Raised Bed Revolution

Build It, Fill It, Plant It ... Garden Anywhere!

Tara Nolan

• Publisher: Cool Springs Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780760350812
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Horticulture
• Index: Biological Sciences

Raised bed gardening is the fastest-growing garden strategy today, and Raised Bed Revolution is the definitive guidebook to mastering this consistently proven and effective gardening method.

Raised Bed Revolution provides you with information on size requirements for constructing raised beds, height suggestions, types of materials you can use, and creative tips for fitting the maximum garden capacity into small spaces— including vertical gardening.

Enhanced with gorgeous photography, this book covers subjects such as growing-medium options, rooftop gardening, cost-effective gardening solutions, planting tips, watering strategies (automatic water drip systems and hand watering), and more. The process of creating and building raised beds is a cinch, too, thanks to the extensive gallery of design ideas and step-by-step projects.

This gardening strategy is taking serious root. Why? Several reasons:

• Raised beds allow gardeners to practice space efficiency as well as accessibility (the beds can be customized to be any height).
• Raised beds permit gardeners to use their own soil, and they can be designed with wheels for easy portability if partial sunlight is a problem.
• Water conservation is easier for gardeners who use raised beds.
• Pest control is assisted because most garden pests can't make the leap up into the raised bed. For yards that struggle with drainage, raised bed gardening offers a no-brainer solution. Raised beds simply create a more interesting yard!

Find out more about why everyone is joining the raised bed revolution, roll up your sleeves and join in!

CHAPTER 1

GALLERY OF RAISED BEDS

Here’s a little inspiration to get you started on the path to having your own raised beds.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jessica Walliser

A metal archway secured to two raised beds curves over a pathway and lifts vining vegetables up and away from the soil. This helps prevent them from rotting and getting eaten by pests. It also makes for a cool-looking garden because the vegetables become an ornamental feature. Jessica Walliser

Not only do cabbages fill in a raised bed and crowd out weeds, they also make for very attractive plants that could hold their own in a perennial garden. Think of all the ornamental cabbages you see in garden centers come autumn. If you plant edible ones, they not only make a lovely border, but they can also be eaten! Karen Bertelsen

A larger raised bed in the Governor’s Garden at the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, is a historically accurate representation of an eighteenth-century raised bed garden. It features a handy pathway that ensures the gardeners who plant and weed will not be stepping into the beds. Trish Fry

Wide pathways and flat surfaces mean that wheelchairs and walkers can easily maneuver around the raised beds at the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Trish Fry

A colorful shed and multiple climbing plants make this raised bed area feel like a green-filled alcove pulled from the pages of The Secret Garden. Lorraine Flanigan

Raised beds can be colorful, lively additions to a backyard. Amy Andrychowicz

This kitchen garden at Beechwood Gardens in Johannesburg, South Africa, offers multiple points of inspiration, from the orderly raised beds made of stone to the obelisks and potscaping. Donna Dawson

If you’re building a raised bed out of wood, other materials c...