Raw Materials

The $64 Dollar Tomato, by William Alexander, had a great point. Growing one tomato can be much more expensive than picking one up at the farmers market. Frankly, this book had me fretting. As a teacher who makes only enough money to whittle away gradually at my credit card debt (anyone with me here?), the last thing I wanted to do was rack up more debt trying to build something that had no guarantee of success. Let’s face it- a trip through Armstrong’s Nursery can rack up several hundred dollars very quickly, and one lucky gopher can reduce that purchase to shreds in one night. So I had to improvise if I was going to get anywhere with my farm dream.
Since I have been at this for eight years, I have already had many projects go down the gopher’s gullet. But, through research, tenacity, and a willingness to grab free junk off the side of the road, I have stumbled upon several cheap ways to build a relatively-gopher-proof raised-bed garden. They aren’t pretty, they wouldn’t be featured in Martha Stewart’s rag, they hardly passed muster with my husband. But they work, and really, all plants care about is the soil, water, and sunshine. So, take these ideas and improve upon them. Please.

The following are seven planting exhibits in my yard and driveway (yes, even the driveway) in order from most expensive and labor intensive, to those most appealing to broke and lazy gardeners like me.
Exhibit 1 - This raised-bed garden was built right on top of my lawn, which of course is a great way to go since tearing up lawn is a pain in the grass. I paid a few bucks for materials, and followed some simple directions in my BHG Step By Step Yard and Garden Projects book. Once the wall was in place. I filled it up with tons of good quality soil and started planting. Because it gets nearly 12 hours of sun, tomatoes love growing here.



Now, we need to have a quick discussion about soil. Because to grow plants you need lots of good soil, and last I checked, Lowe’s is not giving it away for free. Buying by the yard is a lot cheaper in the long run, but if you choose to have, say 5 cubic yards delivered and dumped onto your driveway, you will have to hear about it from your family for the next 6 months as the pile shrinks slowly, wheelbarrow by heavy wheelbarrow. The best way to get nutrient-rich soil is to make it, through composting and vermiculture, but that is another article for another day.
Exhibit 2 - In my next raised-bed project, you will notice a dramatic shift toward the cheap. I took that phrase “raised-bed” literally, and filled up an old bed frame. By turning an old futon frame upside down and using wooden slats, and some wood scraps from my chicken coop project (there’s another story too) to build up the sides, I made a new planting area. Again, this just went on top of the lawn, which I wasn’t watering or mowing anyway, so good riddance!

Exhibit 3 - My next step down the path of reclaimed trash agriculture was six tires begged off of a worry-wort mechanic at the neighborhood car shop. He told me to keep it hush-hush since he wasn’t supposed to say yes, but he was pretty sure that the tire bin out back was unlocked. Six tires loaded into the minivan and I was on my way to a thriving cucumber plant and a black raspberry stalk that I keep pleading with. Yes, I talk to my plants.

Then I drove past a house under construction. And lo, with that Free sign hanging there like a cold beer on a hot day, there sat a plant bed in the making – a crate that once held floor tile. Exhibit 4 - Despite the protests of my mortified pre-teen, I screeched to a halt and proceeded to heave, push, cram, and dent the interior of my minivan to bring this baby home. The heaving and denting continued when we got home, as the crate was forced against its will into its present location. Now, as unsightly as it is, I remain faithful that the flowers growing in it will transform this roadside junk into rustic magic.

Exhibit 5 - This is my version of an artistic trellis for beans and climbers. Yes, that is rebar. Have I mentioned that I am cheap?

Exhibit 6 - My most recent installation actually came from my mother, who would never, I mean NEVER, allow my reclamation sensibilities to cross the threshold of her home. What I call recycled or repurposed structures, she calls junk. Of course, she has, for years, been cultivating a gorgeous, textbook-perfect garden, which is the envy of her neighborhood, and served as my wedding locale way back when. So she may have a point. Anyway, she came across a web tip on hay bale gardening (http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/8453/video-make-a-straw-bale-garden-bed )and thought of me, and within a week I had it set up with the classic Native American Trio – corn, beans, and squash. Again, cheap and easy, although I really needed those nice fellows who loaded the bales into the minivan when I was cutting my hands on the cords trying to yank them out.

Exhibit 7 - The final chapter on this saga of thrift and tacky ingenuity is my ode to the black plastic pot. They are large enough for about 3 plants, they drain well, and inexpensive, but surprisingly hard to buy. Honestly, I would love to have a collection of unique, large, vibrant ceramic pots, but this isn’t Better Homes and Gardens, not even close. There is no way I can grow a large quantity of food, when a single container costs as much as a week’s groceries. So I went in search of those large black pots. Nurseries sell plants IN them, but they don’t sell THEM, not at Lowe’s or Home Depot, or Walmart, or any of the Anderson’s, god forbid. I even tried getting them directly from a landscaping company. Finally I stumbled upon the right yard sale, so now I am happily stocked at less than 50 cents a pot, and look at these beautiful veggies!


So there you have it, a complete tour of my garden. I hope that among your reactions of, “God, how tacky!” you found one idea that you can better. Good luck!