garden journal: building a raised bed

an acre of land and a 16 square foot garden box.  it's not much, but it's a start!  we've planted carrots, watermelon, cucumbers, and honeydew in this one.  at least that's what we think we planted.

gabriel started the seedlings the week before and totally forgot to label them.  doh!  the carrots we are sure of as we planted those straight from the seed packet.

this little guy i am fairly certain is a cucumber and the honeydews still had the seeds attached when they burst forth from the soil.  won't it be awesome to see them all cascading down the sides?  grow little plants grow!

this one, well, we have no clue.  we found a watermelon seed in an ungerminated pot in its row, but it doesn't at all look like the watermelon seedlings i googled online.  anybody out there know?  i guess time will tell.

we're hoping to build 2 more boxes next weekend.  i bought a 2" x 10" x 12' piece of untreated lumber at lowe's.  they cut it into 4' lengths for me so i could fit it into my little corolla.  i also bought five 2 cubit foot bags of garden soil and the nails.  once i'd nailed the box together i cut the sod and turned up the soil with my shovel then had g and his little friend break up the clumps with a couple hos ( <<< sorry, it's juvenile, i know, but i have to giggle).  then we poured the soil in and planted.

here's the breakdown of our shopping trip.  i could have bought a 2" x 12" x 16' piece of lumber, but it was $27.00.  i felt like the little plants cold dig their roots into the soil for that extra $10.  g bought the lettuce seeds.  i remember being charmed by all the colorful seeds packets as a kid too.  heck, i still am.  :)

lowe's "never stop improving" prices:
2" x 10" x 16' top choice #2 lumber  $13.33
2 cubic feet bag of flower/vegetable garden soil  $6.17 x 5 bags
1 lb. common galvanized nails  $4.47
lil gem romaine lettuce seeds  $2.47
3 cuts  $free

i finally got my toenails painted too; just in time for flip flop weather!  what a productive weekend!