In the process of leveling the greenhouse area, we ended up with two zones between the trailer parking and the greenhouse that were at different heights. So, we decided to do a sunken patio in front of the greenhouse entrance and a berry garden next to the trailer parking. Both sides of the greenhouse were also used for planting.
Berry Garden: Weed Fabric & Rings
After leveling the site, we added weed fabric to the Berry garden area. We purchased three fire rings from Ace to contain the berries as they grow and eventually spread.
Prepping the Rings
We leveled the rings and filled any gaps with pea rock. Then we cut out the fabric from the inside of the ring. Next, we filled the rings with dirt that we had excavated.
Berry Garden Completion
We added cedar mulch around the rings and planted the berries we purchased from Bear Creek Organic Farm in Petoskey. Now we just need to wait and watch them grow.
Sunken Patio Pt. 1
Andy had roughly cut out the area with the tractor before the greenhouse was installed. I worked on cutting the edges and removing dirt the old fashioned way- with a shovel.
Sunken Patio Pt. 2
I learned how to build retaining walls at our house in Waterford. This gave me something to do while Andy worked on other projects.
Sunken Patio Pt. 3
I went through a lot of pea gravel! Weed fabric was installed and then we picked up a load of stone to fill in the patio area.
Sunken Patio Pt. 4
We added capstones on top of the retaining blocks to finish the wall. Andy had to cut a number of stones for a custom fit.
Greenhouse North Side Garden
The north side of the greenhouse is the edible, perennial side: thyme, tarragon, oregano, sage, hyssop, green onion, Egyptian walking onions, chives, rhubarb.
Greenhouse South Side Garden
The south side of the greenhouse is for perennial flowers: Globe Thistle, Butterflyweed, Hollyhock, three varieties of Rudbeckia, two varieties of Echinacea, Verbascum, Japanese Lantern, Shasta Daisy, Gazania, perennial Sunflower, two varieties of Bee Balm. I also planted a Viburnum and a baby Redbud I had brought from my Waterford yard.
Greenhouse East End
The east end of the greenhouse had been overtaken with weeds as I worked on the sunken patio. Andy scraped it down with the tractor and removed the rest of the weeds with a shovel. We raked the area smooth and then I installed weed fabric.
Greenhouse Exterior Areas Finished!
We couldn’t be happier with the way everything turned out and can’t remember what it looked like before. It’s as if it has always looked this way. We hope you enjoyed this month's blog post. See you next month!
