Raised Bed Gardening
Gardens do great things for your home, the least of which is provide a little eye candy for yourself and the neighbors. You can grow vegetables or decorate your yard with colorful flowers, but what if you want a particular area of your garden to be the focal point? You can try to get wild and crazy with what you’re planting but that’ll probably end in disaster. What you really need is to do a little raised bed gardening.
US $165.00
End Date: Wednesday Mar-10-2010 14:20:37 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $165.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
US $193.00
End Date: Thursday Mar-11-2010 9:49:26 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $193.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
US $193.00
End Date: Thursday Mar-11-2010 10:18:50 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $193.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
US $121.00
End Date: Friday Mar-12-2010 18:50:25 PST
Buy It Now for only: US $121.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
US $284.00
End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 14:14:08 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $284.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
US $189.00
End Date: Sunday Mar-14-2010 14:15:56 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $189.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Raised bed gardens are those little squares or rectangles of flowers and vegetables over compost that are elevated from the ground and framed with attractive wood or stone. Some individuals like piling their raised bed gardens to waist height, others prefer them a few inches high – it depends on what they’re supposed to accomplish.
What’s So Great About Raised Bed Gardening?
They may be beautiful, but there are reasons why raised bed gardening is considered so rewarding. First, the individual plants are usually dug very close to one another, much closer than in traditional gardening. This helps conserve moisture and also prevents against the growth of weeds. Second, you can really start cranking out the output on your veggies if you plant along sloped lines in the raised bed, thereby recycling water and considerably lowering the chances for damaging erosion.
Temporary Vs. Permanent?
Your first decision after deciding to build a raised bed garden is whether you’re going for a permanent location or a temporary one. Going temporary requires less work and even less maintenance, but for long term gardeners, temporary isn’t going to cut it.
A good example for temporary raised beds is inside of a crate, or a standing wooden barrel. These make big beds that stand out and make great conversation pieces.
Choosing Wall Material
All you need to do to get started is pick out what to use to separate your raised bed garden from the rest of your yard. You might want to use wood based products here, such as treated lumber, as its extremely cheap and effective Depending on what you want to achieve, you could also use old railroad ties or lumber that is naturally rot resistant, or even bricks or concrete blocks. Anything will work as long as it allows you to build your bed upward from the ground.
Getting Decorative
Now that you’ve set up the basics, it’s time to really let your artistic side flow. If you’re doing flowers, pick matching colors that reflect you. Want a calm atmosphere? Pick up some lavenders. Would you prefer a passionate message? Try some red perennials. Always remember to make sure any flowers you purchase aren’t poisonous, especially if you have young children or outdoor pets or if you plan on growing vegetables alongside them. If you’re up for a challenge you can even make a flowery border of one color that contrasts nicely with a second color in the middle. There are so many options here, so use your imagination with some trial and error.
Raised bed gardening conserves water and prevents soil damage while providing you and all passersby with a beautiful view that you can cultivate year after year. The sky is the limit – literally – with patience and a good imagination.