Raised bed gardening is an ideal of growing vegetables, herbs and flowers which can not only utilize garden space but be a great asset for those with a bad back or for people who use a wheelchair.
Gardening using raised beds makes organic gardening easy and are especially useful if you want to grow particular fruits or vegetables that require specific soil types.
Raised gardening beds can be placed on allotments or in the yard and give more room for plants than containers. They will require less watering and are generally easy to maintain as the planting is normally closer together weed growth is suppressed. One of the great things about growing fruits and vegetables in raised beds if that pests can be controlled easily and netting can be put over to protection against birds or use the raised bed as a cloche by covering with glass or polythene.
Raised beds are a long term addition to the garden so the appropriate positioning has to be taken into consideration to ensure the plants have the right amounts of sun or partial shade.
The use of raised beds is ideal for creating sensory gardens, by using fragrant shrubs and herbs planted at a comfortable height not only for those with a sensory impairment as they are a delightful way to appreciate the scents by anyone who walks by.
Older people will also find raised bed gardening satisfying as there is less bending and can be maintained while sitting rather than kneeling down.
Raised bed gardening can be a fantastic way to introduce children to gardening as the raised bed ’s size can be large or small and an individual area which they can take responsibility for depending on their age.
Raised bed gardening is a useful way of recycling old railway sleepers and add a focal point to the garden. Raised beds can be made from a variety of materials, such as bricks and timber which will look most effect when they are made from bricks or timber from the local areas. By having a height variation of a few raised beds in the garden can give an informal look and add interest to a garden, particularly if fruits, flowers and vegetables are combined within the beds.
Strawberries are ideal for growing in raised beds as not only is it easier to maintain the plants and place straw around them, but raised beds can easily covered with netting which can be secured tightly to deter birds.
Many people like to grow vegetables such as asparagus, celery and endives in raised beds as the soil can be pushed up easily to help with bleaching.
If you wish to have plants which are invasive, such as mint, can be controlled most effectively by using raised bed gardening.
Learn the secrets to growing a successful organic vegetable garden.
Posted on September 3rd, 2008 by Jean-Helene
Filed under: Raised Bed Gardening | Comments Off