Although gardening is an excellent hobby, sometimes you’ll run into challenges along the way. For instance, the soil in your yard may not be suited for the plants that you want to grow. Maybe you live in an apartment, and you don’t even have a yard to begin with. Or perhaps, you’re getting overwhelmed dealing with pests and insects.
If you’re facing any of these challenges or any other gardening problems for that matter, does that mean all hope is lost? Not necessarily — especially with raised garden beds.
A raised garden bed is an elevated garden bed that sits higher than the surrounding soil or ground, hence the name. It’s usually supported by some frames or enclosure although this is not always the case.
These ‘garden boxes’ are perfect whether you have a big or small space (and even without one) to work on. They come in different sizes, designs, and shapes that make them suitable for any situation. They are a must-try project for your spring garden.
Why Raised Garden Beds?
Poor soil is no longer a problem
It’s true that even the poorest of soils can be improved to make suitable for gardening. However, doing so takes a lot of time and effort. Raised garden beds will make your gardening life so much easier.
Once set up, you can simply fill the bed with a nutrient-rich soil blend. You also get good aeration and drainage because there’s just no way the soil on the bed will be stepped on. And when you have healthy soil that won’t get compact due to traffic, you get healthier plants.
Flexibility
The ideal place to put raised garden beds is, anywhere! Where a traditional garden is not possible, you can put raised garden beds. The only condition though, is that the location needs to get at least six hours of sunlight a day. But if you plan to grow plants that prefer the shade, then the location wouldn’t matter so much.
Accessibility
Having access to your plants becomes easier because raised garden beds are elevated. This eliminates the need for stooping and bending over. This basic feature of raised garden beds works to the advantage of older people as well as those who suffer from backaches.
Keep anything unwanted away
Pests, insects, and invading species of plants are all enemies of gardeners. Raised garden beds will help you get rid of these problems. It’s not going to be 100% effective though as some animals may still find their way into your precious plants. Still, an elevated garden will do a great job of minimizing the damage.
Allows you to plant early and extend the growing season
Creating the perfect springtime garden means that you’ll need to go out there and do some work. Although this season is the ideal time to start planting, the weather can still be unpredictable sometimes.
During spring, the soil in raised garden beds warms up sooner than the surrounding area. This means that you can start planting earlier than when you usually would. Additionally, you can extend the growing season by adding a cold frame to your beds.
Garden Bed Ideas
There are so many different raised garden bed ideas that you can take inspiration from. If it’s your first time to construct one, start with a simple design. As you gain more knowledge and confidence, you can move on to the more challenging ones.
Here are a few to get you started.
The basic square
If you want something that’s simple and will do the job, go for the simple square design. It’s perfect for keeping plants organized without the need to add any other fancy features. The straightforward design of this raised garden bed requires basic carpentry skills which is a big plus.
If you have very limited space, you can use this raised bed to grow herbs to enhance your cooking. This way, you’ll have fresh and home-grown ingredients for whenever you cook for the whole family.
Raised bed with built-in benches
One of the benefits raised garden beds have is accessibility. They make tending to your plants less of a hassle since they’re elevated from the ground. If you want additional comfort, you can take things up a notch by adding benches to each side of the bed for you to sit on.
Do this, and you will never have to worry about aching backs from gardening. What’s more, you can use the benches as a perfect place for your potted plants or even flowers. A brilliant idea!
Install solar lights
Working in your garden can be pretty hard as the season shifts towards the hot summer. This is why most people would prefer to work in their gardens after the sun has set. It’s not only logical, but it’s also more comfortable to do so.
And while traditional lights will do a fine job of illuminating your garden area, there is a much better option in the form of solar lights. How solar lights can benefit your home and garden, and is something that has already been proven by a lot of gardeners who already made the switch from traditional lights.
Not only are solar lights convenient and practical to use, but they’re also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint while saving you money in the process.
Build your raised bed with railway sleepers
The humble railway sleeper can be used for different applications. But one of the most common uses for them is in gardens either for aesthetics, functionality, or both. Specifically, you should consider constructing your raised beds with railway sleepers.
What makes this idea great is that it’s so easy to do. It’s as simple as putting together blocks of wood which is very similar to playing with lego. Depending on how high you want the raised beds to be, you can add a second or a third layer of sleepers.
Add covers to your raised beds
Critters and other unwanted visitors can be prevented from wreaking havoc on your crops or flowers by growing them in raised beds. But sometimes these creatures can still find their way to your precious plants.
Adding a removable cover to your raised beds is a brilliant way to stop these critters getting at your plants. The cover you use will determine the results. For example; clear plastic sheeting will allow light through and keep pests out if sealed properly. However, this could create a circulation problem so would be a better option in cooler months.
You can also try using a fine mesh. This will allow for circulation and sunlight to get through and will keep most pests out. However, a fine mesh won’t be able to keep the smallest of pests out that can fit through the holes.
Protect from the elements
Extending the growing season is one of the things that raised garden beds can do for you. But to do so, you need a specific kind of bed to make this possible. Instead of a cover, it has a lid that can be closed to protect your plants not only from critters but more importantly, from harsh winds and cold weather.
During the cold seasons, the lid serves as a protection from frost and other harsh elements. This also allows you to grow species of plants and flowers past their ideal seasons.
