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The Benefits of Vegetable Gardening in Raised Beds

DianeinAtlanta — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:19:38 +0000

Even small yards can accomodate raised beds

A very popular style of vegetable gardening is using raised beds. There are many benefits of gardening using this garden style. If you want to find out the benefits read on.
The drainage of the garden is improved. Your vegetables will grow very much better if they don’t have wet feet. Remember to build the height of your retaining wall at least 30cm or one foot to allow for the root vegetables to have enough depth for their roots.
You are able to improve the fertility of the soil by adding a variety of rotted manures, compost or any other rotted organic material you have. To boost the mineral content it is a good idea to add some washed seaweed as well. Keep anything with weed seeds out of your raised bed, as you don’t want them to grow.
There is very little digging required in a raised bed garden as the soil is already loose. By making your beds narrow enough so that you can reach the middle from either side there is no need to walk on the garden and compact the soil.
There are very few weeds to pull out. When filling your bed it is recommended to put down a weed barrier first then put in the soil mix, this way weeds are not able to grow up through your garden.
If the retaining wall is built high enough there is very little bending involved when gardening. You can even sit on the wall and tend the garden from there. This is very beneficial for older gardeners who find bending difficult.
A raised bed garden warms up earlier in the spring so you will be able to plant your vegetables sooner than in a conventional vegetable garden.
So you can see that there are many benefits of vegetable gardening in raised beds. It is certainly worth the initial effort of creating a raised bed vegetable garden because of all the ongoing benefits you gain.
About the Author
Cicely would like to share the knowledge she has gained, through many years of vegetable gardening, with other vegetable gardeners. Article by Cicely Cruikshank. To find more information visit http://www.firstchoicefresh.com

What is Xeriscaping?

DianeinAtlanta — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:34:27 +0000

Xeriscaping is a form of gardening that uses sound methods of planting for water conservation. For example, using plants native to your geographical area that can do without supplemental irrigation. Colorado is one of the leading states doing research on xeriscaping and this website from Colorado State University is a good resource.

Native Plants for the Home Garden and Landscape

DianeinAtlanta — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:14:29 +0000

Gaillardia F1 ‘Mesa Yellow’	Ipomoea ‘Bright Ideas Rusty Red’
Rudbeckia ‘Denver Daisy’	Pepper F1 Burning Bush ‘Chichen Itza’

Native plants are among the best new plants for American gardens, yet they have been growing in North American prairies, woods, and deserts for hundreds of years. However, the term native is often misunderstood and misused because all plants are native to some region of the world. The term is used here to identify a plant that was growing naturally in what we now call the United States, Canada and Mexico before European settlement. A plant that was originally discovered growing in southern Florida is native even though it doesn’t grow in Minnesota or California. A native plant may also be called an indigenous species. Other plants, often referred to as exotics or aliens, were originally brought here from another part of the world, but have become established as part of a local environment. They are not native but often have become naturalized.

Many of these beautiful yet hard-working plants are equally at home in garden beds and borders as they are in larger wildflower plantings and prairie restorations. In fact many North American natives may already be growing in your garden. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Texas bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and black-eyed or brown-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia triloba and R. hirta) are among the popular natives planted by American gardeners.

Once established, native plants can be easier to maintain because they require less watering, and may have fewer pest and disease problems. Some plants have deep root systems that prevent water run off and soil erosion, and enable them to withstand drought. Their growth also brings earthworms and beneficial soil microorganisms to enhance soil health. Many natives are important because their flowers attract bees and other valuable pollinators. Native plants are a wonderful source of nectar, pollen and seeds that provide food for butterflies, insects, birds and other animals.

The key to successfully growing natives is to plant them in the habitat they like. Some natives have very specific soil, water, light, temperature and fertility requirements and won’t grow outside of a very narrow geographic range or set of conditions. Other native plants are easier to grow because they have adapted to a wide range of environments. Before choosing plants for your garden find out what plants are native to your region and what type of growing conditions are needed. Does the plant like full sun, partial sun or a shaded location? Does it require constant moisture or will the plant survive periods of drought during the year? Does the plant like rich, fertile soil or does it grow better in a poor soil with lower fertility.

Native plants can be started from seed or purchased from a mail order nursery or your local garden center. Digging plants from the wild is not recommended and might be illegal. State and federal law protect some native plant species that are threatened or endangered. Collecting seed must be done carefully. Removing too much seed could reduce or destroy a wild plant population.

There are many sources available to help you find the best natives for your garden. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has an extensive database of commercially available native plants that can be searched to provide recommendations by state. Local native plant societies and government organizations are also good sources of regional information. The National Garden Bureau has several members that sell North American natives in retail stores, online and wholesale. Choosing the right native plants for your garden will create a beautiful landscape while preserving a piece of our environmental heritage.

Thank you to Janis Kieft, Botanical Interests, for this article!

Fruit Trees in a Pot

DianeinAtlanta — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:33:49 +0000

Meyer Lemon grown in a container

News from Habersham Gardens. On Sale! Take 20% off your purchase of their select group of fresh fruiting trees when you buy a container to plant it in!

They have just received some fabulous fruits at the Garden Center and want you to have first pick! Persimmons, Pomegranates, Meyer Lemons, Muscadines plus they even have Olive Trees! Most of these fruits are hardy to 12 degrees so it may be best to grow them in a container that you can bring inside during the cold winter months.

Have you started seeds for fall vegetables yet?

DianeinAtlanta — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:18:39 +0000

For those of you who are just beginning to experiment with growing your own kitchen garden, here is a link to an excellent guide as to when to plant. Although the guide is aimed at zones 3-6 and the colder areas of 7, I suspect that if you plant or start your seeds now you can still get a fall crop of vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, winter squash etc. Here’s a link to a recent article in the AJC by a local gardener pointing out that now is the time to plant. – Plant Fall Vegetables Now.

The Short Season Garden is put out by Renee’s Garden, one of the best seed companies in the nation. Renee Shepherd, owner, is a long time member of the National Garden Bureau.

Here’s a Seed Starting Guide from Park Seeds, a favorite since 1868!

Here’s a