Today’s gardeners have been utilizing a ‘rediscovered’ method of planting. The raised bed has been around a long time but is making a come back because it allows for ease of gardening as well as being suitable for even the smallest area.
Benefits of gardening in this manner are numerous.
Raised beds allow for earlier planting and a longer growing season because they warm earlier and stay warmer longer.
Water is utilized better and the soil can easily be improved by adding compost, sand or other additives.
You are only working with a small area rather than an entire yard or garden area, another benefit is you never walk on the soil so compaction is never a problem.
Almost any plant can be grown in raised beds…everything from flowers to vegetables with only a few exceptions will do very well.
Beds can be constructed with a number of materials. There is no right or wrong building material, but in some cases the choice will be determined on what you plan on growing and your location. For a permanent raised bed concrete blocks are a great choice.
Blocks will tend to leach lime into the soil and if you are living in a coastal area where the soil is acidic the additional lime may just improve the soils ph to be more favorable for some plant varieties. If you live inland where the soil may be alkaline you need to consider this and correct any problems created by this leaching.
Wood may also be used and Cedar is a sound choice. This variety of lumber is strong and very resistant to rot and decay.
Redwood is also another naturally rot resistant material but is relatively expensive.
Pressure treated lumber is available in all lumberyards and home improvement stores. This product will also resist decay, and due to changes in processing of today’s lumber it should be considered safe to use in this application. Cost is considerably less than cedar or redwood.
Another choice for constructing your raised beds would be a natural material such as rock. This would be labor intensive but your bed could be a show case flower bed and a fantastic addition to any yard.
