After I planted in the broken bed frame, I looked across my backyard and realized I wanted that entire strip of grass to be filled with raised beds, from the bed frame over to the windmill bed. I thought it would be a gradual process, starting next spring when I prepare whatever new bed I add for the year.
My plants have a different plan.
It’s not just the squash family plants, with their tendency to run out of beds, that are looking to expand their space this year. The three tomato plants I added to the keyhole bed have experienced explosive growth with this surprisingly warm summer, stretching over the squash and dangling out the side of the bed. And I keep redirecting the squash vines back into the bed frame, to keep them out of lawnmower range.
Most of the sprawling growth is headed south, so after mulching between the keyhole bed and the bed frame, I added a line of mulch to one side of the beds. Then, since the plants were already coming out of the keyhole bed, snaking towards the grass (now mulch), I grabbed a couple support cages from the shed and moved branches and vines around to intertwine with the cages.
But it’s only July, and weather-permitting, the squash varieties and tomato plants will continue into October… I need more space! And I need it now, before a ride-on mower devours a melon or acorn squash. (I’m less concerned about the tomatoes, they’re all bite-sized.) So it’s time to order a mulch delivery, rather than hauling small bags in my Corolla, and start next spring’s preparations early.