our first Hugelkultur bed

It was a fairly easy process, had the help of my DH and DS. We were able to make about a three foot high bed with about two feet under ground. The only wood we had available on our property is Aspen and Salt Cedar. We refrained from using the Cedar because of it anti-fungal properties. We filled it in with some green Aspen leaves and branches, soil, and horse manure and hay. We watered it really well, and we will allow it to 'rest" for about two weeks with some additional watering. After two weeks I will add more soil, and sod over the top. I 'may' try and plant a couple of cold hardy seeds to see what happens, but I am thinking maybe it would be better to allow it to rest over the winter and do it's decomposing thing. I will be interested to see what transpires with this bed because of the soft wood we used. In the succeeding beds I think I will purchase some hard wood firewood. The best part is it feels really good to start down our permaculture path. To finally be doing something, is so much better than doing nothing.

MEWolf

Hooray! Looks like it's not a million degrees at your place like it is practically everywhere else in North America!

Thanks Tyler! We are at 6500' here on the plains of Colorado. It was actually a very pleasant day today, which is why we attempted this project today.

If you can put something around it to contain the soil and also to stabilize the bed temperatures, big rocks or bricks work great.

I agree with the doing something is better than nothing philosophy. I'd like to hear how it comes along in the next year.

Great job! Anything is better than nothing (That's my motto) and you've made a great start here.
That's one of the things I'm going to do as soon as I get out of this condo. I have 11 days till I can start moving into a house on a half acre that I'm buying. I'll watch this thread for updates. Maybe you can give me some pointers.

Thank you all for the kind words, encouragement and suggestions. We have been transiting for the last two years = two major moves of us and all our livestock, and pets in the last two summers. I have not been able to garden like I always did before. It felt like something was definitely missing, so it feels really good to be doing something. I will add pics once we get the rest of the dirt on the bed, the sod on top and trim with rocks.

MEWolf