Time for another Tips from the Yard. Now is the time to consider the garden we will be working with, it’s time to consider raised beds for the garden. Is the yard small, is there a lot of clay in the soil, is the soil mucky and wet in the spring, and the most important question – can the gardener get down and up from the ground. There are other considerations but that last one, in my mind the most important.
The advantages of raised garden beds include;
- the beds heat quickly in the spring and stay warm longer in the fall
- The soil conditions can be controlled, too much clay, rocks, or no topsoil at all is easily improved
- The soil isn’t easily compacted so it drains well
- There is a measure of protection against voles and moles
- Season extending materials are easy to install, like hoops or row covers
- The garden has an organized appearance
- MOST IMPORTANTLY bending to reach the plants is reduced. The edges or the beds make great seating