| How to make a raised bed garden, if your space | | | | the lower growing ones. Like the tomatoes that |
| is limited, or you just want to garden on a smaller | | | | are growing taller, should be planted towards the |
| scale. | | | | west side of the bed, and the lettuce and spinach |
| In a raised bed you can plant the vegetables that | | | | on the east size. |
| you like the most. Make it so convenient, that | | | | When choosing the location of the raised beds, |
| when you are cooking or preparing your salads, | | | | make sure they are close to a water spigot, to |
| just step out of your kitchen and take a few | | | | make it easy to water. |
| vegetables or pinch off a few leaves of this and | | | | As for the choosing of the vegetables is a matter |
| that and go back in and get ready to eat the | | | | of what you like the most. Here are some ideas: |
| freshest vegetables possible. They can not get | | | | tomatoes, bell peppers, sweet banana peppers, |
| any fresher than that! | | | | hot peppers, (just make sure not to plant the hot |
| If you love herbs, build you a little Herb raised bed | | | | peppers close to the sweet ones to avoid cross |
| garden, and enjoy the best and freshest aroma | | | | pollination and make them all hot), cucumbers, |
| and flavour you can imagine. | | | | lettuce, spinach, radish, squash, etc. |
| Making the raised beds is not complicated and it | | | | For the cucumbers, if you will notice on the left |
| should not be expensive. You probably have some | | | | bed in the picture, I nailed two thin boards on the |
| lumber and other materials laying around in your | | | | ends of the bed, and tied a fence wire mesh, for |
| yard or barn, or somewhere along the fence in | | | | the cucumbers to climb on. This will save a lot of |
| your back yard. | | | | space. |
| A few 2x6x8 or 10 or 12, it depends on how | | | | If you like herbs, to spice up your cooking and |
| much space you have and how long you want to | | | | your salads, make a separate herb bed. You can |
| make them. | | | | plant parsley, dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, |
| The ideal width would be no larger than 4 feet, so | | | | cilantro, garlic chives, onion chives, sage, |
| you can reach easily from all sides. That is when | | | | peppermint, etc. |
| you build the beds rectangular shape. You can | | | | Herbs can be planted by seeds directly in your |
| make them in circles or triangles if you want to. | | | | raised garden or you can start them indoors in |
| Here is an example of a raised bed that I made | | | | some 3 or 4 inch pots, then when the danger of |
| from some scrap lumber, and I did not want to | | | | late frost is over, take them out of the pots with |
| cut, just adapted the bed to the size of the | | | | the soil undisturbed, and plant them in the garden. |
| material. Sometimes it works like that, and | | | | This way you will have an early start. |
| sometimes you cut it to the desired size. | | | | Watering: The drip irrigation is a better solution, |
| Just select a nice sunny spot, (a little partial shade | | | | instead of over head sprinkling. If drip irrigation is |
| is not going to hurt) the sunnier the better. Nail | | | | not affordable, water around the plants to get the |
| the boards together in the corners, like a frame. | | | | water to the roots. |
| If you place the bed directly on a grassy spot, | | | | Keep an eye on those pesky weeds, and pluck |
| and you do not want to remove the sod, place | | | | them out as soon as you see them. Other than |
| some cardboard or news papers on top of the | | | | that, there is not much to cultivate in a raised |
| grass. | | | | bed, just watch them growing and enjoy the |
| Now it is time to put the soil in the bed. If you | | | | fruits of your "easy" labour. |
| have some good rich top soil, that is good. If you | | | | Another thing to watch is the caterpillars, that you |
| do not have any top soil or the means to | | | | can control by removing them instead of using |
| transport it from the garden supply place, like a | | | | pesticides. You do not want to poison your body, |
| solid trailer, you can use ground pine bark. It is | | | | do you? |
| much lighter and it works just as well if not | | | | So, as you can see, a raised bed gardening is not |
| better. | | | | hard to make at all! If you love nature and you |
| That is what I use in my raised beds as well as in | | | | want to have some good quality preoccupation in |
| all my pot planting, and in my propagation by | | | | the tranquility of your little paradise, go for it! You |
| rooted cuttings, which I will talk about in an other | | | | will be glad you did! |
| article. | | | | If you enjoyed this post I invite you to come |
| On a bed of the size of 4x10 mix into the pine | | | | back soon, as I am dedicated to post more |
| bark about 4 bags of 50 pound well composted | | | | information and related articles for the gardening |
| cow manure, and a few handfuls of organic | | | | enthusiasts, and anyone who is contemplating to |
| fertilizer. Mix it well and level the soil. Now you are | | | | garden, be it for a hobby, convenience, or just to |
| ready to plant. | | | | forget about the troubles of the world. Nature can |
| Consider on what side of your property is the sun | | | | be one of your best friends. |
| rising, and plant accordingly, so that the taller | | | | And do you know what I like about growing |
| growing plants are not going to cast a shade on | | | | plants? They never talk back! |