Beginner Gardening: Anybody use broken concrete for raised garden bed?, 0 by JudyinGA

JudyinGA wrote:
Lynnie,
By back yard isn't as bad as yours? I bet it's worse. We are talking severely neglected back yard here. However, if you insist ... here's the crud.

I really need to start a thread on the Cottage Garden Forum with something like, "A Newbie Begins: First You Need a Cottage," because I've really turned a tract house into a country cottage and I dearly love it. It took me 10 years before I really got interested in doing anything with it and 10 more years before I really started getting serious about my gardening. (I raised, trained and showed dogs for 25 years). I have been here since 1988 and just bought it to get out from under a bad landlord situation and give myself a tax break. It was bare bones and ugly but had an acre of land and lots of room inside (nearly 2000 sq. ft. with the half-basement). It had possibilities I didn't see then. I just wanted a place of my own.

The deck extension you see was added in 2003, the steps were moved from going down the left side to coming out the center, and things have progressed from there.

I want to use the "rocks" to line the flower beds planned for both sides of the steps. The far left side will probably take two or three stacked to even out the bed with the right side. Haven't decided whether to make the right bed longer than the left or cut it off equal with the left and make another bed coming farther out into the yard on the far right side of the deck, with a small tree (Japanese Maple or Crape Myrtle ... something on that order). I intend to put lattice on the bottom of the deck.

The bricks you see stacked at the base of the steps will be used for a walkway from the right deck steps around through the gate to the garage. I had originally planned to use them to line the flower bed but changed my mind when I saw the NC guy's garden. The pile of sand was left over from a front yard project and will be used in making the walkway also.

The plants temporarily set in the bed areas are variegated pittosporum which I may use back here or in the front. I just love the plants. The light colored plants on the steps are variegated privet which will go in front of the Leyland Cypress trees (not in photo) to make a screen on one side of the yard. I like my neighbor on that side but there are lots of kids and I like to sit in some semblance of privacy on my back deck. May do it on the other side too. Neighbors on that side are BAD news. Had to call the cops because they were stealing my "rocks." Also caught them cutting down my small trees in the "woods" out back. Whatever happened to respect for what belongs to another?

Anyway, here's my cruddy back. Hopefully it will look better as soon as things start to cool off. You guys have given me inspiration and some gumption to get going.