What a wonderful undertaking and you did a great job. It will be so much fun to garden without getting up and down. I admire your work.

They look great what are they made of? Is it corrugated tin? I could easily get around those in my wheelchair or scooter. Will take a lot of soil. You might consider doing an irrigation system like this one I have been wanting to do in my container garden. I will find the link to the pinterest page for it and post it for you, it's a great idea but you have to do it before adding the dirt.

What a great idea.

Well the link I wanted is not working but here's another one that explains the idea of the wicking bed garden. It provides water from the bottom through a pipe you add water to from the top, this method keeps the plants from drying out from evaporation from the top. There's some good videos on YouTube. But this will give you the general idea.

http://www.resilience.org/stories/2011-05-31/bottom-diy-guide-wicking-beds

Try Google search for wicking beds

Oh I found the original one

http://archiengineering.com/diy-wicking-bed-container-gardening

I've been doing the wicking type of gardening for some years, and love it. I use large Rubbermaid totes. Last year, I also used the straw bale plan for tomatoes and cukes. I will do both this year.........no weeds, easy watering, no insect problem.

We used corrugated metal roofing. They are about 31 inches deep. We have been saving plastic jugs etc. to fill the bottoms which we did. Then we started adding spaghum peat moss, vermiculite etc. I like the idea of the wicking but we have already begun the filling up process. I'm hoping to have the one on the right done tomorrow so I can start planting. I like to get them filled, soak it real good so it can settle, add what I need to and then I should be ready to go. This will be so much easier on me and free of snakes.

Thanks for the reply's.

Looks good-happy gardening!!

Two25, what are you going to use for porosity in your mix? The peat and the vermiculite, on their own, can be mucky after a little while. Vermiculite collapses rapidly when moistened.

Phyllis that is what I want to do in the atrium about 2 or3 of the big plastic bins using the method from the last link I provided. For this Texas heat in the summer it would be a much better way to keep the plants hydrated than pouring on surface water which evaporates as fast as you add it. I have the bins but need my husband on board to finish the project so it might not happen this year lol.

Two acres you could still add a piece of pvc pipe with holes drilled in it in, and placed few places as a way to pour water deeper into the beds even that would help get some deep root water to them, just stick them in standing straight up and the soil will hold them upright. Would save on water and time watering.

Right now on my current beds I have soaker hoses laid out snaking around, they are on a controller valve with a timer which turns them on when I want to and for how long it is all set up automatically so I never need to go water which is a big deal for me. We bought the controller valve thing at Lowes we got one that has 4 zones each can be set up separately. I love it and so do the plants.

I hear you about the snakes! Of course the determined ones can get any where.

We use the peat, vermiculite, top soil and mushroom compost and it has always worked for us. I have 4 good beds in the lower garden that weren't in the path of the walnut trees that I took soil out of last year and will mix in the new beds.

Ravencajun, that is exactly what I was thinking when I realized I had missed the boat on the wicking idea. I've already got the pvc. I'm also considering a rain barrel just off the corner of the bed on the left as that is where we have a gutter.