Planning a Raised Bed Garden (Pt. 1)

Planning a Raised Bed Garden


People who suffered from the exceptional rainfall this year may be considering moving their garden into raised beds. This was done at our home quite a few years ago and we have learned some things. One thing we learned is that raised beds are the best way to garden.

Some of the issues to consider in planning the garden are: What will be planted, what kind of access to the beds will be needed, and how will the pathways between the beds be maintained. Many of the beds in our garden are ready to be renewed. This can be done without dismantling the beds, but we are taking this opportunity to put our experience to work in a redesign.

Beds can be almost any width, but over 4’ makes for really hard work when the center of the bed needs management. If a bed is against a fence or wall, 2’ should be the limit. Any bed that will be home to a squash plant should be at least 4’; and the squash will still be too big for the bed. Our new beds will all be 4’ wide and 12’ long. The length does not really matter much. 12’ was chosen for these beds because 12’ lumber is the longest that fits well in my truck.

2” X 12” lumber is being used for the sides of these beds. This is not very important. The deeper the bed, the more room there is for plant roots. The higher the sides, the easier the access for people who don’t like to bend over. Beds can be bordered with many different types of materials. Rocks, bricks, logs or concrete blocks can be used. A friend uses wine bottles. The perimeter beds in our garden are done with landscape timbers. Any type of lumber should be treated. Fears of contamination from the treatment are irrational, but people who are worried can seal the lumber with Urethane or something.

If there is no fence the pathways in one direction need to be aligned. If there is a fence the horizontal and vertical pathways should also be aligned. The garden does not have to be rectangular, but consideration should be given to making the individual beds accessible with a wheelbarrow or garden cart.

There are many ways for dealing with the pathways. Ours are standardized at 30” except for the one in front of the gate. That one is 36”. Some people like to let the grass grow between the beds and cut it with a lawn mower and a weed eater. This makes one of the nicest looking presentations, but the grass tends to send roots under the bed borders and invade the beds. Covering the ground with plastic or weed-block and mulch works well. The edges by the beds can still be a problem. We are hoping to solve this problem by using 36” weed block in the 30” pathways and stapling the weed block to the sides of the bed. Wish me luck.

David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://davidsegrest.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/