Float Cabin Living: Can you have a garden?

My original garden log.

Float cabins and homes are surrounded by water in marinas, on lakes and rivers, or the ocean. The typical location doesn't include land. That's especially true for our cabin anchored to a steep granite cliff backed by forest. But where there's a will, there's a way.

First I tried a "garden log" with herbs and lettuce tucked into its notches. The sprouts were doing fine until Canada Geese ate them all.

The floating garden John built for me.

I've always liked gardening, so I had to think of a way. Our good friend John came up with the solution, a special float that holds four raised beds. 

A rope pulley takes the float out to the front log boom where it's protected from nibbling critters.

The solar panel for watering.

For watering there's a solar powered boat bilge pump with a hose.  It's so much easier that stooping with a watering can and gentler on the plants.

Rain and watering leaches nutrients from the soil. Each spring I augment it with compost and mushroom manure. Several times throughout the growing season I add plant food. Even out here I get pests, but I don't use insecticide. We don't want poisons in the water we drink.

Bulbs are planted for spring flowers. The daffodils are my favorite. After they die back I grow radishes in their space. I also have a strip along one side for marigolds and alyssum for colour and pest control.

My crops include onions, beets, carrots, kale, broccoli, spinach and a variety of lettuce. I leave my kale, beets, carrots and broccoli in the ground through winter to provide fresh additions for our meals.

My floating garden with four raised beds and a solar panel watering system.

Over the years I've also grown strawberries, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and peas in my beds. Crop rotation is good to reduce pests and provide variety.

In addition to my float garden I have numerous pots and large containers on the cabin's many decks for additional plants, especially large ones that take up too much space. Here you will find tomatoes, pole beans, snow peas, cucumbers, peppers, squash, blueberries, red currant, and more flowers. I also grow my herbs in pots for easy access.

Potatoes growing in plastic tubs and zucchini with a protective cage.

Now that we live in our float cabin all summer long I can keep things well watered. I've learned how to can my excess produce to use during the off season.

Gardening takes a lot of time from May through September, but the rewards make it worth it. We aren't self-sustaining, but each dinner has something that we have grown ourselves. Weekly trips to the grocery store fill out our food needs.

An early spring harvest of lettuce, kale, onions, radishes, and broccoli.

You can read more about my gardening exploits and other aspects of float cabin living in Wayne's book Up the Lake available in print and Kindle formats from Amazon, and many other online booksellers. Here are some quick references to other gardening posts on this blog,.

Gardening Category
Ready, Set, Grow
Simple Pots for Container Gardening
Simple Garden Hoop Tunnel
Protective Plant Cages
Watering with Sunshine 
9 Crops for Winter Gardening
Pressure Canning Carrots

My float garden highlighted in the Powell River Library 2018 Calendar.

Do you have any stories about gardening? Do you have any hints for gardening with unique situations? Let us hear from you. -- Margy