Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: Why a raised garden bed?
My community puts on a Garden Tour each year. This year there was a place with only raised beds. It was beautiful.
I asked her why and she simply said she doesn’t want to bend down any more. That was the best answer I could think of!
More reasons to love raised beds:
- You control the soil type
- Better drainage
- Soil heats up faster in spring allowing you to plant earlier
- Weeds are not an issue
Raised beds can be used for vegetables, annuals and even perennials if they’re deep enough.
Raised beds certainly aren’t a new idea but one of those good ideas from WAY back that have COME back! Many years ago I took some Master Gardener classes with Vince Fritz at the University of Minnesota Extension. He shares that the easiest, and I’ll add, cheapest, raised bed is one simply made of soil. Bring in the soil to build the bed, or excavate 3 to 4 inches down around the bed. Whether you dig out your pathways or not, be sure the access areas around the raised beds are at least 24 inches wide. Decide the size you want. If you will only be able to reach from one size then don’t make it any wider than 2 ½ ft. Here are the full instructions This bed is obviously still low but it does make a difference in working it.
You can custom build your raised bed out of various materials from 2×4’s to stock tanks and more. Always remember to add drainage.
Thanks for sharing this photo, Lois!
Check out this link to build a raised bed that is wheelchair friendly. More on Adaptive Gardening.
And of course, you can purchase too. I’ve seen some nicely constructed wood ones on Facebook Marketplace and elsewhere. You can also find a ton on Amazon but if you can buy locally, then give that a try first!
Or create your own! Designs are online, again, I don’t want to link you to Amazon.
