[EddieJ]

Hi, someone from TRC forum let slip yesterday that this forum existed and I thought that in my quest knowledge and info in relation to vegetable growing, that I should sign up and show you my first venture.

The short story is that I have taken what was an abandoned garden and taken it from this.







To this in the space of less than a year. There are still jobs to carry out but as my aim for this year was to complete three beds, I haven't done to badly.





Was it worth it.. I think so.




I shall give the extended version a bit later, along with a few questions.

[Gwiz]

That's pretty impressive by anyone's standards! Well done
What did you make the sides of your raised beds out of? is it timber, or some of that planking made from recycled plastic?
I wish I had enough room to have the same kind of set up for water collection.

[Knight Family]

Very nice indeed!!

[EddieJ]

That's pretty impressive by anyone's standards! Well done
What did you make the sides of your raised beds out of? is it timber, or some of that planking made from recycled plastic?
I wish I had enough room to have the same kind of set up for water collection.

I'm fortunate enough to work with timber for a living, and get some very reasonable discount when buying, so decided upon using 200mm x 47mm pressure treated timber. My mistake was trying to be clever by using a specialist bitumen based paint. It just took way to long to apply and far to much effort to paint two coats onto every single board and peg. If ever I had to do this again, painting would not be an option.

With ref to the water storage, I may possibly have gone OTT with having six IBC tanks (6000litres) but hopefully if I have the tanks, then I won't ever need them.
The tanks are fed via rain water, with all tanks apart from the first linked together top and bottom. The tanks then feed into a sunken animal water trough fitted with a ball valve. The theory was okay, but I need to add an in-line pump to increase the pressure and also then perhaps allow for a micro irrigation system to be fitted. Having said that, I found watering a very nice way of unwinding and to relax.

The netting on the tanks is there to allow a climbing plants to cover and hide them.




This is my latest addition, a free storage area.




It is simply the front of a luton bodied lorry. Because they are mainly fibre glass they don't have a scrap value, so can be had for free.

[Gwiz]

Ah! that explains the black boards then. The company I work for has used some of the recycled plastic boards in private gardens. I realy fancy having some on the allotment when my pressure treated timber ones give up the ghost.
Have you found that your water tanks have gone a little green on the insides? Some of our members here have used the black tanks and have had little problem with them.

I find watering a nice pastime too, Only we have to carry our water a little distance to get it on the allotment. That's not too bad at first, but after a while it gets a little "tiresome"

[arugula]

Impressive looking stuff!

[EddieJ]

Thank you all for the kind replies.

Ref the tanks. They didn't get filled until around late July, and the only problem to date has been with debris going into the first/primary tank. This is despite a shallow sump to catch the mess. I guess that it is another job to add to the list. Someone on a bike forum that use suggested something to add to the water to prevent it going green. I can't remember what it was at the moment, but will try and find out.

As an aside, I have to say that I can't beleive just how many useful and interesting threads that there are on this forum. I can see that the winter is going to pass quickly!

[evie2]

Hello EddieJ, that's very impressive, well done only one thing missing, a little flock of chickens

[EddieJ]

The chickens are a bone of contention.

I want them, my daughter wants them, but the boss doesn't.

There is also another problem in that I have kind of made a friend. A fox!

 I go out most evenings slug hunting and the fox has taken to coming with me and follows me around.
It's quite funny really, as I will be on one side of a bed, and the fox on the other. I'll often turn around only to jump out of my skin as it sits down right besides me. I don't even hear it coming. I did have to tell it off a few weeks ago, as it decided to chew my string lines while I was out there. Even in the day time if it is sunny, I will look out the window and see the two cats and fox sumbathing on the lawn together.

[evie2]

Ah yes, fox and chickens bad mix

[EddieJ]

To be fair, having access to a mini digger I could quite easily dig a very deep trench and bury the netting around the enclosure and also make it fully enclosed, but I would still hate to feel that even though fox proof* the chickens may feel stressed with a fox being so close.



* subject to human error.

[rachelr]

wow where did you get the luton truck top from. i have the space but the funding to create this is a little beyond me at the moment. I shall just drule and send lots of request letters to santa lol

[EddieJ]

wow where did you get the luton truck top from.

As it happens I just happen to have another that doesn't have the side and rear section(if you see what I mean) I'm never going to use it, so you would be more than welcome to have it. The downside being that I am in Sussex.
Failing that, try to find a commercial vehicle breakers, or a commercial vehicle garage that takes in old utilities luton bodied vans to remove the bodies to make into tippers etc.

If you are uncertain what a Luton body looks like, this is an example. The bit that you require is the section over the cab.



And this is a closer view. I still need to fit shelving and possibly a set of doors to one side.

[rachelr]

i would love it but agree sussex is a little too far to go I will have a furtal in the local scrappies. thanks

[Aunt Sally]

The tanks are fed via rain water, with all tanks apart from the first linked together top and bottom. The tanks then feed into a sunken animal water trough fitted with a ball valve.

Eddie,  I'm sure you've done it already but please make sure the sunken tank is covered when not in use to prevent small animals e.g. hedgehogs from falling in and drowning !