Have you ever considered building a raised bed at your home? This is a wonderful option for those that have a backyard but don’t want to dig into the tough sod, or those that just want an elevated way to garden.
There are many positive benefits to growing in a raised bed compared to directly in the ground, including:
- The ground is raised up to you, so you can save your back and knees,
- The soil that fills your bed is brought in by you, therefore there is no risk of lead contamination,
- There is only a one time commitment to building and filling your raised bed the first year. After that, it will be all set to plant in right away in the spring, with the addition of a bit of compost
- There are less weeds and better water retention in your soil,
- There will be less soil erosion (chance of your soil washing away),
- At the end of the season, all you have to do is cover it with some leaves or straw and wait until spring comes around again
- VINES has a ton of information on how to grow in a raised bed and even how to build one! Check out all of our raised bed gardening resources here.
- Finally, if you don’t have room in your own backyard, you can always apply to join one of VINES’ Community Gardens,
- Or check out our Build a Garden Program!
As always, happy gardening and let us know if you have any questions!