It's Time To Extend Your Garden Bed Options
Preparing Garden Beds For Spring Planting
In this article Jesse Frost walks you through the steps to prepare beds for spring planting. Bed length, soil thickness and the width of the path are all important factors to take into account.
Line your garden with organic mulch like grass clippings, hay or straw. This smothers weeds and helps retain moisture.
Easy to Assemble
Garden beds are a wonderful way to plant flowers and vegetables in poor soil. They can be constructed of various materials, including natural rot-resistant timber stone, woven spruce concrete and composite plastic lumber. Some are even made into furniture, providing an attractive and practical touch to the home landscape. The majority of kits come with everything you need to construct the beds. This includes pre-cut parts like edges, bottoms and stands. Assembly is simple and requires only a few basic hand tools.
Begin by drawing the space. This will allow you to determine how many beds are needed to grow all of the plants and flowers you would like to grow. You can also decide on how wide the paths should be between the beds. Plan the shape and location of the beds, taking into account the sun's exposure. If possible, use an Google Earth overhead snapshot to determine the sun's direction and intensity in your garden.
Before you begin assembling the beds, lay the beds on the ground and clean the area. It is recommended to put down mulch or compost, like straw, leaves grass clippings wood chips, which can be turned into rich compost in time. starting a garden will help in reducing the weeds and help keep the soil moist, and provide nutrients to it.
When building the beds, be sure to avoid using pressure-treated wood such as creosote or pentachlorophenol-treated lumber, as these chemicals may leach into and injure plant roots. If you do decide to use treated lumber, put a thick layer of plastic in between it and the soil used for growing plants to prevent the direct contact between them.
Before adding soil to the area, cover it with a thick layer of multiple layers of newspaper or hardware cloth if there are many tall grass and weeds. This will also deter the burrowing of pests like voles and moles and is simple to get rid of after the weeds have gone.
Durable
Raised beds are an excellent method of growing flowers and vegetables in your garden. They are simple to put together and durable, so you can enjoy them for many years. There are many garden beds to choose from however, wood is by far the most well-known. Galvanized metals are becoming more popular. Which one is right for you?
While it is possible to construct raised garden beds from any of the materials available but some are better than others. Beds made of recycled materials such as old railroad fence posts or ties may be a good choice, but they are not as durable as beds made of wood or galvanized steel. They also tend to deteriorate more quickly in humid climates.
Recycled materials may contain harmful chemicals, like chromated copper arsenate (CCA), that will be released into the soil and your food crops. Even repurposed stock tanks can have a problem, as they'll begin to rust after a while.
Galvanized steel, on contrary, is more durable than wood. It's also lighter than other materials, meaning it's easier for one person to move them from the yard to an allotment garden. Galvanized raised beds are ideal for those who are planning to move into a new residence, as they can be taken apart.
Other options for durable garden beds are brick, concrete, and stone. They are also relatively inexpensive and can give a beautiful look to your landscape. Make sure to use non-porous materials to avoid rot.
Resin and plastic are also durable materials that can be used to construct raised garden beds. They are not as expensive as wooden garden beds and won't warp or rot in extreme temperatures. They are available in a range of colors that will complement your landscape, and some are naturally colored. Some brands claim that they don't require any maintenance for up to 15 years.
If you're looking for a distinctive look, try using curved or round flower beds to create a more rounded garden. These designs are particularly appealing in gardens with a slope.
Easy to maintain
Many gardeners create raised beds to make gardening easier. This could include making it less necessary to kneel for long periods of time and preventing soil from becoming muddy after heavy rain or winds. It is important to design your bed correctly in order to achieve the intended goal. The bed's height and the plants you select will determine the amount of maintenance required to keep it looking good.
A low-maintenance bed for flowers should feature hardy plants that will thrive year after year. You can also layer your plants. The taller plants should be positioned in the back, with the mid-height and ground cover plants lining the center. This makes the bed appear lush and full. Color can be added in winter by adding evergreen plants.
If you are planning to use your raised garden to grow vegetables, you must build it higher in order to accommodate the different requirements for the root depth of vegetables. Raised beds must be at least 4 feet wide. Any wider will be difficult to reach into without getting sucked into the soil. When you're getting ready to harvest your crops, you'll need to think about how far you're able to get away from the edge of the beds.
Vegetable-gardening raised beds must be lined with a weed barrier. This will prevent the soil from leaking out after rainy days and keep weeds in check. A plastic liner will also protect the beds from animal waste and other debris. If you are concerned about the plastic liner becoming too hot, use a breathable biodegradable material like jute, netting, or jute instead.
Another way to reduce the amount of work a raised vegetable garden requires is to add a layer of mulch. A layer of organic material, like shredded leaves, compost, or bagged commercial mulch, can help keep the soil cool and reduce evaporation. Mulching can help keep weeds away.
A low-maintenance raised flower bed should have plants that don't require any maintenance once established. There are many great options for hollyhocks (Helianthus annuus) Honeysuckle 'White delight and sage (Salvia elegans). Choose shrubs that suit the light conditions in your garden. For a border that is sunny, choose flowering shrubs like Philadelphus "Belle Etoile" and hydrangeas such "Annabelle." For shady areas, you can try heuchera, Sarcococca hookeriana or mahonia eurybracteata subsp. Ganpinensis "Soft Caress".
Great for Kids
Garden beds are ideal for children because they allow them to have their own personal plot of plants and vegetables that they can tend to with ease. Gardening can also encourage physical exercise in the sunshine and fresh air. This can improve overall health and cognitive functions. Gardening provides many opportunities for learning.
For instance, planting vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, and green beans is an excellent way to learn about nutrition. Then, kids can appreciate their hard work by eating the fruits and vegetables which they have grown and nurtured.
Another fun way to encourage kid involvement is by creating an imaginative herb or vegetable garden. For instance the pizza garden could include all the herbs required to make delicious pizza. This could help children learn to cook using ingredients that they grew themselves. It's also an excellent opportunity to discuss the importance of eating foods that provide brain-building vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
A garden is a great method to teach children about the cycles of nature's world and the roles played by the sun, water and soil in the growth of plants. It's also a great way to learn about other food sources, and to understand why it's so important not to waste any of the earth's resources.
Furthermore, children will be thrilled to observe their own garden grow from a tiny seed to a fruiting crop. It's an excellent way to promote social interaction since they will be working together in the garden. They'll also relish the excitement of awaiting to see which plant will first sprout.
To help promote learning, consider an elevated garden bed that is able to accommodate your children's unique needs. For instance, a garden bed that's 2 to 3 feet wide will give ample space for children to reach out and tend to their own garden of vegetables and flowers. This size is ideal for gardens where lots of physical work is required, like driving wheelbarrows or moving heavy soil.