Author Topic: Planning garden spaces  (Read 2532 times)

Offline 4kidsmom

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Planning garden spaces
« on: February 17, 2017, 09:28:03 AM »
Hi all!

Last August we cut down some trees in our backyard.  Our backyard is now a beautiful, wide open space that gets plenty of sunlight.  This year's project will be putting in garden boxes.  Future planting plans also include fruit trees.

The long side of the yard is 65 feet.  I was thinking of putting in garden boxes, spacing them far enough apart that I can plant fruit trees in between.  I want to get dwarf or semidwarf varieties of apple, peach and cherry trees.  I plan to learn how to prune them so they stay fairly compact while still giving us lots of fruit.

Is this a good idea?  Or should I plan to have the garden boxes all together and put the fruit trees together?  The short side of the yard where I can put garden boxes is 37 feet, so I do have space there.  I want to keep the center of the yard open for grass, plus we will be putting in a play set with sandbox and a fire pit area.   I do have some flexibility as we haven't done anything yet--we're in the planning stage.

I can post pictures later if this will help you visualize what I'm talking about.

Merilee

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: Planning garden spaces
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2017, 04:09:02 PM »
Well, I was trying to put a pic of what we've done in our in-town backyard, but am having trouble getting that to work.  Anyway, we built a garden bed around the periphery of the back half of the back yard.  So it's like one big garden bed about 2.5 feet wide (didn't want it too wide since we can only reach it from one side.  Then we have some freestanding garden beds in the yard (also back half--tried to leave the front half for dogs and kids to use as well as putting up the pool in summer).  We never had success with fruit trees prior, so this time we planted them in the garden bed on the periphery, and the enriched soil seems to be helping them.  They've grown well this time.  In that bed, we have an apple tree, two peach trees, and two cherry trees (one tart and one sweet).  Nearby, but not in a bed, we have a second apple tree for pollination.  In the front yard, we have a large old mulberry tree that came with the place and produces well.  We added two pear trees last year, and a self-pollinating plum tree just last weekend.

P.S.  Just wanted to add that the only downside I've really had as to having the garden towards the back of our yard (which is about 60 feet wide) is the occasional time when I need to water with the hose.  Got to have a long hose!

Updating to say I got pics to work!
« Last Edit: February 19, 2017, 04:24:14 PM by greyhoundgirl »

shedrinkzcoffee

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Re: Planning garden spaces
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2017, 02:10:51 PM »
If you plant the fruit trees near the garden beds, I would make sure to plant accordingly to take advantage of the shade they provide at certain types of days since some crops like partial shade.  My main issue though would be cleaning leaves out of the garden beds when they fell, LOL. 

We have a section that is fenced off for the garden.  Not sure how big the area is.. I will have to measure it sometime.. kinda curious to know now.  I planted everything in the ground last year and did well but I want to get it more organized and not have to weed the garden so often so I am going to put in my garden boxes this year.  I plan on re-fencing it nicely but that may be a fall project.  What is up now was there when we bought the house last year and it works but doesn't look nice.  I am researching options because I want it to be functional AND pretty.  All of our fruit trees are in the rest of the yard.  We have a cherry tree, peach, plum, pomegranate, dwarf orange, fuji and gala apple and fig.  I plan on adding a couple meyer lemon trees this year too.

Offline greyhoundgirl

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Re: Planning garden spaces
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2017, 02:14:40 PM »
If you plant the fruit trees near the garden beds, I would make sure to plant accordingly to take advantage of the shade they provide at certain types of days since some crops like partial shade.  My main issue though would be cleaning leaves out of the garden beds when they fell, LOL. 



I am mulching my beds with leaves (per One Yard Revolution's ideas) so it's not an issue.  They provide a cover for the soil and the worms love to eat them.  I just have to brush them to one side while planting, then return them to place after.