Raised Beds Changed My Life

I was contemplating raised beds for months. Since we moved into our new place, all of the yard space and spring air has made me feel very back to nature. I had been coasting by with a few containers and a obnoxious Topsy Turvy, but it felt incomplete.

With the baby and my busy husband, I never felt I had time to ever put it together. But my parents have been staying with us for the last week, and in their first couple of days here, my father helped me put them together. Here is a quick run down of supplies and cost for 2 very efficient 3x3 raised bed...

• Two 12' x 10" boards, cut into 3" pieces by the good people at the Home Depot - 24$
• Eight 12" stakes - $4.80
• Four bags of 'Rose Grow' 1.5 cu.ft. - acquired at your friendly local Armstrong or nursery - $36
• 1 large bag vermiculite - $13
• 1 bag composted cow manure (not necessary)
• 7 organic starter plants from nursery - $14-$16
• Total cost =  $91 - $93

A raised bed can be done for a considerably smaller amount of money if started pre-season with seeds and if your current soil situation is more favorable than mine.

We broke ground around 2pm, and had our holes dug about 3.30 (about 6 inches down). You must be sure to dig the holes larger than what you need, and fill dirt around the boxes after setting them in. We assembled the boxes in that time with two 1 3/4 inch wood screws on each panel.

After putting them in the ground, we leveled them by eye (nothing fancy here) and staked them in by placing one in each corner and screwing them to the boards. (Important) We then turned a bag of vermiculite and half the cow manure into the dirt dug up to place the boxes in the ground. After evenly distributing the mixture between the two boxes, we put two bags of Rose Grow on the top of each box. I then worked in the plants, being careful to not disturb their roots, most vegetables do not like this.

DO NOT STAMP DOWN THE DIRT! It should be so light and airy, that you can just place your fingers in the soil and push it around a bit to get the plants in.

All of my vine plants were put into one box so I would only have to build one large trellis. The bush beans fell through, as a local cold snap killed my seedlings. The picture above is not an accurate representation of what lays in my garden, it is rough and does not include the Yellow Little Necks and Eggplant I purchased at my last trip to the nursery - after this photo was taken.

Discovering the space in between the two boxes was just a few inches too small for me to get my feet in between, I put bricks on either end, filled the box with left over dirt, and sowed butterfly garden seeds to attract beneficial insects.

I go outside most days and just stare at our garden, or sit on the walkway with Levi, admiring our work, naming all the insects and plants we see. I can't wait until he is older and can grasp what a neat thing this all is.

I am amazed I've lived so long without a garden. I am completed