Crafting My Bliss

I had grandiose plans of building a huge 7’ x 3’ garden bed. This bed would house my artichokes, calendula, thyme, and yarrow. I was extremely excited to build something. It had been a few years since I built anything, and I was ready to get the saws and drills out. 

Then economics came into play. Gardening can really add up, and it was still winter. I was sure my mind would go in twenty different directions, with so many more ideas, once the weather changed. I needed to be mindful of cost every step of the way. I remembered I had some leftover cedar planks in the shed from two beds I built a few years ago. Having the wood and screws I needed, I decided to make do with what I had. 

As it turned out, I didn’t have enough wood for the huge 7’ x 3’ bed, so instead, I built two 29” x 27” beds. It’s a bit disappointing, and though I’m not sure there’s an ideal size for a raised bed, these will have to work. For the new beds, I used L-brackets to avoid the rotting supports I replaced in my existing beds. Another thing I had to do differently was double up the boards on the corners so they were thick enough for my screws to go through. The beds didn’t come out as nice as I would’ve liked, but they’re fully functional. I had to let go of the aesthetics and look at things from a more practical perspective. So much of my energy has gone into the way things look. I love to decorate. I love to make things “pretty.” I had to let go of my idea of what I think looks perfect because functionality is more important. This was very humbling.

I have no idea how I’ll arrange my plants now that I have two small beds that don’t add up to the size of the big one I wanted to build. I don’t think I’ll be able to fit all the plants I was planning on planting in this space either. These plants will be part of my medicinal garden, so I do still want to plant them somewhere in the yard. Also, when I selected this combination of plants, I had companion planting in mind. Once I arrange the beds and fill them with soil, I’ll have a better idea of how things will work. I can always move things around in my other two beds as well. I’m confident I can figure this out. My goal is to have a medicinal garden, and I will.