I recently spoke to one of my neighbors who for the last two years have let his garden area go. I found out that he had hurt his back and was having trouble so much pain bending over that planting, weeding and harvesting was not something he could easily do anymore. As we talked I asked him about another small raised bed in his front yard that he continued to use to raise tomatoes and basil and he told me it was high enough that he could reach it and tend to it as needed.

I went home that night thinking about what could be done to help my neighbor continue to garden without pain and got an idea that I spoke to him about the next day. He was very excited!

His garden was 20 feet x 16 feet and located on a slope. He had used timbers to create a boundary around the space and had small areas portioned off to plant flowers around the garden. We went in and took the timbers out and created 2 raised beds that stand about 3 feet off the ground and run horizontal to the slope and are 16 feet by 4 feet. We were able to reuse almost all of the timber so there was little out of pocket cost and the dirt from the garden was used to fill the raised beds.

I was actually shocked that we were able to do everything with the dirt that was in the garden. The hardest part was pulling up the weeds and grass that had taken over but once that was done it was just a matter of good old fashioned shoveling. We took strawberries that had gone crazy in the old garden space and replanted them in one raised bed to create a strawberry patch. The other has an array of plants including more tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers of several varieties.

We used some trellises from the old garden as well so the tomatoes will grow up them and leave room for everything else to grow. I see my neighbor almost everyday out watering and weeding and he is extremely thankful that a solution was reached so he could go back and garden the way he loves to.

When faced with a challenge, use your imagination and see if you too can find a new solution to an old problem.

If you have ever had the pleasure of building a shed or outdoor building like a garage or workshop then you will know the value of having good plans or blueprints to work by. If you haven’t you may be in the crowd that that believe for this type of small building, shed plans are just overkill. However, you would be grossly mistaken.

As someone who has done vast woodworking projects including pergolas, gazebos and out buildings such as garden sheds, etc. I can tell you there are no such projects where you don’t need a little guidance and a lot of instruction. Just getting a cut sheet or a materials list is worth the money you would pay for a set of plans these days because they are really cheap and sometimes free! I would take a good look at what you get for free and if they don’t have the materials list or cut list I would pay the $20 to $30 dollars to get the better set of plans. You will find out very quickly that the better the plans, the better the project goes, the less the waste and the more fun it is. This will lead to other such projects because you did such a great job on this one.

Speaking of projects, you can find several different types of shed plans and woodworking plans that have a lot more to them than meets the eye. One of the best things about these online downloads is they can be affordable because they are not having to draft them like they used to or mail them to you. This is why they send you a variety of shed plans and other wood project plans for you to choose from, which helps you afford them.

It just makes no sense what so ever to spend $300 & up on materials and a weekend or two in time building and not spend the $20 or $30 to insure that you are doing it correctly. Spend the money on well thought out plans and get the job done right!

If you don’t have a large backyard, or are just starting out as a gardener, try deck gardening for a fun and easy way to have all your favorite fruits and vegetables without taking up a lot of space. Deck gardening is also great for the elderly, who may not want to endure the backbreaking word associated with traditional gardening.

Deck gardening can involve a few simple plants in containers along your deck. These can be small herb plants, or simple accents alongside your deck. You may also want to try raised beds on your deck for a wonderful way to grow vegetables without the bending over to take care of weeds. Raised beds are perfect for flower gardening, herbs, and even a variety of vegetable plants. When you garden on your deck you don’t need a lot of space to have a gorgeous garden. In fact, raised beds are perfect for tight spaces because they allow you to grow a variety of plants at an elevated height, which saves a lot of room. Make use of your back porch this year and discover how easy deck gardening can be.

Spring is here, and so is the time for beautiful flower bouquets. Flowers are a great gift to show someone how special they are, and to brighten up a room in your house. Try something unique the next time you want to create a bouquet, and create a vegetable arrangement for a gift or for your home.

Carrots, beets, and other brightly colored vegetables can be cleaned and placed in a vase for a wonderful burst of color for a centerpiece at the kitchen table. You can also take a variety of greens picked from your garden (chives, parsley, arugula) and arrange them around a vase. For a hint of color, fill the vase with lemons are other vibrantly colored fruits. If you have large zucchini or other squash growing in your garden, you can pick a flat one and hollow out several points on top in order to place tea light candles inside. This creates a gorgeous and unique lighted centerpiece perfect for entertaining during the summer. Think outside the box when creating your next arrangement, and concoct an interesting and beautiful vegetable arrangement.