Gutter Talk….Again!

Beth's Gutter Garden

I am not handy. I can wield a hammer and a screwdriver but don’t expect a neat job. Give me two pieces of wood and I can’t envision anything other than two pieces of wood.

Just so you understand, handiness is not my forte. Fortunately, I’m also not a perfectionist, extra holes in the wall are covered with pictures and mitered corners that are not well mitered are crammed with putty and layered with paint.

During the renovation, much to the chagrin of the workers, I rummaged through left over pieces of wood, piping and paraphernalia picking out what I thought could be used for raised beds, window boxes, etc. including an 8’ x 1’ piece of water piping, a stack of 2 x 4 and 4 x 4 ends and our old gutters.

The latter joined the pile of junk/treasures stored to the side of the garden. I knew that one day I would figure out what to do with them. Well, yesterday was the day that figuring produced something substantial and I might add I don’t think it looks too bad either.

This was not my idea. I’m not that original. Some impressive innovative and ardent gardener created it several years ago. I saw a picture of it somewhere, sometime, as part of a vertical garden.

Gutter Garden, Raspberries and Blueberries

I have about 800 square feet of garden space that has sun approximately 6-8 hours a day between March/April and September/October. That space is accompanied by my passion and obsession for growing as much food as I can. The ground is used, but as any good gardener would agree, more growing space is a must, so I’m going up.

Thus my new Gutter Garden.

Yesterday I nailed the gutter to the top of my fence where the sun hits first thing in the spring and first thing in the morning. I’ll be filling it with lettuce and perhaps radish.

Lettuce Seedlings

I’ve started the lettuce seeds inside and in about three or four weeks I will set them out in the gutter. I am very proud of my job, not the greatest or the most attractive. I think I used double the nails I needed. But the garden has excellent drainage (thanks to my unintended lack of levelness), is easy to reach for harvesting and in the late summer, when it is hottest, will be shaded by the corn and squash I’ll be planting in front of them.

Voila, you don’t need to be handy…just passionate and determined!

Remember that large pipe I mentioned….stay tuned for pictures of my Strawberry Stack!

If you like my Gutter Garden please ‘like’ me! Please ‘like’ me anyways, just because you are a fellow gardener!