My Lazy Gardener’s Secret
So here’s the thing.
I am a lazy gardener.
I fully own that and have no problem admitting it.
I don’t like to be hot and sweaty; I don’t like physically hard labor; I don’t like to get dirty … which is why I had a black thumb for the majority of my life. I mean, have you ever tried to plant an actual living thing into Georgia red clay?! It is essentially nature’s version of concrete. Once you’ve spent hours digging a hole that’s only the size of your fist, you’re hot and sweaty, sore, and dirty. See, all the things I hate. I figured gardening was just not for me.
Until I figured out the secret to being lazy AND being successful at gardening:
raised beds.
{If you’re new to the gardening world, a “raised bed” is a large structure made of wood, metal or plastic (usually without a bottom) that sits directly on top of the ground. Then, you fill the structure with soil and plant your seedlings.}
Until I started really doing my research, I thought raised beds were only for flowers. It never occurred to me that vegetables could be grown this way as well. Using raised beds (and if you really want to embrace the Lazy Gardening Life, using 24” deep raised beds) means no digging into hard ground, no weeds, no back-breaking bending over or painful kneeling on the ground.
I cannot emphasize enough how much of a game changer this is. It eliminates 90% of the hard work associated with gardening and makes it so much more enjoyable.
It’s pretty difficult to find 24” deep raised beds which is why my husband and I started making our own! Here is an excellent video from our friends at Homestead and Chill that walks you through one way to build your own beds – she builds her beds a little shorter but you can easily add a 4th layer of boards to create the taller beds I love. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0YkkovCWNI
If you haven’t tried this method, I really encourage you to look into using raised beds. Amazon has a ton to choose from and so do sources like Gardeners.com and Home Depot.
Welcome to the Lazy Gardener club!
Erin
