Gardenville in San Antonio- Will sell soil/ammendments by buckets

checkerkitty · February 18, 2013

I am adding new garden areas this year, along with doing heavy amending and soil replacement. I need dirt and lots of it! I was planning of buying everything from Gardenville. I have access to a truck but would not like to use it (I'm scared of wrecking my FILs beloved truck!). We have a Ford Explorer which is sadly not built for moving dirt dropped from a front end loader.

I called Gardenville and asked about self loading. No problem! If you buy by their self-fill 40 lb bag, it's $1.50 plus 50 cents for their plastic bag. If you bring your own 5 gallon bucket, it's still $1.50, just no bag charge. But, you can buy 1/2 a yard or a full yard at their bulk price and load your buckets. If you buy a half yard of material, that is equal to 20, 5 gallon buckets. A full yard is 40, 5 gallon buckets. So you will pay the 1/2 yard or full yard price which brings the price well below the single bag/bucket price. You can buy a full yard and make several trips to fill and dump your buckets, even over several days. With the seats folded down, you can put about 22 or 23, 5 gallon buckets in the back of an Explorer. I'll be using their compost and rose soil this year. I'll probably go back for some mulch, also. I'm just starting my compost pile, so I have to buy some to start with. This is way cheaper than going to Lowes/Home Depot.

If you are in the San Antonio area, don't have a truck and don't want to pay the $65 delivery fee for a dump truck (that's two yards of soil!), this may work for you. If you aren't in the San Antonio area but need soil, try asking your local supply place if they allow self loading.

Also, it didn't take very long for me to fill my buckets and load them in the car. I used a large square front shovel and listened to the radio while I worked. I'm a little sore today. I'm trying to look at this as exercise! Garden muscles

!

Christy

Redbaron · February 18, 2013

Was this the song you listened to?

Devo

checkerkitty · February 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redbaron

Was this the song you listened to?

Devo

Very cool! I didn't know that song had ever been redone. When I was loading my buckets, I was listening to Ryan Seacrest's Top 40 Countdown. The torture of listening to Justin Bieber was almost more than I could take. It did make me shovel faster, though

.

When I dig around in the garden, I bring out a little CD player/radio combo I saved from my Grandmother's estate. I usually listen to oldies or bluegrass. Sometimes I'll listen to classical, especially J.S. Bach.

Do you listen to music while you dig?

Redbaron · February 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by checkerkitty

Very cool! I didn't know that song had ever been redone. When I was loading my buckets, I was listening to Ryan Seacrest's Top 40 Countdown. The torture of listening to Justin Bieber was almost more than I could take. It did make me shovel faster, though

.

When I dig around in the garden, I bring out a little CD player/radio combo I saved from my Grandmother's estate. I usually listen to oldies or bluegrass. Sometimes I'll listen to classical, especially J.S. Bach.

Do you listen to music while you dig?

To be honest I hate to dig! I did some digging this year to make a "hot bed" but I haven't done that since the late 70's! I was inspired by 2 things. 1 Patrix from France mentioning he did it, and the fact I will have WAY too many varieties and WAY WAY too many total plants to be my typical lazy self again this year.

There is a huge difference between growing for market and just a few small beds for yourself. Last year I grew 3 cherries 1 grape 1 yellow and 5 normal red tomatoes plus 3 bell peppers 1 banana 4 jalapeno and 3 cayenne peppers + a modest number of other veggies. A lot of those were just Bonnies plants from Lowes or Walmart. I always started a couple from seed. Never lost the skill, but in SMALL numbers. This year I will be growing 26 types of peppers and at least 60 types of tomatoes, probably close to 5 plants each! All of which I will be starting myself

And it is all Tomatovilles fault!

Especially Marsha from the tomato swap. I will get even somehow. I haven't figured out how. But revenge will be sweet, ...and tomato flavored.

And I am determined NOT to be lazy this year for the first time in 30 years! Luckily my Dad taught me how to work years ago. So if I really put my mind to it, I suppose I can manage.

So the short answer is no I don't listen to music while I dig. All I listen to is myself muttering at the evil Marsha (and a few others...you know who you are!

) for sending me too many great varieties that I suddenly can't live without trying.

Forcing me to greatly expand my operation and dig for the first time in years!

checkerkitty · February 18, 2013

I end up digging more than I expect. I have no one to blame but myself on this one. We have three dogs that love to get in my raised beds and garden. The walk on the dirt and compact it. Every year I end up breaking up the cement that is my garden. However, the dogs don't know what's coming this year

. They are losing access to all of my garden areas with better fencing, gates and rails. I'm also replacing some soil in the raised beds so that will take some digging.

I also started WAY more tomato varieties than I ever have. I've learned a lot in the process. I also blame Tomatoville for my lack of control in choosing what I'm growing. Everything looks so darn good!

Christy

PS- Yeah, the music is just part of the backyard symphony. My dogs bark at me because I'm not petting them. The birds are singing. My kids are screaming and playing. My thoughts are also in a whirl. Usually I wonder what I've gotten myself into

! Then I realize that all the hard work will be worth it in the end

! The deliciousness just takes some hard work, sweat, seaweed, lots of tomato seeds, poop from lots of different barnyard animals and steely determination. Also, being able to ignore the comments from various friends, family and neighbors who wonder why grow so many and wouldn't it be easier to just go to the store

!

February 18, 2013	#1
checkerkitty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 239	Gardenville in San Antonio- Will sell soil/ammendments by buckets I am adding new garden areas this year, along with doing heavy amending and soil replacement. I need dirt and lots of it! I was planning of buying everything from Gardenville. I have access to a truck but would not like to use it (I'm scared of wrecking my FILs beloved truck!). We have a Ford Explorer which is sadly not built for moving dirt dropped from a front end loader. I called Gardenville and asked about self loading. No problem! If you buy by their self-fill 40 lb bag, it's $1.50 plus 50 cents for their plastic bag. If you bring your own 5 gallon bucket, it's still $1.50, just no bag charge. But, you can buy 1/2 a yard or a full yard at their bulk price and load your buckets. If you buy a half yard of material, that is equal to 20, 5 gallon buckets. A full yard is 40, 5 gallon buckets. So you will pay the 1/2 yard or full yard price which brings the price well below the single bag/bucket price. You can buy a full yard and make several trips to fill and dump your buckets, even over several days. With the seats folded down, you can put about 22 or 23, 5 gallon buckets in the back of an Explorer. I'll be using their compost and rose soil this year. I'll probably go back for some mulch, also. I'm just starting my compost pile, so I have to buy some to start with. This is way cheaper than going to Lowes/Home Depot. If you are in the San Antonio area, don't have a truck and don't want to pay the $65 delivery fee for a dump truck (that's two yards of soil!), this may work for you. If you aren't in the San Antonio area but need soil, try asking your local supply place if they allow self loading. Also, it didn't take very long for me to fill my buckets and load them in the car. I used a large square front shovel and listened to the radio while I worked. I'm a little sore today. I'm trying to look at this as exercise! Garden muscles! Christy

February 18, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	Was this the song you listened to? Devo __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture

February 18, 2013	#5
checkerkitty Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 239	I end up digging more than I expect. I have no one to blame but myself on this one. We have three dogs that love to get in my raised beds and garden. The walk on the dirt and compact it. Every year I end up breaking up the cement that is my garden. However, the dogs don't know what's coming this year. They are losing access to all of my garden areas with better fencing, gates and rails. I'm also replacing some soil in the raised beds so that will take some digging. I also started WAY more tomato varieties than I ever have. I've learned a lot in the process. I also blame Tomatoville for my lack of control in choosing what I'm growing. Everything looks so darn good! Christy PS- Yeah, the music is just part of the backyard symphony. My dogs bark at me because I'm not petting them. The birds are singing. My kids are screaming and playing. My thoughts are also in a whirl. Usually I wonder what I've gotten myself into! Then I realize that all the hard work will be worth it in the end! The deliciousness just takes some hard work, sweat, seaweed, lots of tomato seeds, poop from lots of different barnyard animals and steely determination. Also, being able to ignore the comments from various friends, family and neighbors who wonder why grow so many and wouldn't it be easier to just go to the store!