FRAMEWORK:

DIY RAISED VEGETABLE GARDEN.

Our latest project was creating a raised garden bed as a new home for our veggies and herbs. Last summer I planted veggies and herbs in pots and along the ground; however, Jimmy refused to eat or cook with any of them, because they were in the “danger zone” of Winston’s urination flow. Our raised beds are our new solution to keep future produce clean, safe, and fresh.

Before anything…think about the length and width of the bed that you want and need. We decided to go with a double bed and walkway down the middle. The form is known as the “U-shape” bed. Our beds are 16 ft. long and 10 ft. wide.

You need to utilize an area that receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day.

The materials that we used to build our raised bed can be purchased at Lowe’s or Home Depot. We bought:

• Wood Screws
• Pine & Cedar Planks
• Corner Posts

Tools:

• Tape Measurer
• Pencil
• Shovel
• Adjustable wood-working Bar Clamps
• Gloves
• Level

You will need a drill.

The biggest challenge with this project was that we had to alter the sides of our raised bed, because our yard is SUPER un-level. It can be described as a nonstop rolling hill.

It was most certainly a pain to build up one side with more boards while keeping all other sides perfectly balanced. Following, we had to dig out soil in order to fit boards along the middle section.

The next steps:

1. You will have to fill the beds with fertilized soil. If you compost, then be sure to mix your compost within fertilized soil. This isn’t an option, because you will need fresh, fertilized soil in order to produce vital veggies and herbs.
2. Map out where to place your veggies and herbs. Make sure to use appropriate spacing, as well as making sure plants are not amongst others that could hinder their growth.

A couple of friends that need to stay separated:

Tomatoes: cabbage, cauliflower, fennel, & potatoes

Radishes: Cabbage

Cabbage: Strawberries & Tomatoes

Squash: Potatoes

Cucumbers: Potatoes & Sage

Beans: Onions & Garlic

3. Optional, but think about it…you can add chicken wire to the sides of your raised beds to help prevent neighboring critters from stealing your produce. If you go with the “U-shape” beds, then think about attaching some type of gate that allows access into the beds.

Go from nothing to something, ya’ll. Keep life fresh.