The issue Nancy describes of making the beds accessible is not unimportant, and that is why it is handy to have a garden cart that is sized to run over the beds. Some carts have a set of legs in front that don't permit this, but there are others that do, and it's not hard to fabricate something that will work. If you go to the Carts Vermont website and look at the different leg configurations between the medium and large sized carts you will see what I mean. Two wheeled garden carts aren't always a better choice than wheelbarrows, but in many cases, including capacity and balance, they are a vast improvement. In intensively gardened hoop-house operations they are an excellent tool. Both Eliot and I use drip and spray irrigation. The hose you see in the picture is a thin tube that runs from a larger feeder line, and the head is designed to create a fine circular spray pattern, for some crops, these are a good choice, but it is important that you are able to ventilate properly so the foliage doesn't remain wet for too long. With a little experimentation you will discover what height and pressure will allow you to irrigate the beds but keep the paths relatively dry... this all started with the paths, remember? Sprays also offer more cooling effect, which can be a real advantage when the greenhouse is hot but the outside air temps are colder than one would wish, so ventilation for cooling purposes is less than ideal. Drip irrigation is better for less dense plantings, where you have water emitted for individual plants. You can set up your sprayers with a quick-connect system that alternates with the drip tape, or you can install a Y-fixture with shut-off valves, or you can get much more elaborate. Timers are definitely handy. If you use drip irrigation, you will frequently have to remove it when you are doing certain chores. I generally just lift the far end and pull it over one of the support bars that form the roof trusses over the beds. When I'm ready to put it back I just stretch it back out over the soil and pin the end with a wire anchor to keep it in place. In winter, your will need to do very little irrigation - air and soil moisture levels are typically much higher, and transpiration rates lower. This is good, because it means your less likely to be experiencing the joys of frozen pipes. When you won't be using the drip, it is best to drain it and store it away from sunlight and extreme temperatures, and it will last for years. I prefer the perforated tape to the "weeping" hose, but your mileage may vary. If snow is an issue, and especially wet heavy snow, you may want to explore the possibility of having two layers of plastic with air blown in between the layers. This reduces light transmission slightly, but it provides a lot more insulation and adds a surprising amount of strength. Because the greenhouse stays warmer, the snow slides off more readily, and you will spend less time removing it. The best method I've found is to use a nylon-bristle broom to brush off the snow from the inside. Outside the greenhouse, it is good to leave a layer of snow up against the foundation, it actually provides good insulation, but you don't want it too high, because it puts a lot of pressure on the plastic. You must be VERY CAREFUL when shoveling anywhere near the plastic not to tear it, and should keep a roll of repair tape handy (but don't let it freeze). Somewhere towards the back of the Winter Harvest Handbook there's a picture of a bunch of people in one of Eliots' greenhouses amongst a swath of fabric row covers - I think it's on page 198, but my copy is loaned to someone right now, so I can't be sure. Among that crowd there's a guy standing off to the side with bushy hair and blue jeans and a white sweater vest, looking down at the ground - that would be me. The link below is to some quick-connect fittings that are durable and don't leak. They aren't the most affordable ones, and there is likely a cheaper source - I use this company for woodworking tools - not cheap, but excellent quality products. Here is a link that might be useful: quick-connect hose adapters

Here is my advice and what I would do in your case. I always start my new bed preparations the Fall prior to the Spring I want to plant. First, get rid of the grass in whatever way you find best and easiest. For me, I simply rented a sod cutter from the home improvement center and it really did the trick, taking off the sod layer only and leaving the good soil beneath very quickly and neatly. The sod cutter is very easy to use and does a very neat job of it with nice crisp lines/borders. The next and probably the most vital step of the whole process is next, and is really a no-brainer in my book. After the sod removal and before any supplementing/amending of the soil in the bed, get it tested by your local Agricultural Extension Agency. That way you know what needs doing for sure to make your beds rose friendly. This is especially important when it comes to your Ph #'s of your garden soil. Be sure your sample is taken from several different spots in the bed and is about 6" down in the soil. If your Ph is bad, no amount of amending will do it any good if the soil is chemically unavailable to your roses because of a bad Ph. rating. If you make sure to tell the agency your target crop are roses, most will even tell you what kind and how much of whatever amendment is needed to make your soil perfect. First get your Ph corrected with whatever the agency tells you that is needed. I am lucky in that my soil Ph is almost perfect naturally so I don't have to do much there except to add just a little sulphur, but you do whatever they suggest to you. Then, I bought the cheapes amendments possible at Lowe's and till them in to the bed several different installments, watering deeply between each tilling to encourage the amendments to "sweeten" the bed. In the last couple of tillings I always work in a good amount of peat moss and a good quality garden soil and again till it several times to really spread it deeply and evenly, finishing off with another good soaking. Now just leave the new bed alone and let it sit through the winter until very late in the Winter season to mellow/sweeten out. Now,just prior to Spring in late winter I take another couple of soil samples to the Agricultural Extension Agency. This way you catch any slight changes especially to your Ph level before you start your planting. Make any necessary adjustments to the Ph if needed. I just cannot stress how important the correct Ph is to grow your roses. You can go to a lot of trouble and spend a lot of money and time spinning your wheels if the Ph is not right. I know this sounds like a lot of trouble, but doing this simple stuff is very important and will pay you so much in return you will find that it was well worth the effort you put in and will save you lots of aggravation not to mention time and money later on. You will get much better roses and be much happier with what you get from them when they grow vogorous bushes with tons of beautiful flowers, supposing you plant the new bushes/bareroots correctly, but that is another posting, LOL..... John

Frankly, I see sides as an impediment to production not to mention the cost of materials and the labor. We have twenty 150 foot long beds each 5 feet wide. This would require 6,200 feet of construction material--well over a mile of it. When weeds, particularly perennials, get established under and around the construction material the going can get real tough especially if you want to be organic. Also construction materials are rough on the knees when kneeling at the beds to plant and weed. Please check our website for details on our raised beds with sloping sides. These shoulders provide excellent opportunities to plant catch crops and nurse crops. Good wishes Here is a link that might be useful: Whole Systems Agriculture

I remember how difficult it is to get started when you have a bare, flat yard. I kept staring out the windows, trying to imagine what I could plant where. It helps if you have someone stand outside while you look out the windows. Have your helper walk around from place to place, waving his/her arms, and maybe even holding a broom up overhead. Try to imagine your helper is a bush or a tree. When your helper gets to a spot that looks good from the inside, make a note of the position, or have your helper plant a garden stake (much easier to move than a tree!) Then go stand outside, or across the street, and see if that really is a good place for a tree. Use pots of annuals which you can move around until you find a space placement that suits you. THEN dig a bed. You can always set out empty boxes, or laundry baskets or even chairs to find spots for a shrub. Anything of a similar size that's easily movable will do. Here are some general principals I've found helpful. If the front is your main entrance, plant things that you will be happy to see when you come home. Start planting close to the walk and steps. This will encourage you to expand. Take it slow. I read once that you should live in a house though one set of seasons before you do any major changes. I translated that into planting annuals at first...which will have to be redone anyway. Fall is really the best time to plant trees and shrubs, as then they will get lots of rain. And, they will be cheaper at the 'year end' sales. Plant evergreens and long season perennials in the front as you and the neighbors will be looking at this area every day. Don't be afraid to take out something you don't like. Try to transplant it, or give it away. If it lives, fine, but you don't have to put up with something you don't like. Bare ground will make you feel better than a plant that irriates you. Don't plant acid loving plants close to the foundation of the house or near the cement path or sidewalk. They won't thrive. I figured this out after losing a row of azaleas, one by one. You can buy spray paint that is specially made to be sprayed holding the can upside down, so you can mark the edges of the beds. Just make sure that it isn't 'clear' paint. (Yes, it does come that way - a friend did this!) Or take a container of flour out and use that to mark plant placement or bed edges if you want a very temporary marking. The front yard is your house's public face and a place to show off your gardening skills. Rather than screening off the street, plant so that people driving or walking by will have something pleasant to look at and your visitors will find inviting. And for safety reasons, you don't want to 'hide' your house. Burglars go for entrances that are screened off from the view of the neighbors. Re paths: Make sure you leave good access to the utility boxes. Make sure you can get a lawnmower and wheelbarrow everywhere they'll need to go. You won't want low branching trees too near paths, either. If you don't have a pleasant view out the windows, one small patch of bright color will draw your eye away from the eyesore. Try a few pots of color, just set out on the ground, and see how they draw your attention. You do want to 'hide' the foundation of the house with taller, more solid shrubs. This will help transition the house into the lot, and help it look 'planted' rather than just 'plopped' onto the lot. Place lower plants further away from the house, along the path and sidewalk. You don't have to have ANY lawn in the front, but you don't have to take it all out at once, either. Have fun! Daphne in Tacoma