Turn an Old Canoe Into a Raised Bed Garden

More and more, my life is about gardening. We've expanded our garden since last year, adding a new high tunnel and a bunch of new containers. This weekend, looking for more space to put my abundance of tomato plants, I asked my partner if we were ever going to use the old canoe again (we have a newer, nicer one that we bought a few years ago). A few hours later, it had been turned into a lake-side garden.

Now I wait. This could be the most amazing idea ever or it could turn into a beaver buffet.

UPDATE: Here is a picture from the beginning of August, showing how the plants have grown. The tomatoes, despite being supported by cages, ended up flopping to one side or the other. That has actually been fine though, with gorgeous clusters of tomatoes tumbling down on the lake side and with tomato plants growing up the hill on the other side.

My friend and amazing seed source Laura from Cubits grew potatoes in an old claw foot bathtub, which is pretty amazing too. Are you growing anything in an interesting space?

Comments

[AHLondon]

Love it!
I've not made a garden out of anything like that, but this is because this is Houston. I have a large yard and Houston is fertile enough that I could get anything animate to grow without prep of any sort. Houseplants that I've managed to kill, or so I thought, I toss them in a certain area of the yard for mulch, but they root and grow.
I have made some cool lawn art and furniture out of trees we lost in the drought. And "beaver buffet" made me laugh. I had to stop putting vegetable rinds in our compost because it was a possum buffet. The possums weren't such a problem, but the dogs barking at the possums--that almost drove me round the bend.

[kate @ herenowbrowncow]

That is an awesome idea!! Well done. Looks so perfect by the water, hope it grows well for you!

[paula schuck]

That is brilliant. It looks rustic and lovely and you didn't have to chuck the canoe.

[Laura B.]

Unfortunately there's only one photo with this article, but it's about a man in Newfoundland who has 66 bathtub gardens in his yard!

http://www.thepacket.ca/section/2009-07-09/article-1432520/Life-off-the-land/1

[dee brun]

OMG Annie can not believe the difference from when I saw it...Looks AMAZING!! LUV it ...Cheers

[vegepod]

We can use it as a spray and drive them out of our backyard.