I have spent the last few months researching different gardening techniques, as our deer proof garden area is somewhat swampy, with not so great drainage. Where we live gets a lot of rain in the summer. The last couple of years it’s been a LOT of rain. So this past winter I started following quite a few gardeners on Youtube, all around the world, and learned so much. My son in law Tyler says you can learn anything you want to learn on Youtube and he’s correct. It’s an endless source of free information from really fun people who are steps ahead of you on whatever you’re trying to learn. I highly suggest spending some time there if you haven’t!

It is on Youtube that I learned about hugelkulture, using livestock feed bins for raised beds, and many different trellis ideas. Hugelkulture is layering sticks and garden clippings on the bottom of the raised beds to save money on soil (which can be expensive before you start composting and have to buy it). The sticks will degrade and become compost over the next several months. You cover it with top soil and then planting soil. It’s a great idea for these deep feed bins.

I would have never known that cattle panels are good for trellises, and we have since added 6 of them to our garden. In the picture above we propped a hog panel between two cattle feed bins. I have 6 indeterminate tomato plants that I hope will grow up and over this summer. The really great thing about having these trellises is that it cuts down on disease, and adds great air circulation around the fruits. It’s also great when you’re in the 50+ crowd and can just reach over your head to grab the fruit, rather than bending over so low with ground level plants. We’ve done so much since this picture was taken a few weeks ago, and I will update with a garden tour this weekend. It’s raining and cool out today so I’m waiting for the beautiful weekend weather to do the tour.