[twitter]I think it’s safe to come out from under the blankets now. The long weekend is behind us and the forecast is calling for temps into the 20s for the foreseeable future.
Still, I’m sheepish. The May long weekend brought what it always brings, overnight frosts and a thin layer of snow. Seriously. This is gardening on the prairies and, thankfully, I’ve been patient this time around and have waited before getting anything in the ground.
But I think it’s okay now. I hope.
First things first, I built a raised garden bed for my vegetable garden. This is a very easy and attractive way to segment out your backyard. I took the worn out spot where the boys grew out of their sandbox, and slapped down a 4′ x 6′ rectangle of cedar and earth to plant some vegetables.
How To Build A Raised Garden Bed
This is dead easy. You’re building an empty box. No top, no bottom, just a rectangle, or square frame. A few screws, maybe an anchor post, and you’re good to go.
I got advice at Home Depot to build my raised garden bed. If you’ve got just flowers going in yours, you can use treated lumber. If you’re growing vegetables, you cannot use treated lumber, get just plain old cedar boards.
I wanted a box just a foot high, so I grabbed some 12′ 1″ x 6″ boards and had the guys at Home Depot cut them in half, giving me 6′ lengths. I did the same with some 8′ 1″ x 6″ boards, giving me 4′ lengths. My corners would be anchored with 4×4 posts, so I grabbed a post and had it cut into 1′ lengths. That’s it.
Using the 4×4 posts to square off your box, just drill in your boards until you have a 4′ x 6′ x 1′ empty frame.
Here’s a video I made detailing how to build a raised garden bed:
Drop it where you want it and then fill it up with soil. My gardening coach, Frankie Flowers, suggested using Scotts Miracle Gro Potting Soil, Miracle-Gro Garden Soil, or Scotts Miracle Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix to fill it along with 3 bags of sheep manure. The manure heavies up the soil and makes it more forgiving if you forget to water. It’s also a natural fertilizer to feed your plants.
That’s really all there is to it. It was an easy morning project I completed with the boys a few weeks ago. It’s just been sitting in the backyard waiting .. waiting for plants.
That’s where my gardening coach comes in. I had a longer chat with Frankie Flowers to guide me past my previous #gardenfails and into a place where I can proudly proclaim #IGrewIt!
CONTINUE: Tips For Starting Your First Backyard Vegetable Garden
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