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Thread: A new Vege Garden being built
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3rd September 2016, 09:53 PM #1
A new Vege Garden being built
I haven't had a VG for about 6 years, and I'm missing it! Had various incarnations for 20 years prior to that. I did sort of make one when I first moved here but it needed possum protection, which I never finalised, so I never planted out.
So, here is the site as it was about 12 months ago:
The mound of fill was from the excavation for the shed extension (still coming......):
The whole garden will be caged with 25x25 Bird Wire as there are numerous possums, birds, and Three Black Cats to keep out. There's a dude building it, and I'm the helper and finisher. Only problem is that the dude is as slow as a wet month. Since the end of April, when the first post went in, it's taken him fully 4 months to erect the other 11 posts. They are big suckers (150x150) in concrete a metre deep, but still - a post every 1½ weeks is pretty slow going.
Here we are as at about two weeks ago:
In that last pic I'm standing in the property next door. The retaining wall for the garden will also form the boundary fence.
The posts are not particularly good quality I don't believe. The are crazy green - you can see the juice being forced out when screws go into some of them. That means that they are now cracking badly (lucky they're 150x150mm). I spent a day filling up the cracks (mainly north facing) with Sikaflex, sanded a couple of days later with 40 grit and then painted with SolaGuard Ironstone colour. This is where we are as at this arvo:
All up it is a very generous 7.2x5 metres. Three levels, each dropping down 200mm.
Next task is to finish off the collar ties and ring beam. Then two short posts go between all the perimeter posts, sleepers go in for the walls, yadda yadda.
I'll be 40g sanding and painting the sleepers before they go down as I don't particularly like the idea of Copper Chromium Arsenate leaching into the soil for veges to absorb. They'll be cream colour so it should look pretty spiffy too.
I think that there'll be enough fill with what is available (in the pics) to bring the levels up to 300mm below eventual ground level. At that point there'll be topsoil imported for the last 300mm (about 11 cubes) to bring it up to 100mm below sleeper. That allows a good amount for mulch on top. O'course the levels will drop as the fill/soil settles, so they will start at sleeper top level. I expect about 100mm drop over a few months.
Then it will be on to lighting (3x 30watt LED floodies), plumbing, water tank placement. I hope to be able to start planting......sometime in the future.......
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3rd September 2016, 11:14 PM #2
Some serious work going on there Brett, but if you got to keep the beasts out that's what you gotta do, I'm lucky here (so far) that I don't have to fence out critters although not completely critter issue free.
Pete
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4th September 2016, 11:50 AM #3
That's one serious building site....
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4th September 2016, 12:30 PM #4GOLD MEMBER
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There looks to be as much work going in to the vege garden as will be going in to the shed extension. Speaking of the shed, love that crazy weatherboard cladding on the end. It must surely be a one of a kind.
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4th September 2016, 09:50 PM #5GOLD MEMBER
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Alternative use
Are you tempted to convert the structure into a rather nice workshop?
You have some good framework there,a skillion roof and a suitable wall cladding would get you going. A nice floor on bearers and joist, and Bob's your Aunty, so to speak.
Fruit and vegies from the local small business will keep you fed while you enjoy your new workplace.
Food for thought, eh?
Alan...
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4th September 2016, 10:09 PM #6
Tempting as it sounds Uncle, I'll still continue with the separate constructions. However, I may employ the post structure strategy after I consult with "those who know better than I".
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4th September 2016, 10:10 PM #7
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5th October 2016, 08:37 PM #8
Sleepers are finally in! Back at the start of August the grand statement from the guy building it was that it would be completed (including rafters and purlins for the birdwire support) by the end of August or so. Well here we are ~30 days after that forecast finish date, but no rafters and purlins. I said at the time that I would walk bare-butt to Bathurst if that was the case.....
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5th October 2016, 08:43 PM #9
Don't let the handyman bury those good bessey clamps i see on the side of that pile of dirt.....
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5th October 2016, 09:16 PM #10
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5th October 2016, 09:19 PM #11
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5th October 2016, 09:41 PM #12
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6th October 2016, 10:33 AM #13
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6th October 2016, 11:00 AM #14
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6th October 2016, 11:09 PM #15GOLD MEMBER
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I'm in Bathurst for the 1000k car races at the moment with my camera, and was going to get a few shots of Crowie's and Keith_1's beloved Fords, but could be persuaded to alter my attention if need be. Not sure the Admin bods on here would appreciate the pics, and as Christos mentioned, sunscreen is a definite requirement.
Let me know if there is a sudden spurt to finish the build in the next couple of days, and we can make some arrangements (or not!)
Alan...
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