Creating a Kitchen Garden, pt 2: Raised Beds

Welcome to part 2 of a 4 part blog series on Creating a Kitchen Garden. If you didn’t get a chance to join us last week, make sure to go back and find out the 3 most important questions to ask yourself before you get any dirt on your hands.

So let’s jump in to this week’s topic.

What do we do now that we know where we want our garden?

There are two primary ways to plant a garden: in the ground or in a container of some sort. For the longest time, it never occurred to me that I could grow veggies in something other than the ground. Maybe it was because, as a kid, I watched my mom plant corn and cucumbers in rows in our little backyard garden. I think sometimes we have a pre-set idea of what can and can’t be without even realizing it. And then I came across a woman named Nicole Burke on Pinterest – she started a company called Gardenary with the purpose of helping people design and install veggie gardens in RAISED BEDS. Whaat?! But once I saw it, I had to recreate it and it turned out to be the solution to my inability to successfully grow green things.

What is a raised bed?

It’s pretty simple. A raised bed is a container without a bottom.

In the ideal space, you would put the raised bed on top of dirt/grass/ground (not concrete, decking, asphalt) because then the roots of the plants have limitless depth to grow. It’s a way of simulating planting in the ground without the hassle. Once you get your structure placed on the ground, you fill it with great soil and get started. By the way, there is no Raised Bed Garden Police. If you want to put it on your driveway or other hard surface, you certainly can. Just keep in mind that the soil will likely stain the surface it’s on and the soiled water will naturally “run” out from under the bed when it rains or when you water. Obviously, this can get quite messy. But if it doesn’t bother you, than go for it!

Raised beds eliminate all the things I hate about gardening: the back-breaking digging/tilling, trying to figure out what amendments your native soil needs to be healthy, and weeding! I mean, once you take away all of those hurdles, gardening is AMAZING! Now let me put a little caveat on the weeding part. If you can build or buy a 2’ tall raised bed, weeds will never be an issue. The bed is simply too deep for weeds to burrow up through the soil. You may get an occasional airborne weed seed but it is easily removed. Also, the walled structure of the bed (regardless of height) will keep crab grass and clover and all the other things from creeping back in to take over your garden space.

Raised Bed Options

There are so many natural ways to create a raised bed. Concrete blocks, large rocks, logs, etc. However, if you want something a little more finished, here are some great options for building (or buying) your raised bed.

(Good Option) Pine – beds built from pine will only last 3 to 5 years before it begins to rot but it’s cheaper than cedar

(Better Option) Cedar – beds built from cedar will last up to 10 years before needing to be replaced but it’s expensive

(Best Option) Order a custom built cedar bed from Growin’ South if you’re in the North Atlanta area! Email us at info@growinsouth.com :)

Purchasing pre-made, synthetic beds are also an option and you can find them just about anywhere. If you are still wanting something pre-made but without using a plastic material, check out corten steel. It’s super cool, will literally last forever and they give a modern look to your garden space.

***IMPORTANT- pressure treated wood is not the route you want to go when making a garden bed. While it’s great for longevity, the “treated” part involves lots of chemicals you don’t want leaching into the soil of things you are planning to eat.

Resources

Here are some great resources for moving forward with your raised bed:

· Building plans

o www.gardenary.com/blog/how-to-build-a-raised-garden-bed-for-just-100

· Pre-Made Beds

o Gardeners.com

o Amazon

o Gardenary.com

o Home Depot/Lowes

Next week we’ll discuss how to create a planting plan to fill your beautiful new raised beds!