Container growing, drum planters, the small orchard, and the seasonal work of building a more self-sufficient backyard — using the same systems thinking that runs through everything here.
I’ve been getting the winter setup ready, and this time the focus was on adding a bit of protection over the drums I planted out last weekend. It was a simple job, mostly using materials I already had left over from last season. I was not trying to build anything perfect, just something practical that…
When my seeds arrived in the post, it felt like the right time to get back into the garden and start the winter reset properly. I had a plan in mind before I began, but once everything was laid out in front of me, I ended up changing a few things. That seems to happen…
Getting the drums ready Today was about getting my winter drums ready. This time I cut them into thirds instead of halves. These ones are for vegetables, not trees, so they don’t need the same soil volume. Cutting them smaller should still give me enough room for the crops I want to grow, while using…
Starting with the plan I didn’t have the drums yet for the winter garden, but it was still time to work out what I wanted the setup to look like. Before I start building anything, I wanted to get clear on the numbers, the layout, and the limits I’m working with. The numbers The plan…
Keeping it simple This batch was meant to stay simple. I used the same base beer I already know works, then changed one small part of it to see what difference it made. This time the change was Simcoe and Lemon Drop hops. Not enough to dominate the beer. Just enough to change it slightly….
Making room for the next trees It was time to get the feijoas into planters of their own. I had two drums to cut down, which would make four pots for the trees. I’d also end up with a spare planter for either my Lemonicious lemon or the Valencia orange later on. Cutting the drums…
Building My Little Orchard, One Drum at a Time How it started This orchard started for a simple reason. My kids and I like blueberries, and I wanted a way to grow some ourselves instead of always buying them. I also liked the idea of being able to walk outside and pick some when they…
The plan was simple This strawberry tower was supposed to be an easy setup. The idea was to get it running, head off to work, and come home to strawberries ready to pick. Instead, within the first few days, a heatwave hit, the black drum held too much heat, and the olla flooded the bottom…
Some parts of this garden are doing really well, and some parts are definitely testing me. Three months in, the cherry tomatoes have been the clear highlight. They’re the kind of thing you can just pick straight off the vine and eat on the spot, which is exactly the sort of garden win I was…