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There’s nothing better than growing your own vegetables. It’s not always easy but you know where they come from and they seem to taste all the better for having come out of your back garden. Well done, you’ve cheated the supermarkets in the process.

This post shows pictures of some garden beds and provides plans if you want to have a go building them for yourself.

A few years ago I built six stand-alone garden beds using 2.4m long standard garden sleepers. These were a simple design but proved extremely effective. The beds were only 350mm off the ground but the thick walls prevented heat loss and gain from the outside and moisture loss. The 200mm tops to the outside of the beds made for the perfect place to site, work and potting bench and table top for lunch or coffee. Better still, by using a standard garden sleeper length we could bridge from one side of the bed to the other to subdivide the beds into two or three separate beds with internal access.

Garden beds built using standard 2.4m long treated pine garden sleepers. Each bed can be split into a number of smaller beds to suit.

Each of these beds was fitted with its own irrigation tap with the aim that watering to individual beds could be controlled by computer (ahem, meaning the owners …yes, me…..,.could go on holiday and not have to worry about who watered their veges…why not!).

I’ve attached the plans for the beds here. They are not hard to build or even to adapt. Just use the measurements as proportions and it should all scale nicely. By my calculations each bed uses (almost exactly….ie with little wastage) 15 x 2.4m (200mm x 75mm) treated pine sleepers. This was a really enjoyable job. If you are located in Tasmania then feels free to give me a call or send me a message to ask for help or to give feedback.

One final word, I installed loam brought directly from a garden center. This proved way too heavy and ultimately difficult to dig. Add some sand or lots of organic material.

Click here to download instructions (~1.5Mb) Download

Happy building

Managing a property after a death of a loved one or while you are interstate can be a daunting and sometimes complex process. Clear It Property is a business that offers a comprehensive service helping you manage personal and/or real property located in Tasmania and left in your care.

We have the legal experience and understand your responsibilities as an executor and/or estate administrator. If you are a legal practitioner then we also understand the work pressures you might be under. Documenting estate property, cleaning, clearing and property maintenance is not an efficient use of your time, nor is it cost effective to the estate. We can help.

How we will work with you….

Step 1: We will meet with you (or talk with you if you are interstate) to determine together the level of detail and priorities you require from us in administering an estate and the level to which you want to remain involved. If you are administering a complex or potentially contentious estate then the level of detail and documentation quire from us may be greater than for a simple clearance. There may also be time imperatives. We work with you to determine what you need and customise work to suit. Together we will determine the scope of services required, budgets, levels of control on works and methods of reporting. You always remain in control.

Step 2: We catalog and photograph personal property and prepare condition reports on real property. Our photography is location and time stamped. Our catalogs may be detailed or aggregated but provided the basis moving forward for disbursement, sale, donation or disposal of personal effects. Our condition reports identify where real property might need work either for it to be maintained, prepared for lease, disbursement or sale. This documentation helps ensure trackability of items and tasks and helps ensure you remain accountable in administering an estate. Documenting property saves an estate time in money by allowing third parties such as auction and real estate agents to quickly or even remotely assess items of interest.

Step 3: Property is valued and quotes are sought where third party services are required, for example from real estate agents. We consult with valuers, auctioneers, dealers, and representatives from the real estate industry. We present you with a report and you make decisions about how property might then be managed in a way that is cost effective for an estate and senstive to the needs of the deceased and their beneficiaries.

Step 4: We work with you to clear and clean a property. We manage the order of works which increases property security and saves you the time and cost of meeting people on site. We undertake many services and document progress as we go against the original condition report. We are your eyes on the ground.

Step 5: Personal property is then disbursed and that remaining stored, sold or where appropriate donated to charity. Personal property can be stored or shipped so as to not hold up sale or transfer of real property. The property inventory is updated as items are cleared and rubbish is removed. Real property is then cleaned ready for transfer or sale.