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When we first moved here, there was a weathered fence, enclosing what appeared to be a small, abandoned lot near what we thought was the edge of our property. Well, it turns out we actually own that overgrown corner! Our plan is to turn it into a kitchen garden to grow some of our own food.
In hindsight, I don’t know why it took us so long to realize that, considering the only access to this space is through a gate by our patio 😆 In our defense, even though there was a gate, the lot was so wild, you could barely open it, let alone walk in to investigate.
Nonetheless, we were delighted to make this discovery. We had both dreamed of having a little garden to grow our own fruits and vegetables and realized this could finally be our chance!
Last weekend, we finished clearing and leveling the land…only a year and a half after we started. Here is a snapshot of what we went through to get here.
April 2020 – Before we moved in
Cherry laurels sprouted up from seed, everywhere, overtaking the azaleas along the fence, most of this little plot, and the majority of our gardens. I hate these things because they spread so easily. However, these are tame compared to the greenbrier vines we had to fight.
April 2021 – Starting to clear the land
Unfortunately, the few azaleas that survived the laurel invasion and neglect were too mangled to be salvaged so we ripped them out.
This is why the greenbrier vines put up such a fight. These giant root systems make these vines so difficult to eradicate. Some that we dug up were the size of my dog!
Tearing down the fence was a magical moment. There could have been anything behind it for all we knew. But, alas, it was more vines and laurels.
By summer, we had removed most of the larger small trees so mainly vines and weeds remained.
That fall, we finished clearing the majority of the weeds, but the lot was still full of stumps, bricks (we probably dug up around 50 of them), and the soil was several inches higher here than the surrounding beds.
Fall 2022 – The finish line is in sight
Over the next year, we removed the small stumps and weeds. We were consumed by our bathroom renovation so this project was set on the back burner. Finally, last weekend, we finished leveling it. This was a back-breaking, miserable job in this late summer, South Carolina heat. However, it feels so rewarding to be nearing the finish line (well, at least the finish line we can cross to begin the fun part – designing and planting the garden)!
Now, we are just waiting for the remaining trees to get cut down before we can start the next few tasks. These include modifying the sprinkler lines, building raised beds, and setting up a greenhouse.
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Inspiration for Our Kitchen Garden
We have a high-level plan for the layout of the raised beds and greenhouse, but we are still mulling over the fine details. These are some gardens that have inspired me along the way!
raised beds
Our goal in designing our kitchen garden is to create a space that is not only productive, but ornamental too. The bed layout, foliage colors and textures within a bed, path material, and border plants and structures can be coordinated to increase the visual appeal of the garden.
Potted trees & herbs
I am planning on adding potted dwarf fruit trees, herbs, and flowers around the perimeter of the garden and mixed in as accents along the paths. In addition to the aesthetic, the pots would allow us to bring certain things in the greenhouse or the sunroom as the weather gets cooler.
brick accents
Bricks compliment the leafy greens in a garden so beautifully. I’m excited that the plot for our kitchen garden already has brick edging around the perimeter. If only brick raised beds were in the cards too, like the gorgeous ones above!
Greenhouses
While my dream would be to have a greenhouse made to compliment the house’s Victorian architecture, that is not in my budget…Not by a long shot! For some perspective, the greenhouse in the top photo starts at around $20,000.
However, I was excited to find one on Amazon that was charming, without breaking the bank. I hope to order it this week.
As we finalize our plans and move forward with the next tasks on our list, I will keep you updated! Thank you for reading 🙂
Can’t wait to see how it all turns out Sasha! It is quite the journey to build up a garden, but so very worth it. I love your greenhouse idea too- gorgeous!
Thank you Lisandra! It really is quite a long journey. I’m excited to follow along with your garden project as well! Your rose garden already looks beautiful.