After our semi failed attempt at growing potatoes in sacks, we had to have a think on how best we could try growing them next year. We wanted to have a bigger harvest, and growing in sacks wasn’t really working for us.

We talked about maybe rotavating the strip of garden next to the hedge but decided instead on a large raised bed. So yep more work for Tony!

We ordered 13ft scaffolding boards from a website called Actavo Direct. Then Tony worked his wood working magic, while I stood around and watched. 😂

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Once Tony had finished making all the sides, I leant a hand while he put all the sides together to make the planter. Then we lifted it into the right place and began the ridiculously large job of filling it.

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We started with a layer of cardboard, then a layer of conifer branches from when the hedge was cut. Then on top of that we emptied the compost bin into it, then put another layer of garden shred, mostly more conifer.

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We had been searching for someone who we could get 4 x 1000ltr bags of topsoil delivered. We eventually found someone on Facebook market place to deliver a screened soil and compost mix. Then we began the many many trips from the front of the house to the back of the house with a large bucket and platform trolley. We only managed to get through the first bag, before we officially had had enough and gave up for the day. We did however give it a go over with the left over wood stain that we used on the fence.

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So a few days later when the weather had cleared up a bit, it was time to carry on filling. The trolly was brought out and bucket at the ready, we began again. When we were nearly through the second bag, my wonderful neighbours saw us struggling with the bucket and asked if we would like to use their wheelbarrow. The second bag was gone in no time. We started on the third bag before calling it a day.

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We decided on a second planter to be used for other vegetables. The second planter was started about a week later. Tony of course working his magic putting it altogether from the scaffold boards. I once again stood and watched 😂. Once it was built, we put it where the last row of pallet cuff raised beds were, and just kept the compost in place, just removing the pallet cuffs. We put a layer of cardboard, a layer of cut branches from the hedge and all the remaining garden shred on top.

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Then it was just a case of carrying on filling from the bags of topsoil and compost mix.

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We still need to put the wood stain on which is a job for another day. We have decided to wait until around February next year, to top up with more soil and compost once it’s been rained on and settled, ready for spring planting.

That’s all for now, and probably all the big news we will have for a while as we head back into lock down. It will be sad not to have the fun we had doing the garden and watching the plants grow that we had earlier this year with the first lockdown, but we have achieved so much and learnt a lot this year.

As always stay safe and stay well.

Kiera & Tony