Bringing in the Dirt and Planting: My Garden Day 4

One last big day, bringing in the dirt and planting my new garden! (See day 3, day 2 and day 1) I keep reminding myself that all of this work I’m doing to get this built I’m only going to have to do once. And then I’ll have many years ahead of me where I get to just plant! This is day 4, the last day of work before I officially have the garden I’ve been dreaming about for years.

We rented a dump trailer early one Saturday morning and picked up about 3 yards of black dirt and then we stood there for a minute trying to figure out how to move it into the garden.

Everything was awkward.

Shovels were impossible to work with in the tight area.

Trying to stand IN the trailer and shovel over the fence also didn’t work at all.

So, we became the bucket brigade.

It was just crap work but we filled the garden in only about an hour. And just like my last raised bed garden I was really impressed with just how much dirt it took. We had basically nothing left.

Which was a bummer because now I will need to get even more dirt to cover the native bee and butterfly “meadow” around my garden I plan on planting.

But that can wait. For now I am just very excited to finally have a real garden again!

I picked up four bags of miracle grow garden soil and grabbed my bag of vegetable and herb seeds that have been sitting and waiting for me for nearly a month.

I was exhausted at this point but I was also very very excited.

My old raised bed garden was only about 50 feet from here so I felt what I learned gardening there over several years I could also apply here.

Which meant my peas, cucumbers and green beans got the entire 20 feet of West fencing. I planted them right up against the fencing so I have room on the inside for other things. The 20 feet of Eastern fence line I planted in half cherry, beefsteak and roma tomatoes. The other half I planted in bell pepper plants.

This is my last attempt in growing bell peppers from seed like this.

I have never managed it before and I’ve heard from a lot of other northern MN gardeners that I’m not the only one.

But bell peppers are one of the four vegetables I keep on hand in my kitchen at all times. The other three are tomatoes, onions and potatoes. (Next year I might plant potatoes!)

In my center island I planted carrots, beats and radishes along with two squash plants. Yes, I am aware how squash can get away from you lol Hopefully I can keep an eye on them close enough that I don’t end up with monster squash…

I ran out of room in the center island for the onions but fortunately had room in my Eastern bed on the inside of all of my climbers.

Alongside the climbers beside my onions I also planted herbs that I am so excited about. Oregano, Thyme, Tarragon, Basil and Sage!

There was also room for a little lettuce bed that I planted with a mix of butter lettuce and spinach.

All is finally well with the world. I have a garden again!

Mulch is coming soon to cover the plastic sheathing and I plan to build flower beds along the outside of both the East and West sides of the garden.

That doesn’t need to happen until this spring though as I’m going to start with transplanting all of my perennials by the house that have needed a new (sunnier) home for years and years.

And my Grandma’s 100 year old hydrangea bush will be getting a sunny new home up here as well!