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!!

Raised Beds for Your Gardening Ease!

Wouldn’t it be nice to work in your garden on those beautiful sunny days without your back or knees giving out?

Building raised beds is a simple DIY project that could relieve your nagging pains, as well as enhance your garden experience and beauty.

In just a few hours, with a quick trip to your local home-improvement store or lumber yard, you can have elevated raise beds ready for your next planting.

Keep reading for a supply list and tips on planning and building raised beds.  You will also find information on soil selection and planting.

1. Planning: Determine where to install the raised bed(s).  Look for a place where the new bed will have at least 8 hours of summer sun.      

Also, determine the desired size of the raised bed.  For width, consider what is easiest for you to reach across and for height, consider what is easiest for you to lean over, if at all.  A typical standard size is approximately 3.5' x 8.5' x 18".

2. Supply List: For a raised bed of the above mentioned dimensions, the following is needed:
Qty 2: 2" x 12" x 12'
Qty 2: 2" x 6" x 12'Qty 1: 4" x 4" x 8' Corner Post
Large box of Deck Screws #8 x 3"
Tools: miter saw or compound saw; drill bits for pilot holes; screwdriver for drill bit

3. Assembly: 

a. Cut the 12'-length boards to 8.5'; leaving 3.5' for the end piece.
b. From the corner post, cut four 18" sections that you will attach the other boards to.
Note: If you do not want to deal with the assembly process with the 4" x 4" posts, you can try slider connectors or brackets.  With the connectors, you can just slide your board through and use deck screws to secure.

4. Placement: Once the bed is assembled, place it in the desired location in your garden.  If you are placing it in an area that still has sod/grass, a good option is to lay old cardboard boxes down first.

5. Soil Preparation: Compost mixture you’ll be putting inside.  A great place to start is a mixture of 30% compost and 70% topsoil.  To calculate the amount of mixture for the above bed dimensions:

Multiply 3.5 x 8.5 x 1.5 to get 31.25 cubic feet of total soil mixture.  As 27 cubic feet equals 1 cubic yard, it is safe to get 1 yard of topsoil along with 1/3 of yard of compost.  Allow a few days for the soil to settle.  Happy Planting!