Weed Barrier

 We marked out the area for our garden

and now is the time to lay down some weed barrier.

We chose a weed barrier

to kill the grass and prevent weeds

from growing in our garden.

Now, of course,

the garden will still have weeds,

just not so many of them.

We used the pins to hold the weed barrier in place.

Every project at our house

is a family affair.

Seed Update

 It has been 2 weeks since 

these seeds were planted.

They are growing so big!

Seedlings need warmth, light, and water

to survive. 

This is one easy way to get a head start

on your backyard garden this year.

It works great if it is still snowing,

where you live.

Buying Garden Supplies

 Home Depot can be an intimidating place.

I suggest you have your list

and search for everything you need online first.

Once you pick your location on the Home Depot website,

you can search for your product

and it will give you the aisle number to find locate it. 

I got my landscape fabric and pins

to hold it down. 

I am building 6 garden boxes out of

6 ft. cedar plants and 4x4 posts.

The cold weather can't keep me from buying the supplies I need.

The total cost for all of these materials was $193.16.

Let's get started!

Starting seeds indoor

 There is still snow on the ground

and the rain continues to fall.

However, gardening must go on,

so let's start some seeds indoors.

You can start seeds indoors to get a head start and 

prolong the growing season in Idaho. 

                    You will need:

                    1. dirt

                    2. container

                    3. packet of seeds

                    4. water

                    5. heat mat (optional)

The first step is to fill

your container with dirt. 

I poured my dirt into a bowl mixed with water

so the dirt is already moist for the seeds.

I transferred the dirt into my container.

Now we are ready for seeds.

I got a sheet of paper and made a grid

that represented my container,

so I can keep track of what I plant

and where. 

Now we put 1 seed in each cell

and then make sure you write it down on your paper.

Once you have filled each cell with a seed

you can sprinkle them all with water.

Now, put the lid on your container

to replicate a greenhouse effect and 

place it in a sunny place in your house. 

You may place your seeds on a heat mat

to help the seeds stay warm and want

to germinate.

watch your seeds daily.

If the soil is dry then give them some water.

You should water them once a day.

Snow in March

 It seems to be no stop snowing in March! 

Good thing I can do most of the planning for the garden space, indoors.

My husband and I went into the backyard yesterday to measure the space for the garden. The space for our garden is 

The plan is to build six garden boxes along the fence line.

We will build the boxes out of cedar planks and 4x4 posts. 

We will lay down the weed barrier on the existing grass to kill it.

We will place the boxes on top of the weed barrier and fill them with dirt. 

We will not get rid of the grass completely from the backyard, therefore we need to lay down some sort of edging to divide the two spaces. 

We will then lay down gravel around the garden boxes.

Here is a mock-up drawing, to scale, of the backyard. We can do all the planning inside while it is snowing.

We now have a list of the materials that we need to buy.

1. 18 cedar planks

2. 2 4x4 posts

3. 65 ft. of edging

4. 1190 sq. ft of weed barrier

5. weed barrier pins 

6.. 1082 sq. ft. gravel

7. 1 truckload of compost/soil

8. seeds