Sweet Kids. Sweet Husband.

Thank you family, for the best Mother's Day Present: a garden.

Here's the before:

We bought four 2x6 cedar boards and made a simple 8 foot x 8 foot garden plot in the very back of our lot.  Here are some 'during' photos:

 Gathering Supplies

We staked out our designated garden location, then built our frame:

We cut out the sod:

The kids hunted for worms.

We dumped in lots of dirt (15 bags) and 1 big bag of peat moss:

Then the kiddos and Bill did some planting.

Here is our plan for the garden:

Sunflowers, Corn, Pumpkins, Peas, Broccoli,

Peppers, Tomatoes, Lettuce and some Herbs!

Here's the after (some of the plants are starting as seeds):

We used craft sticks to mark the plants:

 

Isn't it lovely?  I can't wait for it to fill in.  I know we will enjoy watching the plants grow all summer long!! 

Cost Breakdown (All prices include 10% off Home Depot Coupon Discount):
Four Cedar 2 x 6 Boards= $52.09
15 Bags of Top Soil = $16.87
1 Pack of Peat Moss = $8.77
Plants and Seeds = $20

Total: $97.73 and about 3 hours time while keeping the kiddos occupied. 

P.S.  We thought about using chemically treated wood instead of the cedar boards which would have saved us about $35 in wood, but it would have required coating the wood in polyurethane to prevent chemical seepage into the soil and plants.  Not only would that take additional time, it would also involve purchasing the poly and the brushes, etc.  More importantly, we felt more comfortable consuming food that wasn't corralled in treated wood...poly or not.  Good health is more important than being frugal.