Why Raised Garden Beds?

Raised garden beds are a great choice for anyone who has a small space or wants to control the soil quality. Another good reason for raised garden beds, it is great for all ages, health conditions, and mobility types. We all love healthy grown foods, so with raised gardening beds it is easier to manage and control the quality of the soil to get better yields.

Evaluate what your needs are, how much room you have, and how much time you want to commit to your gardening space. 
   Consider the different designs available and see what appeals to you. You will want to know your budget and choose the layout or plan that will work best.  

    Check out this site for many great ideas on types of gardening beds and different designs. 

    Look at your location and decide what plants you want, the amount of sunlight you are going to have, and how long your growing season is for your region. Make sure to add in drip irrigation, which will conserve water; set the drip at the base of your plants. Leave space for walking paths around your beds.

    Think ahead, if you need to cover your garden beds to keep out flying bugs and birds, add design components that will make it easy to net the spaces. This type of design is very useful for fall cold snaps when you need to shelter plants from the cold evenings. You can also use hoops for coverings. The size of your bed should be an arms length to reach far enough to get to your produce; 4 feet is a good width for your beds. If you have rodents that burrow, you may need to put down a wire mesh to block any digging into the bottom of garden boxes.

    Soil preparation is key in a raised bed, so adding in compost and organic material is necessary. The beds can be filled cheaply with rocks, gravel for drainage, grass clippings, fall leaves, twigs, branches, logs, even cardboard boxes, or paper sacks.
    Don’t forget to get your mulch on top to retain the moisture. Keep in mind you do not want to put any items in the bed that have insect contamination or chemicals.  
    Get creative in your planning and designing, use what you have, so many different components can be used for raised beds. REPURPOSE, RECYCLE, REUSE!!

Drip Irrigation for Flower & Vegetable Gardens

PVC drip system 

Have you ever wondered if there was a better way to water your plants and use less water, especially during the hot days of summer? Maybe you just want to leave town in the summer and not return to your basket of petunias looking like a basket wilted lettuce. A drip irrigation system might be the solution to your problems. 

As a user of drip irrigation for over 20 years, I can attest to the benefits. By putting water directly next to the plant, you water only the plant and not the soil around it. This means fewer weed seeds can germinate, which means fewer weeds! A drip system can also save you time, while giving you better results in the garden. Studies in drip irrigation conducted by the University of Utah found that participants experienced up to 90% time savings in watering and weeding the gardens. Throughout the growing season, the study participants observed that the plants were healthier and produced at a higher level. 

Drip lines in flower baskets

Summers in Western Idaho get HOT! Using a drip system with a timer, water can be applied when and where it is needed. Unlike a sprinkler that waters a broad area and loses water to evaporation in the air, the drip system puts water directly on the plants when and where you need it. In an article by Colorado State University, it was noted that, “Drip irrigation exceeds 90 percent efficiency whereas sprinkler systems are 50 to 70 percent efficient. Drip irrigation delivers water slowly immediately above, on or below the surface of the soil. This minimizes water loss due to runoff, wind and vapor.” If you pay for your water from a city or municipality, a drip system could result in a lower water bill.  

A watering system set up on timers eliminates the possibility of your gardens not getting watered while you’re gone. At our house for example, if the temperatures are hot, we know can leave our home for a few days and come home to healthy plants.  

Any time is a good time to invest in a drip system. However, springtime is an ideal time to consider designing a drip irrigation system because you can plan your vegetable and flower gardens around the water system. 

While it may sound complicated, it is easy to design and install. There is a lot of information available on drip systems, so do your research. I use a PVC pipe system for the vegetable garden and flexible tubing for our flower gardens.