I've been gardening, for years, and North Florida is a gardener's paradise. Especially, the Spring and Fall/Winter gardens.
I just started raising chickens, this spring, and allowing them to freerange, they have discovered the compost piles and mulch beds, under the trees and plants. This is a privilege, which I will not deny them. It's good for the chickens and the plants.
I do have a bit of a problem, though..I know that they would destroy a newly planted bed, as fast as I could plant it...... Kind of like two dogs, deciding my newly planted okra patch, was the spot for WWF.Grrrrrrr......
Without the winter greens and root crops, nobody would fare well.
The state of the economy, being what it is, and being a self employed carpenter/home repair guy, pickings are slim.
I thought about building individual frames, for the beds, and covering them with chicken wire.....Off to the store, for a price run.
It seems that feed stores, Including TSC, think the biggest roll anyone needs is 50' long.
Well, after stopping, at the local store, I'm headed on down the road, to TSC and pass a roadside yard sale. Lots of those, these days.
What was that?!!!!!Some kind of huge net, strung out, beside the road.
I turned around, to check it out.. It happened to be one of those nets, which DOT requires the crushed car haulers to use, to secure their loads.
How much? $25!!!!!! [Maintain composure] You got it, Lady.
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After getting it home, and rolling it out, in the relaxed position, it measured 20'x30'
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This thing is braided nylon, with the edge rope sewn in... I'm estimating new value to be $400-$500. Maybe more.
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I digress.....About a month ago, while working for a customer, I noticed, behind his garage, taken apart and thrown in a pile, one of those knockdown pipe canopy setups, which are often used as a temporary shelter, to protect equipment, vehicles, etc.
It had been destroyed, during a high wind, and he didn't want it, any longer...Some of the pipes were bent, beyond repair. I got it, tarp, tiedowns, the works, for nothing..... I did have to purchase 4 new lengths of pipe, to rework it. $40.
Originally, my thought was to turn it into the chicken coop.
I felt a brainstorm brewing..... Hmmmmm.... Framework..... Huge net.....Off to Home Depot, for a pack of zip ties....$6.
The neighbor kid, 12 yr. of age, likes to come over and hang around... I don't know why.... I'm just a grouchy old man, just like his dad...Anyway, here was an opportunity to teach him something, and get a needed hand.
We set up the frame, dug some holes, shot an elevation, on each hole, with a brick in the bottom, and put the frame in...We, then, stretched and secured the net.
He gained several life lessons and $10, for seeing it through.
The next day, after some observation, I realized that I was losing about 180 sq.ft. of space, and restretched the net, to its current configuration.
[/img]
Using some old, well pipe, zipties and some grade stakes, [another one of my brainstorms] I secured the edges.
[/img]
To make the door opening, I simply wove a piece of rope through two adjoining sets of holes, and split the net, between.
[/img]
Now, I could start my seeds and beds, while the chickens have the rest of the garden, to themselves.
For about $90, I, now, have about 430sq.ft. of secure gardening space.
I just started raising chickens, this spring, and allowing them to freerange, they have discovered the compost piles and mulch beds, under the trees and plants. This is a privilege, which I will not deny them. It's good for the chickens and the plants.
I do have a bit of a problem, though..I know that they would destroy a newly planted bed, as fast as I could plant it...... Kind of like two dogs, deciding my newly planted okra patch, was the spot for WWF.Grrrrrrr......
Without the winter greens and root crops, nobody would fare well.
The state of the economy, being what it is, and being a self employed carpenter/home repair guy, pickings are slim.
I thought about building individual frames, for the beds, and covering them with chicken wire.....Off to the store, for a price run.
It seems that feed stores, Including TSC, think the biggest roll anyone needs is 50' long.
Well, after stopping, at the local store, I'm headed on down the road, to TSC and pass a roadside yard sale. Lots of those, these days.
What was that?!!!!!Some kind of huge net, strung out, beside the road.
I turned around, to check it out.. It happened to be one of those nets, which DOT requires the crushed car haulers to use, to secure their loads.
How much? $25!!!!!! [Maintain composure] You got it, Lady.
After getting it home, and rolling it out, in the relaxed position, it measured 20'x30'
This thing is braided nylon, with the edge rope sewn in... I'm estimating new value to be $400-$500. Maybe more.
I digress.....About a month ago, while working for a customer, I noticed, behind his garage, taken apart and thrown in a pile, one of those knockdown pipe canopy setups, which are often used as a temporary shelter, to protect equipment, vehicles, etc.
It had been destroyed, during a high wind, and he didn't want it, any longer...Some of the pipes were bent, beyond repair. I got it, tarp, tiedowns, the works, for nothing..... I did have to purchase 4 new lengths of pipe, to rework it. $40.
Originally, my thought was to turn it into the chicken coop.
I felt a brainstorm brewing..... Hmmmmm.... Framework..... Huge net.....Off to Home Depot, for a pack of zip ties....$6.
The neighbor kid, 12 yr. of age, likes to come over and hang around... I don't know why.... I'm just a grouchy old man, just like his dad...Anyway, here was an opportunity to teach him something, and get a needed hand.
We set up the frame, dug some holes, shot an elevation, on each hole, with a brick in the bottom, and put the frame in...We, then, stretched and secured the net.
He gained several life lessons and $10, for seeing it through.
The next day, after some observation, I realized that I was losing about 180 sq.ft. of space, and restretched the net, to its current configuration.
Using some old, well pipe, zipties and some grade stakes, [another one of my brainstorms] I secured the edges.
To make the door opening, I simply wove a piece of rope through two adjoining sets of holes, and split the net, between.
Now, I could start my seeds and beds, while the chickens have the rest of the garden, to themselves.
For about $90, I, now, have about 430sq.ft. of secure gardening space.
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