The Monastery Garden

The pieces: I used my trusty circular saw to cut most of the pieces I need for the center of my garden which is where I wanted to start. You can really start anywhere but I like starting at the center and working outward because it feels like a meditative flow. I wanted to finish cutting all of the pieces needed but I had a little problem with my circular saw cord getting cut up. Apparently this is a problem my saw has in general because it was given to me with a bandage of tape on the exact same spot that it got mangled yesterday.

I don't know where to get it fixed but I will. In the meantime I'm going to have to borrow someone else's saw. I know a lot of people with power tools but most of them have burlier tools than mine and I'm concerned that I won't be able to use one that is more complex than my simple little number.

Beginning Construction: building the beds is actually quite simple. I don't dig my posts into the ground. It is unnecessary since the boxes can't be shifted by anyone but the Incredible Hulk once they've been filled with dirt. The posts serve as a sturdy connector for all four sides of the beds. You don't actually have to use posts to build beds but it helps stabilize them and gives you a really great surface in which to sink a ton of screws to help prevent your boards from warping.

Helpful Hint: 2x12x12 planks of wood are really 2x11.5x12. Yep, they are no longer truly 12" tall which you need to account for when cutting your posts if you want everything flush. I constantly forget about this because I stubbornly think that if a label says 2x12x12 it should actually measure that.

Progress: it's beginning to look like something interesting. I have a lot left to do. Unfortunately it's raining* so I may not get to work on it right now. The blessing in the rain is that I also need to do some cooking and clean my house. This may be the universe giving me a nudge.

*It's a rare moment when I wish it wasn't raining. I love rain. Especially after lots of warm summer days. It smells so good outside right now! But after working on this building project under the skin-burning rays of the sun yesterday I was hoping for a cool overcast day without rain to work in...ah well.