Plotting a Berry-Good Plan
Whether starting a first small garden patch, expanding a plot or experimenting with a new type of garden this year, we’ve all spent time thinking about what we want to accomplish, what types of gardens may work best for each of us, for our spaces and for our climates. Here in central Missouri, we know that we have extremes–from cold winters to hot summers. We normally have decent spring and fall seasons, but both can be cold and rainy too. After several years of little gardening, we’ve decided to both expand and try some new things. We are adapting our gardening style to our lifestyle, our abilities and our climate.
Amending the soil by adding compost is easier with equipment 
This 2nd driveway is bordered by this rock wall bed 
The newly transplanted blackberry roots 
Jeff can’t resist showing how he directed his helpers 
More than 250 strawberry plants seem to like their new home 
Progress shot of the raised bed build before the front half was added 
Jeff had help with the raised bed build from his buddy, Rich. 
Planning ahead to add a close-by water source and pvc below for the future irrigation. 
The guys worked into the night 
Almost finished, and the beds were ready for planting just after the last frost date. 
Here’s a view of the beds with the pergola on it, and the stone table he created for me too.
I’ve been after Jeff for years to build me a raised-bed garden, and now that I’m 60 years old, that’s more important to me than ever. And one of my dreams for our new home includes an orchard. After having a successful harvest of blackberries from our own canes last year (and some great jam I canned) he started plotting last December to create our own hobby berry farm on our three acres, as well as a new vegetable garden for me. Little did I know just how many berries and how much garden he planned to give me!
The winter off-season is usually Jeff’s time to relax and enjoy working on one of his many four-wheeled, feat-of-shop-engineering projects that he collects. Those who know him know that Jeff can’t drive past an old abandoned truck in a field without stopping to explore the possibilities. His projects normally involve bartering, trading parts and rebuilding anything with an engine and wheels. He shies away from more domestic or grounded DIY jobs that might take time away from his favorite past-time. This year is different—he spearheaded a very ambitious hardscaping plan, took a 12-week community college course on gardening and dove into our new garden plan with a zeal usually reserved for an off-road trail truck or some other toy. He has worked all hours, days into nights, for weeks—using all his resources—to create garden beds that any farmer would envy.
From the course instructors, from research on the internet and from talking with local gardeners, he learned how to properly build beds for strawberries as well as blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bushes that will help ensure success. In order to provide the plants with the proper soil make-up, drainage and nutrients as well as sunlight, he created a design that included terraced and raised beds. He moved rocks and dirt, built retaining walls, fences, raised beds and a pergola that will enable us to grow more fruits and vegetables than we ever have. He logged more seat time in heavy equipment—fortunately he owns a small trackhoe and skid steer for his irrigation business—than he spent time in his shop this year. He hauled in sand, rich compost labelled “black gold” and pulverized garden soil and mixed it all in each bed to fully amend and improve our rocky, clay-laden soil.
The result? Our yard includes more than 70 foot each of four different berry beds for each type of berry and more vegetable and herb garden capacity than I ever imagined. I understand that not everyone could or would be as ambitious as this, and I know most would not spend the time, money and effort to develop what Jeff has given me. I’m both in awe and in fear—I now have to take it from here and keep up with all of this. It’s my turn.
I started by digging the rooted offshoots of our blackberries that had started to spread in their current area and planted them along the new fence line in new raised beds in early March. Then I ordered more than 250 strawberry plants from a regional nursery. The day after they arrived in April, I had a great friend (Thanks Rich!) help me get them planted before a good rain.
I was able to get both vegetable and herb seeds and plants I had started in my kitchen in February in our newly built wooden raised beds, with room for more additions as the seasons required. A couple of our neighbors even stopped by the day I started planting and both pitched in and made the job very quick-even while social distancing. (Thanks Lindsay and AJ!) I’ve since started inspecting, weeding and succession planting to extend the growing season, and Jeff added a couple cherry trees.
The one thing I didn’t do is plan on too much rain, and that is what we have. I’m hoping the raised beds keep the plants from damping off and drowning, but Mother Nature is really pushing it. I think she has decided that Jeff needs a break before he gets the final irrigation system up and running. And we are still awaiting the arrival of more than 100 berry plants from New Jersey any day now. We may be transplanting them in the rain at this rate, but they will be planted. Stand by for an update, and I’ll start diving into details that will include any tricks we’ve learned along the way.
