Raised Garden Bed Construction
Proper garden bed construction can make a garden much easier to plant and protect against pests
A video transcript featuring Scott Cohen, The Green Scene
These side yards are so often forgotten, and in this case the previous owners just paved over the whole thing, just solid concrete. The new owners wanted to make something out of the side yard space, so I suggested cutting in some vegetable beds. They like to grow their own herbs and vegetables. This is a great place to do it, and so what we did is cut out part of the concrete, remove it to make room for the planters, and then we're building masonry block walls at about 18 inches high.
Advantages of raised bedsBy raising the beds, it makes it a little easier to work the beds when you're tilling and preparing and planting and weeding, and all the things you need to do when you're growing your own vegetables. It takes an area of about 3 by 3 feet to raise enough carrots to feed a family of four year-round, and there's still room leftover for tomatoes, zucchinis, and other vegetables that you might like to have in your own backyard. When beds are raised like this, it's easier to control insects and you don't have the problems with rabbits that can just get right up to the beds. It's a real problem in this area, so consider raising your flowerbeds to 18 inches when you want to grow your own vegetables.
