Greenhouse replacement

Question from Amanda:

Hi Pat! I’m hoping you can help me out with a gardening dilemma. We have a spot in our backyard that once housed a greenhouse. The greenhouse was torn down due to termites and now we’re left with an unsightly and very large pit that is 2 feet deep (here is a picture: http://flic.kr/p/crQsFs for reference). Do you think it’s a good idea to fill in the pit with good soil and use it as a vegetable bed? Or are there reasons why you shouldn’t have a sunken vegetable bed? We live in the hot Central Valley and this area currently gets full sun.

I would love any advice you have!

Dear Amanda:

Here is my suggestion: Replace your green house by building a three-sided raised bed in the same space. Leave the steps down and the concrete-block path in the center in place. Then frame around these and nail on redwood boards to create raised beds to replace your prior greenhouse benches. Also raise the height of the raised bed to be filled with top above ground level by going up higher to the distance of 1 or 2 redwood planks. Thus your finished raised bed would be either 3 feet or 4 feet in depth depending on how high you build the sides of the bed. Also, if desired, build a structure overhead to keep out critters (if they are a problem in your area. ) This would permit you to throw shade cloth or row-covers over the structure when temperatures are too high in summer or to add plastic when winter temperatures fall below freezing. Your main problem will be the reflected heat generated by the brick wall and path surrounding your raised beds.

Another way to go would be simply to jackhammer and remove the concrete steps and concrete blocks, and fill in the pit all the way to the top with top soil, as you have suggested. It would not be sunken, since you would fill it to the top, or even add redwood around the edges to bring the level up higher than the bricks. Then you could plant anything you want including vegetables. Or you might like to plant a spreading shade tree, deciduous fruit or nut tree to give you shade in summer so you could use that area as a patio. Be sure to check drainage in the pit prior to filling with top soil.

Pat