Raised Gardens Are All the Rage
What Is a Raised Garden?
Raised gardens were once the solution for those who wanted to plant flowers, herbs, plants and vegetables, but had a lawn stricken with poor soil quality. The raised garden bed is simply a wooden or stone structure placed on top of your existing lawn, and filled with good rich soil. You can also incorporate some of your existing soil, but it isn’t necessary.
Today, many homeowners build raised gardens not just to combat a poor soil problem, but also because they just look much nicer than a standard garden consisting of rows of dirt with a few scraggly plants protruding from them.
You can get as simple or as creative as you want with a raised garden, making it as large or as small as you like, incorporating water features, garden statuary, stone walls and much more. In fact, a simple search for “raised garden designs” will yield hundreds of fascinating results.
Why Are Raised Gardens Important?
Raised gardens are also a popular choice for many people because they offer several benefits that traditional gardens don’t. Because you aren’t working with native soil, you don’t have to wait as long for the ground to reach a more amenable temperature for planting, allowing you to start preparing your garden earlier. Additionally, you have more control over the soil, making planting easier as well.
Raised garden beds also provide better drainage, and the soil won’t become too compacted, helping your plants to grow better, and resulting in less maintenance for you.
And as an extra bonus, you don’t have to bend down as far to care for your plants or to snip herbs or pull vegetables. Raised garden beds can be raised even higher if they are built on supports, bringing them almost waist high.
What Are Some Things You Can Grow in a Raised Garden?
Because you have more control over the soil, and can essentially choose any type of soil you like from your local gardening or home improvement store, you can grow just about anything that can be grown in your climate. Everything from fruits and berries to herbs, vegetables and flowers, and possibly even small trees or shrubs, can be grown, as long as you provide enough depth for the roots to grow.
How to Care for a Raised Garden
You’ll be happy to know that once the raised garden is constructed and everything is planted, there is very little maintenance required. To help keep planting levels optimal, it is recommended that you cover the bed with fresh compost in the spring and fall. Adding mulch to the top of the soil also helps the bed to retain moisture and prevent weeds.
In conclusion, raised garden beds aren’t just a current trend. They could become the future of gardening once more people realize just how beneficial they are and how easy they are to take care of. Scarlett’s Landscaping staff can help you create a raised garden that’s all the rage!