DIY Garden

Our applause to all those office bubble pencil pushers, power-tool newbies and allaround un-skilled home owners who decide to roll up their sleeves and take on the ultimate project – one they Do By Themselves! If this quarantine has taught us anything, it is that DIY satisfaction is the sweetest achievement.

Each issue we will be featuring our favorite DIY doers and their hard-won projects. We want to see your accomplishments and hear all about them. Email us your bid for bragging rights at info@HomeRiverValley

This is what we call a case of Pandemic Productivity!

Local couple, Debbie and Ron Baker, had lost all hope for grass to grow in their narrow, hilltop backyard. With neighboring shade trees, poor soil and an infestation of mosquitoes, it was the last priority in their 5 year house renovation and a daunting thought to create an oasis in the ignored area. It took an inspiring trip to Ashville, NC to spark their imagination. Drawing design ideas from an Ashville neighborhood garden, they saved photos, drafted blueprints and waited for warmth in the cold months of winter. Then the pandemic hit. While they had already planned to plant a raised vegetable garden in the spring, COVID-19 gave them even more ambition to create a space worthy of enjoyment and evening glasses of wine.

Debbie started her seedlings in the house and she and Ron went to work building multiple raised beds, trellis tunnels, fenced planting boxes, a compost pile, a backyard parking addition and a patio area created from old bricks. YouTube and Pinterest acted as their guides as they took on a spring and summer full of creation and sweat.

The result is a delightful space abundant with heirloom tomatoes, flowers and all the squash, zucchini and peas you can imagine. You can find various grandchildren, grown-kids and friends running through the tunnels, sampling the produce or just simply taking in the ambiance of this once, dirt and weeds filled backyard.