Outdoor pen!

[timus]

Been busting butt the past few weeks getting ready for spring. We run a big garden every year which I’ve been getting ready as well as building an outdoor pen for the tortoises! It’s coming along well and I’m excited to be getting close to done. Just need to fasten the cold frame to the pen and put the top together. The sides of the pen run six inches into the ground and at the bottom of the boards I have dig defense running down another 10 inches. So I’m 16 inches down and should be good with nothing digging in or out. I took out 6 inches of the existing soil and then filled it with a mix of a nice clean top soil, sand, and pit gravel. I’m his is what Chris at garden state recommended and it seems like it should make a nice well draining soil. I scattered some weed seeds a few days ago and have a bunch of plants started in trays so either way it will be nicely planted. I’m using dwarf fountain grass as nice shade plants. Here’s some pics of the progress to date. Hoping to have it finished up this coming week! Couple pics of the kiddos and too😁

 

[Yvonne G]

Nice, but even though your jumping thing has safety net, move it away from those T-posts. I've seen lots of disasters where the kids jumped outside a collapsing net accidently, and I seen horses speared by jumping onto a T-post.

 

[timus]

Nice, but even though your jumping thing has safety net, move it away from those T-posts. I've seen lots of disasters where the kids jumped outside a collapsing net accidently, and I seen horses speared by jumping onto a T-post.

They weren’t allowed to jump while it was there. I moved it to mow. It’s back in its regular spot now. When I was little I fell off a trampoline and busted my head on a tool box. I’ve always made sure there’s nothing sitting all the way around ours. I never forgot that busted head of mine😜 It had to be horrific to see that happen a horse.

 

[Thomas tortoise]

Great job! Out of curiosity... how much was it to buy the material?

Been busting butt the past few weeks getting ready for spring. We run a big garden every year which I’ve been getting ready as well as building an outdoor pen for the tortoises! It’s coming along well and I’m excited to be getting close to done. Just need to fasten the cold frame to the pen and put the top together. The sides of the pen run six inches into the ground and at the bottom of the boards I have dig defense running down another 10 inches. So I’m 16 inches down and should be good with nothing digging in or out. I took out 6 inches of the existing soil and then filled it with a mix of a nice clean top soil, sand, and pit gravel. I’m his is what Chris at garden state recommended and it seems like it should make a nice well draining soil. I scattered some weed seeds a few days ago and have a bunch of plants started in trays so either way it will be nicely planted. I’m using dwarf fountain grass as nice shade plants. Here’s some pics of the progress to date. Hoping to have it finished up this coming week! Couple pics of the kiddos and too😁View attachment 342677View attachment 342678View attachment 342679View attachment 342680View attachment 342681View attachment 342682View attachment 342683View attachment 342684View attachment 342685View attachment 342686View attachment 342687View attachment 342688View attachment 342689View attachment 342690View attachment 342691

 

[timus]

Great job! Out of curiosity... how much was it to buy the material?

Thanks Thomas! Here’s the list of what all was used and the price on each:
2- full sheets of pressure treated plywood $138
8- pressure treated 8 foot 2x2 $70
1- 50 foot roll of 4 foot chicken wire $28
3- landscaping timber’s $18
2- tons of top soil with 10% sand and pit gravel mixed in $80
1- 25 count box of dig defense $125
1- cold frame $120
And then a bunch of screws and some zip ties.
The money wasn’t bad for me but the shoveling out the old top soil and wheelbarrowing it back to my woods and then refilling it with my shovel and the soil mix took its toll on me🤣 I’m not way old but it was a lot of shoveling and it wore me out and I felt way old😂😂😂The dig defense I only about half the case so have more for when I add on down the road. So there was some money spent and one broken back but it’s getting close and I’m sure they will love it!