Have you ever had a garden? How about a raised bed garden? I’ve had both kinds of gardens, but today I’m sharing simple tips for starting a raised bed garden.
My youngest son recently bought a home and it came with five raised beds, in his backyard. He was so generous to open it up to the whole family. Together we are planting, maintaining and eventually we will be harvesting it. I hope you follow along this growing season and see what we plant and how it does!
“Gardeners are good at nurturing, and they have a great quality of patience, they’re tender. They have to be persistent.” — Ralph Fiennes
What is a Raised Bed Garden?
I don’t like to assume everyone is a gardener. Therefore, some of you may be asking what is a raised bed garden? Creating a raised bed garden is a form of gardening where the soil is raised above ground level and the garden is enclosed in some way. The framework for a raised bed can be made out of wood, rock, concrete or other materials.
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“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips
Why I Started a Raised Bed Garden
Like a bazillion other people in America, I was searching for ways to fill my quarantine time during the pandemic. I decided I wanted to try and grow a small garden. Here at the cottage, we don’t have an ideal spot for a large one, but I thought I could nurture a raised bed garden. So I ordered two raised beds online and Big Al put them together for me.
It wasn’t a large garden but was big enough to plant and grow a small quantity of vegetables. The best part, we had something to devote a little of our excess time to and it gave us some yummy veggies.
My Tried & True Michigan Planting Calendar
3 Essential Steps to Starting Your Raised Bed Garden
Please know, I am not a master gardener. However, if you’re a beginner gardener and want to grow in a raised bed garden and are unsure where you should start, don’t worry, I’ve been there! I have learned a ton through trial and error, over the years, and I’m going to give you all the tips that I have used along the way. Hopefully, I can help you start achieving your raised bed garden dreams with three essential steps!
Step 1 – Choosing the Best Location for Your Raised Bed
Choosing the right location is one key to a successful garden. Sunlight, drainage, and accessibility are key to a thriving garden. You want a location that receives at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. It’s important to note that the sun should reach both sides of your garden bed.
The area you choose should also be level and well-drained. While we add new soil to our raised beds, consider what’s underneath. Avoid areas with known persistent weeds or compacted soil that might hinder drainage from the bottom of your raised bed.
Our family garden has three beds in direct sunlight and two that get afternoon shade. Because the beds were already there, full of soil, and not wanting to move them, we had to be very mindful of what we planted in the back two beds. I used one of them to plant Zinnia seeds! They are so easy to grow and turned out it was the perfect spot for them!
“Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden.” – Robert Brault
Step 2 – Let’s Build It! Simple Steps to Constructing Your Raised Bed
What size should you make your raised beds? If you are attempting to make your own, the typical size is 3 to 4 feet wide and the length depends on the space available in your garden location.
If you plan on building your own garden beds and are going to use wood, make sure it is untreated. Treated lumber can contain chemicals that can seep into the soil. Even though newer treated lumber is considered safe by the EPA, many gardeners avoid any possible risk of these chemicals contaminating their fruits and vegetables. There are plenty of DIY downloadable plans on Etsy that you can choose from.
If building your own raised garden beds out of wood isn’t your cup of tea, then galvanized steel raised beds are a fantastic alternative. They are long-lasting, weatherproof, and come in a variety of sizes to suit your needs.
Also, your beds should be square and level. Once complete, fill your raised beds with an equal part mixture of top soil, compost and peat moss. There are other items you can fill your bed with, like worm castings. However, the mixture I suggested provides a good balance of drainage, aeration, and nutrients for healthy plant growth, giving you a great start.
The garden beds at my son’s house are home-made and quite large. Three of the beds are 4 x 8 and two of the beds are 2 x 8. Spending a day cleaning out the beds and amending your soil, each year, is a must for healthy plants, too.
If you’re ready to discover your garden potential check out all my garden essentials!
Step 3 – What to Grow? Simple Choices for Your First Raised Bed
Now that your raised beds are ready for planting, the fun part begins! The goal of a raised bed garden is to grow your own fresh produce, so chose plants that you and your family love. One of the best tips for gardening for beginners is to research and select easy to grow plants that are well-suited to raised bed environments. Growing items you enjoy eating will make the process that much more fun and exciting, too!
Below are some things to consider when selecting your plants.
- Think about your climate: Before choosing your plants, it’s important to understand the climate in your area. Different plants thrive in different climates, so make sure to choose plants that are suited for your region. You can refer to the Farmer’s Almanac to find out what your planting zone is.
- Choose easy-to-grow plants: As a beginner gardener, it’s best to choose plants that are easy to grow and require minimal maintenance. Some good options for a raised bed garden include tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and green beans.
- Look for plants with a short growing season: Since you’re just starting out, you may want to choose plants that have a short growing season. This will allow you to see the fruits of your labor sooner and give you the confidence to continue gardening. Who doesn’t like feeling accomplished and a little more confidence can go a long way! Am I right?
- Consider the size of your raised bed: Make sure to choose plants that will fit comfortably in your raised bed. If you have a small raised bed, you may want to choose plants that don’t take up too much space, such as herbs or cherry tomatoes. Unknowingly, the first year we put zucchini in a bed with some bell peppers and let me just tell you, it didn’t work out so good. Zucchini grows like crazy and will take over a large space. Needless to say, we didn’t have much luck with the bell peppers that year. Lesson learned!
Raised Bed Garden FAQs
Ready to Grow? Your Raised Bed Adventure Awaits!
I hope you have enjoyed my simple tips for starting a raised bed garden. With these easy beginner steps, you will be able to create your own raised bed garden! Consider keeping a garden journal so you can refer to it next year. This really helps in deciding what worked and what didn’t.
It’s so important to remember, you are never too young or old to learn the basics of gardening. With the right soil, a little love and hopefully the perfect amount of rain and sunshine, everyone can learn to grow a garden!
Now that you have your simple tips for starting a raised bed, you might also find my post on Essential Supplies for a Raised Bed Garden helpful for a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need. And once your garden is thriving, be sure to check out our tips in Easy Ways to Maintain a Raised Bed Garden to keep it healthy and productive all season long!
I’ll definitely be sharing more of our family gardening adventure, so stayed tuned for more gardening tips!
Happy growing!
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Such great tips, Kim! I don’t have room in our room for raised beds but my daughter is just about ready to take the plunge. I am definitely sharing this article with her. Thanks so much for a great post!
Thanks so much, Missy! So glad you can pass this along to your daughter! Have a great weekend!
Love the family pics! This is going to be a good project this Summer. Not that getting the garden gloves of Brookey will get any easier…
Hey! Let’s hope it gets easier! LOL
Love my raised bed. Thanks for the new tips. Love the photos of the family getting involved!
They are fun! Thanks Kay!
Love the family doing this garden together. My daughter just made a few raised gardens. The grandkiddos are all excited about it. I love it when gardening involves the family. Great tips here, Kim.
Oh, that will be so fun for the kids! Thanks so much, Tammy!
Kim I loved seeing these pictures and your tips! I can’t wait to see how they turn out. Love!!!
I appreciate that, Kelly!! Thanks so much!
Love the idea of a family garden! How fun for all of you. We do not have raised beds but are planning a few in the future. Our biggest problem…deer. I am bookmarking this post and all of your tips! Happy Weekend.
We also have deer! However, we recently fenced in our yard, so we will be all good this year! Thanks for saving my post. Have a wonderful day and week ahead, Elizabeth!
Kim, your grandbabies are so precious! I love these tips! I am starting a garden and I need all the help I can get!
Thank you so much, Amy! I’m sure your garden is going to be great!
Love a raised bed, mine is 36” tall. Small so I plant herbs. Maybe tomato and pepper plants.
Love your post, links and pics.
Thanks friend! Small is ok, too! Anything fresh from the garden is amazing!
I’m so looking forward to gardening season!! Hope you have a great growing season Kim!
Thank Cindy! Farmer’s Almanac says it’s going to be hot and rainy!
I am definitely going to do some raised flower beds this year!! Hopefully, I will start getting things ready soon.
That’s awesome, Tammy! It’s a great hobby! Can’t wait to see what you grow.
Love your tips Kim…I am super excited to get my gardening on this year on the island. I will move two of my metal raised bed but may like to create a few more. I like the galvanized bed idea.
Oh, I would love to help you! Let’s make a weekend! xo
so many great tips Kim! I would love to have raised beds but our yard gets a lot of deer and I fear this endeavor would be futile and very frustrating. Last year they ate 6 large containers of peppers, my tomatoes and any flower in their path all the way to the front door.
Good luck with your garden!
I’m so sorry you have so many deer. They are beautiful but not when it comes to the garden! I’ll share some pictures as it grows!