*in some cases

Once the raised bed planter was ready for dirt, the girls and I went to get some soil at the local Lowes. Here we’re about to fill the planter box.

I’ve been reading The Self-Sufficiency Hanbook: A Complete Guide to Greener Living by Bridgewater and Bridgewater. It’s not so much a book to read end to end — although you can certainly do so — as it is a reference guide for daily life, or daily dreaming about a better way of life. It’s a great book for anyone interested in living greener. There is tons of information about how to plant and manage your edible garden, from how  to prepare the soil to harvesting and storing what it produces. There’s even a comprehensive section on preserving food for your pantry. It even goes into how to make your own soap and candles.

So with a green thumb in mind, I set out to build a planter for the back yard to make a raised bed box planter. I took my number one helper with me. She measured the wood and helped me drill all the holes and drive in all the screws. She had a blast and so did I, all while number two was taking a nap.

Next, I’ll have to find some manure to put in the bottom of the of the raised bed box planter, below the ground level, which will be covered by soil. To that, I’ll add some earth worms. Then I can begin planting.

More to come…