No cookies, but a potato barrel

Gardening has been taking up more of my time than baking these days (with the exception of the wedding cookie marathon).  There is a reason for less time in the cookie world, and I am hoping to get myself back in the game soon.  In the mean time, I have been grubbing in the dirt.  

Specifically, I would like to share my potato barrel project.  I have seen a good many of these on Pinterest, and it was time to put one in the enchanted veggie garden.

Step one is to make a barrel shape out of chicken wire or metal fencing (which we already had on hand).  Just cut to size and use wire to hold it in shape.

I also lined the sides with bird netting to keep the soil in.  Lucky me, I had some hanging around in the shed.  I placed a good amount of straw as a bottom layer.  On top of the straw goes a layer of compost.

Next cut up some seed potatoes, making sure there is an eye in each piece.

Place them around the edge of the barrel with the eyes facing outward.

See how they are pointing outward?  That is important because we are going to be adding layers.

Straw on top, then compost, then potato eyes, and repeat till you get to the top.  The top layer can have eyes planted all through the center because they can grow straight up.  Now keep it watered, watch it grow, and when the foliage dies just dump the whole thing over and dig for buried potato treasure.  

At least in theory.