Many people who have not had previous success gardening find that they have a green thumb when they use raised beds. There are many reasons for this. The gardener who uses a raised bed has total control over the quality of soil. It is much easier to keep insects and animals who enjoy snacking on the fruits of your labor out of the garden. And, this type of garden is much more accessible to the grower. This project doesn't have to be expensive, as there are some affordable, green options for construction available.
Control Soil Quality with Raised Bed
Depending on where you live, your soil may rich and productive, or it may be depleted of nutrients, too rocky, contain an excessive amount of clay, or have any combination of issues that keep it from supplying you with the lush plants you long for. Growing plants in a raised bed eliminates these problems and puts the ball in your court. You will optimally want to have about ten inches of loose dirt for plants to grow in. The bottom layer should be an inch or two of gravel or peat for drainage, followed by compost and or soil, mixed with manure. Don't forget to add some mulch to the top layer. Some inexpensive mulch ideas are dried grass clipping, pine needles, or hay.
Less Work, Fewer Pests with Raised Bed
Since your raised bed garden will be about 10 inches off of the ground and walled in, it will not be as accessible to small animals who may enjoy nibbling. To keep diggers such as gophers from popping in, line your garden with heavy duty plastic before adding soil. If you are not using the plastic layer, to keep any weeds from growing through and ruining all of your hard work, line the bottom of your raised bed with newspaper or cardboard. A great way to keep insects away frugally and naturally is to plant flowers and herbs that naturally repel them such as coriander, hyssop, lamium, marigold, mint, oregano, and petunia.
Your Garden at Your Fingertips
For your raised bed garden to be accessible to you from all angles, make sure it does not exceed 5 feet in width. Another plus with raised beds- since the garden is elevated you do not have to bend down as far when weeding and harvesting.
Building a Border on a Budget
Your raised bed garden will need a border surrounding it to prevent erosion. Fortunately, your options are only limited by your imagination. One green idea is to border your raised garden with bales of hay. Once the growing season is over, simply mix hay with the raised bed to compost during the winter. Another idea is to create a sort of paper mache' wall out of wet newspapers. If you have access to stones or cinder blocks, these can be stacked to create a border. To ensure stability, be sure to put the larger stones on the bottom, angling the smaller stones inward toward the raised bed as you stack them. Large logs can create a useful and rustic border as well. If you have more of a budget, you can build a border out of wood. If you choose to stain your wood, be sure to use a non toxic stain such as SoyShield Stain.
Sources
"Are there nontoxic stains that would be safe for wood planters in a veggie garden? - Green Home Guide." U.S. Green Building Council's Green Home Guide. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
"Cheap/Free Raised Circular Beds - Frugal Gardening Forum - GardenWeb." GardenWeb - The Internet's Garden Community. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
"Companion Planting." Golden Harvest Organics. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
"Home Tips : How to Build an Easy-to-Weed Raised Garden Bed." Home Tips - The Web's Most Helpful Home Improvement and Repair Site. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
"Low Cost Lasagna Beds." Simple, Green, Frugal Co-op. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
"SoyGuard Stain - SoyClean: Safe, Non-toxic, Natural, Bio-based Products." Household Products | SoyClean: Safe, Non-toxic, Natural, Bio-based Products. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
Vanderlinden, Colleen. "How To Make a Raised Bed Garden - Raised Bed Gardening." Organic Gardening. Web. 02 Feb. 2010.
Angel Chavis - Angel Chavis lives in NC with her husband, daughter, and various pets. She is a Christian, wife, homeschool mom, writer, student, and ...
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