My backyard vegetable garden is such a mess right now! (And you know normally it’s very neat!) We’re taking a few of the older raised beds out and making new ones in a size that I’ve found that I really like – 6×3 and 11 inches deep. I’m 5’4” and I’ve tried all different sizes of raised beds and that size is the easiest for me to reach into the middle of. I wanted to show you the one bed that I have planted since I know it can be hard to decided what to plant with what if you’re new to growing vegetables.
I do a combination of companion planting and square foot gardening – which works for me in this garden in this climate.
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These are two beds have had their soil refreshed and are ready to go but only one is planted so far.
This bed is the tomato/pepper bed.
Here’s a closer look. The borage is seeded next to the marigold.
What’s in this raised bed:
- 3 tomatoes
- 4 bell peppers
- 2 lemon cucumbers – grow up the arbor
- 1 swiss chard-testing this to see if it likes growing in the shade of the tomato
- 1 spinach- testing this for same reason as above
- leaf lettuce – leafy plants act as a mulch and in the heat of summer may benefit from the shade of the tomato plants
- carrots
- marigolds
- borage – blue flowered herb that’s good at attracting pollinators, is supposed to guard against tomato hornworm , supposed to improve the flavor of tomatoes if grown nearby, the young leaves & flowers are edible and there’s a whole list of things it supposedly does if you’re into medicinal herbs.
I will also sneak some nasturtiums into outer parts of the bed . I’m testing the leafy greens to see if they like growing in the shade of taller plants.
We took out the old raspberry bed (I planted the raspberries out in the yard along the fence). I’m putting a little garden storage shed in it’s spot. My husband has offered to build me a little shed but I may just buy one – depends on his schedule. I need some place to keep my tools and other things I need all the time without trekking into the garage or barn for them.
One bed is already gone. The other will be gone by next weekend. We’re putting two 6×3 raised beds in this spot. I think those skinny ones were 2×8 . Easy to work in but I found they dried out too quickly in our hot Georgia summers.
artichoke
I’ll have 6 raised beds to plant and I’ll show you each one as I get it planted and the whole garden once it’s all cleaned up!
Feel free to ask questions – I’ll answer them in the comments.
I wish I had room for it! The spot where I used to have some tomatoes and herbs was taken over for a different use. I am trying some container gardening this year, I think. But as always, you inspire us so!
You have been busy! Sounds like you will have some “good eating” in the future! I miss having a good size yard, but not the work involved.
Good ideas. We made our raised beds 4×5 and sometimes I wish they were a little bit narrower. But after almost 20 years I’ve gotten used to them and I don’t think I could get my husband to change them anyway:)
Ours are planted too:) Thanks for the idea! We are loving the raised beds… well, me more than the hubby who built them:) Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!
You are off to a good start! Since I am not sure how much sun areas of my new yard will get once the trees leaf out, I am doing the container veggie gardens again this year, like I did last year on the deck of the house we rented. Hope fully by mid summer I will have a raised bed or two for fall veggies.
Lovely inspiration, Manuela! And a lot of work. I edged beds yesterday. Oof! That can be back-breaking, but I do love the clean look.
Oh Manuela! Your garden looks so nice 🙂 I’m seriously jealous right now! I can’t wait to get some more work done in my garden…but the rain is not cooperating. 🙁
I’d love to have you stop by and link you post to Wildcrafting Wednesday today!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/04/wildcrafting-wednesday-16.html
Thanks Lisa! I did!
I live on a few acres that have become overrun with gophers,my large gardens as well! I’m seriously thinking raised beds lined with chicken wire.My question is about soil.Do you use all bagged soil for a new bed or do you till to use soil that’s there,then add to that? I’m worried about crabgrass finding it’s way up into the bed.
Hi Shirley,
Yes, I use a combination of bagged compost/soil. You can read my post https://acultivatednest.com/2012/03/the-dirt-on-dirt-seeds-or-starts-fertilizers/ for the exact combinations that I use.
Lots of people use raised beds lined with chicken wire when they have problems such as yours – so I’d give it a try!
OK, I came back to this post to see if you had answered a question that I left, and I don’t see my question. Apparently, Della the Demon Posessed Laptop ate another one.
Here was my question (hope you see this)
Don’t laugh, but are nasturtiums edible? I’m looking for some information on edible flowers for a luncheon I’m throwing, and I’m a garden idiot.
Debbie, that question never came through. Yes, nasturtiums are edible so are marigolds and pansys. Nasturiums are a little peppery and make a pretty addition to a salad. There are quite a lot of flowers that are edible! The one caveat is that you have to be absolutely sure they have not been sprayed with a pesticide.
There are people that grow nasturtiums to sell to restaurants – they’re that widely used!
It looks so much nicer than my garden right now! Thanks for sharing this on Wildcrafting Wednesday! Hope to see you again tomorrow for our next hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/04/wildcrafting-wednesday-17.html