8 Raised Planting Beds for the Plano Community Garden

To construct 8 raised planting beds that were 4 feet by 18 feet, I had many steps to follow and decisions to make over an eight month period. I communicated and worked with many adults including the garden director, gardeners, and lumber distributors. The project began by meeting with a representative from the Plano Community Garden to determine the Garden’s need and research the project. I spent many hours over the next 4 months researching the benefits of different types of woods, durability of the woods, effects of wood preservatives on plants grown in the beds, what type of screws would not rust or work themselves out from the wood, and sturdy construction practices. I participated on ramp builds to study construction practices used by other non profits. I visited local lumber yards to price the different types of woods and made arrangements to special order extra long wood planks. I developed a budget which included negotiating lumber pricing, raising funds and using personal savings from a summer job to cover the costs. I wrote up 15 pages of detailed step by step procedures with illustrations for the volunteers to follow. I proactively looked for potential problems, such as keeping the volunteers motivated while hauling 250 cubic feet of dirt, determining how many volunteers it would take to carry the heavy wood planks and handling any potential bad weather. I recruited volunteers and needed tools such as power saws and power screwdrivers. I sent out email and phone reminders to the volunteers, up to the day of the project. I purchased supplies, such as tape measures, carpenter pencils, extension cords, drill bits, safety goggles, gloves, and water, staying within my budget. Before the project day arrived, I arranged for the delivery of the wood, dirt, and other supplies that would be needed. I rented a generator to run the power tools. I set up meals and work breaks for the volunteers. I instructed and supervised a total of 21 youths and adults the day of the project. I presented safety talks before each shift could begin any work. Throughout the work day, I showed the volunteers how to cut the wood, drill pilot holes and use team work to fill the wheelbarrows with dirt. After the work day and the completion of the 8 raised planting beds, I made sure the site was clean and all trash was hauled off. I returned all tools and sent out thank you notes to the volunteers. And most importantly, I had to stay organized through the entire process.