Quick Built 20 year Layered Garden

Just finished a small layered garden.  Originally I planned it to be 200 SQFT but scaled it down to 180 once I plotted out the pegs.  In this one I used 100% of materials I had on hand, most used/recycled so there was zero additional cost except for labor. I rushed to build it as the fall material availability is starting to decline as most of the leaves have fallen and gardens cleaned up.  We still the archaic term for these organic materials as 'waste', I see it as a secondary harvest, leaves, lawn clippings, shrub and tree trimmings, annual flowers.

In this one we will use secondary food products:  peelings, plant leftovers, egg shells, coffee grounds, rinds. At a pound a day times 365 days, the nitrogen factor should be solved even if most of the material, dead leaves are carbon.   Cut and drive in 4'- 2"x4" stakes leaving 2' above grade:

Wife says OK but make it pretty.

  

Added 2' high wire fencing and at the base of the perimeter, 6" planks of old fence planks to I can keep the perimeter trimmed

Inspired by Hugelkultur, the first layer was thicker wood branches, directly on the soil

Next began layering with other second harvest material: leaves, trimming, discarded plant material from the neighborhood. 

Final step is to fill it up with second harvest material this week and let it cook down over the winter until spring planting if enough of the organics have broke down by then.

Aviaticus Clouds are forming in the encroaching boundary sheet, rain on the way so the moisture will accelerated the decomposition.

I expect the structure to last at least 20 years and if ever abandoned the soil will be left improved.

We daily had added lots of organic material, potato peelings, egg shells, coffee grounds.... After cooking down a couple months I added another layer before the snow:

First a load of cardboard from a local company, the cardboard may suppress unwanted plant growth:

Then I intercepted another load of wet leaves from the neighborhood that was destined for the landfill:

The rest of the winter we will continue to top this off with organic materials.