These drawers were from Chris' dresser. The legs on the dresser were broken, but on a fluke, I saved them on the chance that I might find a way to turn them into raised beds.
Raised beds are often open on the bottom, with a mesh or newspaper barrier separating the new soil from the old. But if I tried to remove the bottom of the bed, I knew I'd ruin the drawer. So the bottoms are there to stay. And if the beds were sitting outside, in the rain, the problem is that it would fill up with water like a swimming pool.
So, for drainage, I drilled six to seven holes in the bottom of each drawer. Each I lined with plastic -- pieces a white plastic tarp that our home's previous owners left behind -- using staples to secure the plastic to the inside of the drawers. And then cut through the plastic around where I had drilled holes.
After an amazing weekend of warm weather, working in Elizabeth's garden, and tilling my first little plot in the backyard, today I transplanted a few seedlings I had started indoors. They should be larger before going outside, but I couldn't wait.
To protect the seedlings from the shock of the outdoors, I created make-shift "row" covers with the white plastic. Until the seedlings are larger, I'm hoping the drawers work work like mini-greenhouses. Of course, everything might die on the first night. We'll just have to see...
Kale, Spinach, Green Bibb Lettuce, Red Oak Bowl lettuce, and Arugula - 4/10/11
Raised beds are often open on the bottom, with a mesh or newspaper barrier separating the new soil from the old. But if I tried to remove the bottom of the bed, I knew I'd ruin the drawer. So the bottoms are there to stay. And if the beds were sitting outside, in the rain, the problem is that it would fill up with water like a swimming pool.
