation - Stage One

After waking this morning to a lovely day, but still feeling pretty crook, I decided a visit to the garden would help, and sure enough, as soon as the sun hit me, I felt a lot better.

So I put in the first stage of the irrigation for the poly boxes already in place. The weather in Melbourne can go any which way but predictable, so at least i'm prepared for drought.

It literally took me 5 minutes to set up. Photos below:

Update:

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a cat person, but when I went back again only a couple of hours AT MOST, and the next door neighbours cat has trampled have of the seedlings.

I have a few options:

1. Create an elaborate and highly technical motion sensing watering system, that will spray the little bugger, though cats are pretty crafty, he'd carry a mirror and have the James Bond theme playing....

2. Electrify EVERYTHING in the entire backyard. He'll get the hint.

3. Hire a particularly well armed private militia (i'm thinking there may be a few excess since the US pulled out of Iraq....

4. Move......a canon into the backyard, and declare (quite formally) a state of war, dragging both properties into a protracted and devastating conflict that will change the world forever....

I got wood!!!!

So, moving to a new office has many benefits. One of these benefits is finding a whole lot of lengths of pine PERFECT for my raised garden bed. AND not treated (I wouldn't use treated, as it's full of arsenic, and other nasties that leach like crazy)!

I knew having a 4X4 (also known as a $X$ - because of petrol) would come in handy:

(my car boot is chockers)

And the job lot in the backyard:

...and finally, where the raised bed will be (soil to be removed and luckily there are bricks beneath the soil - which should stop weeds from growing up through the growing area):

Now...to find a circular saw, and some VERY long screws. I intend to make the front of the planter removable to make turning the soil a lot easier after each harvest....

Addendum: http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/forum/treated-pine1/ If you're going to use pine, of any variety, you need to look at the codes printed on the sides.
Almost all pine available in Australia has been treated in some way.

http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/CCATreatedTimber/CCA-safety-overview.aspx

The CSIRO's take on CCA (treated wood). I think I'll put a lining in my garden bed just to be sure.

First Planting

My neighbors had a couple of extra cucumber sprouts spare, so in they went after work today. The first of the many plants that will soon fill my garden with edible delights.

Blueberries

I'm thinking I will add 2 blueberry bushes to the rear of the garden.

From what I've read, they're pretty easy to maintain and love pots.

http://www.homelife.com.au/gardening/how+to+grow/how+to+grow+blueberries+,15687

http://containergardening.about.com/od/vegetablesandherbs/a/Growing_blueberries.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s789952.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3791706.htm


Buying two will assist in pollination and produce twice as much fruit.

It can take up to 2 years for the bushes to produce good quantities of berries, so I'd better get onto it quick smart.

Compost Bin

Yesterday I bought a compost bin from Bunnings.

The first one I brought home didn't have a lid...

The second one had handles missing...

And when I went back a third time, the Bunnings guy told me to grab the one that had been opened, as he'd "already checked it". It was a different one, but by that stage I thought 'bugger it!' and took it. All the parts were inside thankfully and it's now begun it's life work of composting in my backyard.

There's doors at the bottom of each side for removing the composted materials.

Soil!!!!!

In case you were wondering, this is what 1.5 cubic metres of soil looks like (wheelbarrow for scale):

The soil's new home in the backyard. Soon to be in it's boxes and producing lots of vegetables and herbs.

Raised Garden Beds (supply/construction)

http://www.renos.com.au/bargains/vic/

This is a list of melbourne second hand timber supplies.

I'll have to measure up length, depth and width before commencing and purchase/ordering.

http://permaculturenews.org/2013/04/30/how-to-build-a-cheap-raised-garden-bed/

http://www.wikihow.com/Construct-a-Raised-Planting-Bed

Gardening Australia instructions:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s3681448.htm



Construction:

I'm thinking of just using an interlocking joinery, as this will allow for easy deconstruction should I need to move the boxes etc. Similar to the photos below:

Also some great ideas on the google image search: 

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=interlocking+wood&espv=2&biw=1418&bih=790&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=si9kVK-8B8jEmAWJxYLgCw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=planter+box+wood+join