I don’t know what it is about filling garden containers with fresh dirt that makes my heart sing, but it does. Maybe it’s knowing spring is right around the corner and pretty soon my backyard garden will be up and running at full speed again.
Some days I walk around the garden and shake my head at all that needs to be done.
Other days I just walk outside not knowing what the heck I’m going to do then somehow get a ton of garden chores done. I know I should make a list, but it seem less daunting {and more fun} to just head outside with Lucy the Puggle Dog in tow and pick up a shovel and start looking around for something to do.
Yesterday I spent a couple hours in the garden digging up 2 old garden beds and moving the dirt to the new lasagna garden. 
Originally I was planning on replacing all 16 of my garden beds this winter, but after a lot of thought the HH and I decided instead of expanding we would reduce the size of our garden instead.
Yep, over the next few weeks we will remove 6 of our raised garden beds. This will give us a total of 10 4×8 raised garden beds, 1 lasagna garden, 1 greenhouse garden and a few containers to work with this year.
It will be our smallest garden we’ve had to work with since moving here 8 years ago but with everything going on this year I think it’s time to pull back a little.
Now, what do you think I should do with these steel drums?
I was kind of thinking they’d make a cool fire pit. What do you think?
~Mavis
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Thomas says
I’d be a little worried about the paint on the drums, but maybe give it a test run and see what happens!
Why the downsizing?
Michele in Salem says
I always think it’s good for gardeners to keep the garden at a size that’s fun and not a burden (not that it ever really is, but you know what i mean)… I’m thinking about a use for those drums, their awesome!
Felicia says
Chairs! Leave the back tall, cut down the sides halfway, cut across the front! File down sharp edges.Use the piece you cut out for a seat or a piece of wood. Add a cushion, and have a seat to relax!!
Lisa says
What do you usually grow in the stock tanks? I just wondered because they look like a great idea, but I don’t grow anything that needs that much root depth, and the soil to fill them would be too expensive if I couldn’t justify needing it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Lisa, I like growing carrots, lettuce beets and tomatoes in my stock tanks. 🙂
nancy says
We had some drums – lined them with plastic and planted tomatoes in them. they had more tomatoes than any other in our garden. we called them “garbage can tomatoes.” I live in eastern Washington, though, so do not have nearly as long of a growing season as you. I am zone 6
Dena says
You could try compost tumblers. They are usually made out of plastic barrels, but you could try one metal. Lots of egs on You tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaERpWqJaL4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a08WS-wDivI
Or you could turn it on the side, cut out a section & make a big worm bin for the garden.
Linda says
My Dad always had a worm barrel ready for fishing. We used a barrel and the dirt was so rich. We would hunt for night crawlers
and put them in the barrel. Got paid 1 cent for each one. We fed them oatmeal, cornmeal, old cereal. etc. Make sure to cover it
so it doesn’t get too much rain in it. Then put down a large cardboard and dump the barrel on the cardboard and get the worms and go fishing. Caught a big bass on the night crawlers.
Eddie says
Mavis, A fire pit would be just great you could work in the garden and cook burgers. Keep a pot of water on for a cup of hot tea to relax you after all the gardening work is done for the day.
Karen A says
I went to a greenhouse workshop this weekend and they said that steel drums are great in a greenhouse for absorbing heat in the daytime and radiating it at night to keep your greenhouse a little warmer. Just fill with water and you have your own little nighttime heaters.
Pj says
I would not take out the spare raised beds, but plant them with a cover crop for a year and see how you feel next year. It’s work to put in a raise bed and you may be happy you let them rest for a year while building the soil with a green manure cover crop. We had our strawberries in one raised bed and transplanted the runners into two additional beds. I don’t think we could ever have too many strawberries.
alane says
hello Mavis, I was just wondering where you get your fresh dirt? do you make it your self, or have it hauled in. thanks.
alane
Mavis Butterfield says
I have topsoil brought in and then amend it with leaf litter and chicken fertilizer. 🙂
Jen M. says
Why the downgrade size in the garden? 🙁 I love watching your raised beds grow all year, but as a gardener I know how much work it is also. I’m sure you will make up the difference with the fruit trees 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
We have a busy year ahead of us Jen and I don’t want to overextend myself this year.
yvonne bowden says
Could you fill the bottom half of a water tank with straw, so you wouldn’t have use so much soil?
Mavis Butterfield says
You sure could. 🙂