Since I was running low on some of the wood supplies I was using from my scrap pile for making these barrel raised beds, I had to change the design again to take advantage of other wood I had available. I couldn't spare any more 2x4's or 4x4 posts or landscape timbers but what I did have plenty of are 2x6 boards, long boards salvaged from the porch dismantling. I figured I could use these boards as I did with the 2x4's to make the cradles for the beds and use them for the legs as well. Since they are 2x6's I wouldn't have to worry about doubling up the boards like in the first change to the design. I would still use pallet pickets for the stabilizer boards to hold everything together. I had four beds to make with the two drums I had. Since most of the wood being used was from the 2x6's, things were pretty easy in the sense that I had to just cut all the pieces I was going to need to assemble the bed before installing the stabilizer boards. I was able to just screw the wood screws in place, no drilling of pilot holes through 4x4's or doubling up boards. With the legs screwed in place using three deck screws each, I was able to move on to the stabilizer boards. After gathering the boards I secured them with two screws each side. I trimmed the excess and drilled the drainage holes, five total. With that I had the bed ready to rock and roll. I moved it to the back of the garden, right across from the trio of beds that were made just recently. I cut some more 2x6 boards to use as feet for the bottoms of the legs to keep them from having direct contact with the ground. I filled the unit with dirt and planted a couple more sweet potatoes within. After getting this bed set up, I did the same with the other barrel half and the other two after chopping the drum in half. The design stayed the same for all of the raised beds, using up a good amount of the 2x6 boards I had on hand, along with some pallet boards. I set them all up aside one another, across from the three beds that are against the fence. I planted the remaining sweet potatoes in these along with two tomatoes in the last bed. At this point I still need to make beds to accommodate the remaining tomatoes. That will be a story for another time as I need to follow up on a lead for a couple more plastic barrels. Prior to setting up the other beds I had to cut the grass over this area and move one of the older drum raised beds that has a fig tree and blueberry plant in it. In order to do this I had to dig up the tire that was the bed for the old apple tree that I pulled up that was next to the other set of drum beds so I could smooth out the area for the fig tree drum bed so I can relocate it next to the trio of drum beds in the middle of the garden. This will help clear up room around the four beds I just set up. I do still need to find a spot for the other fig tree drum bed that is still right by the barrel raised beds. I want to get things organized within the garden so we can maneuver around everything easily and so things can be set for when these trees do grow bigger so they'll have room to expand without overshooting onto some other setups, as can happen if I leave this fig tree if I leave it where it currently sits. The garden work continues...
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