Early hibernation

We're well into the growing season now, and Black Dog Gardens is getting ready to go into early hibernation. Feel free to share your garden ideas, but work won't start up again until the spring. Thanks for a great season!

More carpentry projects

Here's another sample of the projects I've been up to. Remember that Black Dog Gardens also offers all kinds of gardening services to plan, design and create a beautiful, productive and unique garden space.

Composting made easy

Ready to bring your composting to the next level?

Check out this totally slick design for an elevated compost tower! The way this is set up, you can park your wheelbarrow under the pile and sift the finished product right in. The all-cedar compost tower makes composting easy on your back, fun, and looks nice too!

Here's how it works:
Add the slats as you build up your compost pile with food scraps, grass clippings, leaves etc.
Check out the brown-green-straw layering on this one:

When the compost has cooked down and matured, pull out the bottom two slats and spill the finished compost into your soil screen. Whatever doesn't make it through the screen can go right back onto the pile.

You can start with one tower and add more later, or go ahead and get three right away!

And for those who want to start with something a little simpler, I also have these Lincoln Log-style compost kits for $55. These are a back-saver as well: if you want to turn your pile, all you have to do is pull it apart piece-by-piece and reassemble it right beside.

Prices as follows:
One tower- $195
Each additional tower- $125
You can bring down costs by up to $100 by providing your own materials. I can work with any lumber between 1"x4" and 2"x6".
Lincoln Log-style compost kit- $55

Workshop experiments

It's been a very busy month, but last week I found some time to get creative and build a few fun garden projects. How about a strawberry tower?















I'm working on a 5' tall one next.


Here is a fancy compost tower that I'll write about in the next post:

And finally, what better use for an old sink than as a soil basin in a potting table?

Have any creative gardening ideas that you would like to see made real? Let Nick know at blackdoggardens@gmail.com or 907.301.4644

Black Dog Gardens is on Facebook!

Yeah, whatever. I guess it's the thing to do these days. Like us if you like us.

https://www.facebook.com/BlackDogGardensAnchorage

Spring (almost)

Boom! We are officially out of hibernation now and ready to start planning out your garden! I've already revved up the table saw and made a few garden boxes. Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to. All are handmade right here in Anchorage with 100% naturally rot-resistant Western red cedar (UNTREATED). I've got some new prototypes designs and a few old-standbys:

These Anchorage days are getting longer and longer and pretty soon the soil will be ready for planting. Whether it is your first year or your 50th, everyone can use a hand so keep Black Dog Gardens in mind. Planning, sourcing, digging, whatever. Give me (Nick) a call at (907)301-4644 or shoot blackdoggardens@gmail.com a message.