For the last 5-10 years gardening with raised beds has seemingly been the most popular method of backyard gardening. It has been purported to solve…
I’ve had a lot of gardens over the years. My early gardens consisted of mainly raised garden beds. When I say raised…
When considering when to start your garden, tradition might tell you that Autumn and Winter are desolate seasons, and your gardening hobby has to be tabled until the Spring. However when you are planting in raised garden beds, nothing could be further from the truth. No matter where you live, these late seasons still have many advantages to offer when it comes to starting and maintaining your garden. In fact, Winter is the very best time to prepare your garden for an abundant season in the Spring. 1. Cultivating The Perfect Ecosystem While easy to build and seemingly simple to the naked eye, every raised garden bed is actually a complex microclimate, teeming with life in a rich ecosystem deep within the soil. More than just the earthworms we all know and love, the branches, twigs, leaves and other plant waste in the soil are also breaking down over time, and returning vital nutrients to the soil that plants can later use to grow healthy and strong. In a previous blog, we discussed the Hugelkultur Method, wherein yard waste and other organic material are layered inside the raised garden bed, to take up space and provide essential nutrients for your plants as they decompose. Since it takes about 4 months for organic waste to break down, the ideal time to begin preparing your raised garden beds using the Hugelkultur method is actually in the Winter. Beginning the Hugelkultur process now allows time for the branches, leaves, and other organic matter at the bottom of the raised bed to decompose and return essential elements to your soil. This means that by the time Spring rolls around, your raised garden soil is at its optimal nutrient capacity and is ready for you to begin planting. 2. Sustainable Materials Collecting the materials to fill your raised garden bed can take some time, and a successful Hugelkultur system uses quite a bit of yard waste in order to fill the raised garden bed. There is no better time than the Fall and Winter to collect the materials to fill your garden beds, as the Hugelkultur method uses branches, sticks, and piles of fallen leaves as well as other yard waste to fill the bed. The Fall and Winter seasons are the perfect time to set up Vego Garden raised garden beds as you can take advantage of the seasons and sustainably repurpose your piles of raked leaves and broken branches and twigs from trimmed trees to sustainably fill the beds. Keep in mind that collecting the volume of yard waste needed can take some time, which is another reason why getting started in the Fall or Winter is preferred. 3. Schedules and Supply Chains Another advantage of starting your garden in the Winter is avoiding scheduling conflicts and supply chain issues. Landscaping companies are often busiest in the Spring, during their peak season, and they may be difficult and costly to schedule if you require assistance clearing yard waste, or assembling and filling your raised garden beds. Taking advantage of their more open schedule in the Fall and Winter means you’re more likely to secure reasonable rates, and start your gardening project on the ideal time schedule. Preparing your garden in the Winter also negates concerns about supply chain issues that have disrupted the global economy during the last two years. Buying compost, mulch, and other gardening supplies will be easier now than it will be in the peak season this coming Spring. 4. Natural Mood Booster With the colder seasons sometimes come the Winter Blues, but staying active in your garden is a great way to naturally boost your mood. Every gardener knows that gardening provides great exercise, tending to your raised garden beds and plants, but gardening can also provide a therapy of sorts. Moments to connect with nature, breathe in the fresh air and sunshine, and precious time with loved ones in the garden all help cultivate mindfulness that keeps you grounded during the shorter days. Gardening in the winter does not have to be a barren season, as there are also many varieties of vegetables to tend in the Winter, especially if you install a cover to shield your plants from frost. Here in zone 9a, where Vego Garden is headquartered, this 60-70 degree season is the ideal time for cole crops (members of the mustard family like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi.) You can also start planting seeds this season for crops including garlic, lettuce, carrots, beets, turnips and collards. 5. Decorate For The Holiday Season No matter whether you are using the Fall and Winter seasons to prepare the perfect Hugelkultur, or if you’re taking advantage of your area’s seasonal harvest, you can always add some pizzazz to your raised garden with seasonal decorations. Because of their durability, Vego Garden raised garden beds are perfect for decorating, as you can easily change the decor from season to season. Consider adding a friendly scarecrow to the garden, or trimming the edges with an edible garland for the birds. You can even decorate the surface of the bed with tape or paint. The possibilities are endless for both the inside and the outside of your garden this Fall and Winter. productarticletag_article[academy/why-is-aluzinc-steel-the-best-material-for-raised-garden-beds,articles/why-is-everyone-obsessed-with-modular-garden-beds,articles/8-excellent-reasons-to-use-raised-beds-in-your-garden]article_productarticletag
Raised Garden Bed. Medium. Perfect for your own little veggie patch or a pretty floral garden bed. Made exclusively for Warran Glen, these garden beds are made from corrugated metal and timber. Also available in two other sizes. Perfect for backyards with little lawn space. W122cm x H50cm
Want to know the secret to beautiful garden containers? These plant lists tell you exactly which plants you need to create these eye-catching planters.
Make your summer a little greener.
Planning a vegetable garden but all you have room for is a 10 x 10 space? You might be surprised by what you can grow. Whether you're looking for inspiration or a garden plan to use right away, you'll find something that works in one of these examples. Table of contentsPlan 1: The summer classicPlan
Learn how to build super easy, fast, and attractive raised garden beds! This is a 30-minute DIY project & is perfect for growing your own vegetable garden!
Looking for 4x8 raised bed vegetable garden layout inspiration? Here are some tips on choosing what to grow and how to get multiple harvests.
25 best vegetable garden design ideas & easy layout plans for beginners & pros to grow your own food in a front or backyard edible landscape.
Click for an up close look at this potager design layout for a raised bed vegetable garden. The detailed diagrams have great examples of companion planting and intercropping.
Everything you need to know about building and starting a raised garden bed! This post will help you begin with confidence!
As we all know, growing in a raised bed is much easier than growing in a normal garden because of so many reasons like the…
Are you trying to redesign your outdoor space with limited fund? Check out our inexpensive raised garden bed ideas for new inspiration!
Vegetable Garden Bed Designs for your gardening inspiration! There are some great ways to grow food, check out these Vegetable Garden Bed Designs
25 best vegetable garden design ideas & easy layout plans for beginners & pros to grow your own food in a front or backyard edible landscape.
Summer Garden Update When I started sharing about our new DIY raised garden beds this...
Make your summer a little greener.
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
Do you know that you can recycle some old items and build a beautiful raised garden bed for your flowers and veggies? The best part is that won't break the bank.
As we all know, growing in a raised bed is much easier than growing in a normal garden because of so many reasons like the…
Get the inspiration & know-how to build your own raised garden bed with these six inexpensive raised garden bed ideas!
Do you know that you can recycle some old items and build a beautiful raised garden bed for your flowers and veggies? The best part is that won't break the bank.
In this post we cover the basic elements of how to construct wooden raised beds with simple techniques so that anyone with basic skills and tools can do it!
Kitchen garden installation pictures are beautiful and inspiring. See some of the best before and afters from kitchen garden designer Nicole Burke.
If you're adding a new raised garden bed, you may wonder if you need to line it and how you should fill the bottom. Here are your options.
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
a beautiful solution to keep pests out of our lettuce
Grow your own fruit and vegetable garden on a budget with these cheap and easy DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas for backyards, porches, and patios.
Make your summer a little greener.
Do you know that you can recycle some old items and build a beautiful raised garden bed for your flowers and veggies? The best part is that won't break the bank.
Building a raised bed is the perfect DIY project. We'll help you get started our step-by-step guide. No special DIY skills required! Find ou
10 of the best vegetables for raised garden beds. If you're looking for a bountiful harvest, these vegetables are among your best options.
how to DIY garden bed cover for your raised bed to protect your vegetables from animals. DIY garden cover witth chicken wire for a garden enclosure with fence.
Make your summer a little greener.
Make your summer a little greener.
UPDATE: To see photos of my completed beds with lots of veggies and flowers, follow me on Instagram ( 33shadesofgreen ) where I use the...
