Onward to Stage Two

I took advantage of a decent (meaning, not pouring buckets of rain) afternoon yesterday and made some steady progress on the back garden project.  I finished making the 4x4 raised beds, and after placing them in their final positions, hauled back what felt like half-a-ton of cedar chip mulch.  I kept the mulch about four inches or so deep, and while I know the weeds will eventually grow into it or grow through it, it smells nice and for the moment, appears impervious. 

Given the measurements of the back garden area, I was able to put three raised beds in a row on either side of a wide center row.  I plan to put a couple galvanized tub containers in the center, the kind that are oval and are used as water troughs for horses.  My plan is to plant the containers with something, possibly corn or squash, but something that will do okay in a large-ish constainer.  So far, I'm really pleased with how this project is coming along.  Next up, Stage Three: Compost Hauling and filling of the raised beds.