Framing the Garden – Loam soft as fine moss passes through my fingers squeezed tight to a fist

It may be a tad ambitious, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. I am building a raised vegetable garden using the leftovers from the house construction. The pile of earth was delivered a few months ago, during which time weeds have taken root. It’s sandy loam and comes from a forest not too far away. The grizzled old guy who owns the company that takes care of finding and delivering the soil apologized for not screening it, but said that screening would be an extra expense. We agreed the soil is in excellent condition with very few rocks.

I had to lead the dump truck through the trees in order to get the soil dumped in a convenient spot. Now the frame is up and I have placed a special fabric on the ground to prevent weeds from coming through. It looks simple enough — spread the soil from the pile into the boxes — but each wheelbarrowful is like a drop in the bucket.