Getting Back to the Garden 🌿

Most of my posts tend to lean toward political commentary, but with spring just around the corner, I wanted to switch things up today.

I’m really looking forward to getting back outside and tackling some outdoor projects.

Growing up, I spent a lot of time watching my grandfather build gardens year after year—and the yields were always incredible. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until my wife and I started dating that I began taking on gardening projects of my own and truly appreciating the work that goes into them.

Our previous property in the Donovan was completely transformed during COVID. When a workaholic is suddenly stuck at home with nowhere to go, projects tend to happen. When we moved to our current home, the extra space opened up a whole new set of ideas, and over the last few years I’ve been slowly bringing those ideas to life.

Here are three of the main garden and landscaping projects we’ve completed so far.

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🌱 Project 1: Enclosed & Gated Raised Garden Beds

This is the main garden area and the most involved build.

Overall size:
• 12 ft x 12 ft enclosed space

Garden beds inside:
• Three beds: 12 ft x 2 ft
• One bed: 10 ft x 3 ft

Materials used:
• Pressure-treated 2x4s
• Pressure-treated fence boards
• Chicken wire
• Galvanized steel roof panels

The walking paths inside the enclosure are layered with garden mesh to keep weeds down and topped with pea stone for a clean, comfortable surface while working.

Exterior features:
• Three 4×4 plastic garden boxes
• Four hooks for hanging baskets on each side of the enclosure

This setup has worked incredibly well for both productivity and keeping things tidy.

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🍓 Project 2: Berry Area & Low Raised Garden Beds

This section was designed to be lower maintenance and visually integrated into the yard.

Design & materials:
• Triangle-shaped raised bed built with pressure-treated 2×6 lumber
• Berry garden surrounded by leftover patio stones from the previous owner

Walking paths:
• Base layer of Grade A gravel
• Garden mesh
• Finished with pea stone

It ties in nicely with the rest of the landscaping and makes harvesting berries easy and accessible.

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🌿 Project 3: Raised Garden Beds with Lattice Backing

This project repurposed materials while adding vertical growing space.

Build details:
• Old metal shipping containers encased in pressure-treated 2×4 framing
• 2×4-framed lattice backing for climbing plants

Still to be completed:
• Cedar fence boards across the front for a clean, finished wood look

This setup is ideal for plants that like to climb and helps maximize space.

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🌱 Soil & Fill for All Garden Beds

All garden boxes were filled using a layered approach:
• Base layer: tree branches and leaves collected from around the yard
• Compost: sourced from the Kingsway landfill in Sudbury
• Top layer: bagged garden soil from Jetty’s Landscaping

Additional materials:
• Pea stone purchased from Jetty’s Landscaping
• Grade A gravel purchased from Ethier Sand & Gravel

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🌶️ What We’re Growing

Here’s what’s gone into the garden so far:
• Strawberries
• Peas
• Green onions
• Cucumbers
• String beans (green, yellow, and purple)
• Romaine lettuce
• Hanging baskets with hot peppers and pollinator-friendly flowers
• Raspberries
• Blackberries

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Gardening has become one of the most rewarding projects around our home, and I’m always tweaking, adjusting, and learning as I go.

If you’ve got a home garden project you’re proud of, I’d love to hear about it. And if you have any questions about materials, layouts, or how any of these projects came together, feel free to reach out—I’m always happy to share what’s worked (and what hasn’t).

Spring can’t come soon enough 🌞🌱