Читать книгу The Downsized Veggie Garden - Kate Copsey - Страница 12

TWO

Designing a Vegetable Garden that Works for You

(All About Raised Beds and Containers)

When our eldest and his new wife purchased their first home, we went down to Atlanta to visit them. He took me into the fenced back yard and asked if they could put a small garden somewhere and maybe some herbs. The whole area was bathed in full sun and currently had only lawn with a small foundation bed. Two hours later we had shopped for supplies, assembled this 4×4 kit and and created not just a raised bed filled with colorful lettuce, but also a little herb garden right outside the back door where it is easy to reach. For new gardeners, such an almost instant garden is a perfect place to start.

The “ideal” vegetable garden is the one that fits into your lifestyle, your available space and how it connects with your home activities. What is the best way to evaluate your available space and needs? I recommend making a sketch of your property; it doesn’t have to look professional. A good way to begin your design is to draw the area on a piece of squared or graph paper and mark both the hardscape and vegetation areas.

Hardscape is the part of the landscape that is manmade, including areas that cannot be tilled. Any area covered with concrete or gravel is considered to be hardscape. Mark things like the driveway, fencing, deck or patio – things that can’t be moved or changed. Gravel paths can be moved if necessary, but if they are in a logical position such as a line to the garden shed, they are probably counted as hardscape too.

A typical landscape design takes into consideration the utility areas, such as where the garbage/recycle boxes go, compost areas, and entertainment areas that are currently in place. Also, mark lawns and existing tilled areas and trees. For a patio or deck, be sure to note seating and other amenities you plan to keep. When the overall layout of the property is on paper, the fun begins: where to put the vegetables and how many should I grow?

With so many demands on space, it is often difficult to define just one area for the vegetables. So rather than trying to find one garden space for all your vegetables, try finding areas that can double for more than one use. A small container with lettuce or herbs is quite happy on the deck – but will also be fine in the center of a patio table where your guests can snip a few leaves to put into their sandwich right where they are eating! Likewise, window boxes look lovely on the deck railings when filled with flowering annuals, but if you slip in a colorful pepper or tomato, you create a mixed container that looks attractive as well as being productive.

Vegetables are plants too! Sometimes we get hung up on finding a perfect place for the vegetables and forget that they are just plants. A vegetable can be an annual, perennial or even a shrub. Just as an attractive ornamental shrub looks fine in the garden, so can an edible shrub such as blueberries. An integrated landscape mixes up all the garden plants, both vegetables and ornamentals: lettuce in the rose garden, tomatoes along the fence line in front of clematis and a row of blue kale used as a border to the perennial bed. This integration is particularly important if you want to grow your vegetables in the front garden where curb appeal is expected. See how nice those colorful chives look on the page opposite.

Or, the area for your vegetables can be placed as a stand-alone raised bed. For an apartment or condo with a deck or hardscaped patio, you can design with interesting containers, as well as vertical treatments. Much more about containers below, but first let’s look at raised beds.

6 Great Vegetables for the Front Garden:

Our front gardens are on show to the world, so having attractive looking vegetables is important. Try these colorful vegetables in your sunny front yard garden.

Artichoke: This is a large back-of-the-border plant with great yellow flowers.

Red basils: Red or purple basils make great foliage plants at the start of the summer, and then the pink flowers turn it from foliage to a beautiful flowering annual.

Chards: No longer are chards basic green with white stems, they now come with bright red or yellow stems and make great middle-of-the-border plants.

Kales: Kales can be blue or green, large or small. Try the curly blue kales for a border in front of your perennial bed, or the large kale in front of an evergreen hedge.

Red pepper: Small, bright red jalapeno peppers brighten up the middle of any garden.

Okra: A common Southern annual that can be grown everywhere, the okra plants put out hibiscus-like flowers in white or red. They are one of the most attractive vegetables and grow to about 4 feet, so place at the back or middle of the garden bed.

Raised Beds

Raised beds are a perfect solution for many situations in the garden, like poor soil or hardscape that makes digging in the garden impossible. Raised beds can also be looked at as a temporary solution in rental properties, as you can disassemble them almost as easily as you can make them. One of the many advantages to a raised bed is the ease of maintenance. The loose, soilless mix is free of weeds and grass at the start, and any weeds that arrive are easy to remove. Most beds can be weeded in a matter of minutes.

Don’t get hung up on size! Although most plans for raised beds refer to a 4×4-foot square bed, it is not the only dimension you can use. Maybe your small area can’t accommodate a 4-foot width but is longer than 4 feet, such as along a wall or building. A 2×8-foot bed works just as well as a square one. The minimum dimension for one large vegetable plant – say, a tomato or cabbage – is a 1×1-foot square, so you’re free to think in terms of several squares all together – or you can slot the vegetables around the garden, using one square foot here and another one somewhere else. That one square foot is also big enough for many little mesclun and salad plants and almost a dozen onions, scallions and leeks.

Building a Raised Bed

Raised beds in a community garden.

Materials to Frame the Bed

The gardens are going to be outside, so consider weather resistance in the materials you select. You can buy complete raised bed kits, including the boards, corners and anchors all in one box. You will probably need a Phillips-head screwdriver to screw the corner pieces in and a mallet or hammer to drive the anchors into the ground. The downside to most commercial kits is the depth of bed – most are 6 inches deep, a minimum for healthy roots, but some kits are only 4 inches in depth, which is a little shallow for many vegetables.

Here are some things to know about the materials, whether you choose a kit or build your own bed from scratch:

■ Cedar: Cedar is a naturally long-lasting material that needs no added sprays to make it weatherproof – and it looks great in the garden, which is why most commonly available kits use cedar boards that will last for many seasons. Box store lumber departments and lumber merchants usually have cedar boards. The only decision to make when buying the lumber is how deep you want the bed. Standard boards come in 6, 8 or 10-inch widths and lumber departments have 8, 10 or 12-foot lengths. Most stores will cut the boards to 4 feet, which is a standard size for beds and fits easily into cars.

■ Redwood: Redwood has similar insect and moisture resistance as cedar and makes an excellent raised bed frame. The weathered redwood boards take on an attractive gray color that blends nicely into any landscape. Alas, redwood raised bed kits or boards are not always as easy to find as cedar.

■ Composite materials: These materials are similar to those used on decks. Composites are a blend of polymers and wood, giving a natural wood look and feel but with greater weather resistance. Kits made from composite material are found at many large stores, but you could have trouble finding boards to make your own beds.

Not all raised beds need wood – concrete blocks and bricks work well too.

■ Recycled plastic: Garden beds, edging and raised bed kits made from weather resistant recycled plastic are very common. Costs vary tremendously, though you do get lots of color options, from bright primary colors to more subtle cedar colors, redwood colors and browns. The materials are generally lightweight compared to cedar beds and are a great option for temporary beds.

■ Non-wood beds: There is no rule that a raised bed has to be made from wood-like boards – it can be constructed with breeze blocks, bricks and almost anything that can keep the soil inside from flowing out. Concrete blocks are economical to buy and very easy to assemble, and though not particularly attractive in the beginning, they are quite acceptable when filled with vegetables and flowers.

What size do you need? Raised beds can, of course, be of any size you like, but most commercial kits are for 4×4-foot beds. These can be placed one on top of the other to make deeper beds or extended to make an 8×4-foot bed. Depths vary from 4-6 inches in the smaller sets to a full 8 inches in larger sets. For the first year, a simple 4×4 is probably a good way to go. Buying the lumber and getting it cut to size is often cheaper than buying sets, unless you get last year’s kit on sale in late winter. If you opt for building the garden yourself, you can pick the depth that suits you. For root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, 10 inches is the minimum depth for successful growth.

■ Width: A 4-foot width is the most common bed size because most people can reach about 2 feet inside a bed, so from either side, anything within that 4-foot bed can be tended to. The material inside a raised bed is very friable (light and easy for roots to penetrate) and loose and is quickly compacted when walked on, so tending the beds from the edge is an important consideration. And because the 4-foot width is standard, most added screens and hoops are made to fit a 4-foot frame. This does not mean that you can’t make the bed 3 feet or even 2 feet in width if that is better for your space.

■ Length: It is totally up to you. A 4-foot square is a good starting point, but if you really like row crops such as peas and beans, you could consider a longer bed, maybe 8 or even 10 feet. This is particularly useful when you want to rotate what grows in the garden next year (see page 58 for tips on crop rotation).

■ Corners and anchors: Kits come complete with corner anchors, screws and brackets, items that will need to be purchased if you plan to build the bed yourself. There are a few different ways to anchor the boards together, and some are easier than others.

A raised planter with adjustable wheels (with brakes) allows a gardener to stand or sit while tending to the plants.

Adaptive Gardening: Many people who find it difficult to stand or who are restricted to a wheelchair can still enjoy gardening – not only by using the edge of a raised bed as a seating platform, but by raising the whole garden bed on legs to achieve a comfortable height. Here’s how:

Using the same 4×4-foot design, construct a raised bed from wood as normal. Then fix a base to the bed and secure it. The base can be wood boards or a 4×4 sheet of sturdy wallboards. The boards should be weather resistant and able to not only support the weight of wet soil but allow drainage as well, so drill a few holes into a board to allow the water to drain easily. Finally, attach the legs on each corner at the correct height for the gardener who should be able to reach to about the middle of the bed. An alternate design is to make the depth of the whole garden bed about 2 feet and create a broader seating area around the perimeter (8-12 inches), so that a person with limited mobility can sit down comfortably and easily reach into the bed to tend the plants. See page 34 for a word about adaptive tools.

Fill that Raised Bed!

You have found a place for the raised bed in the sun and constructed the bed – and now it is time to fill the bed with healthy growing medium. Do not use regular garden soil taken from a nearby garden bed, as that soil is dense and filled with bacteria and contaminants. In fact, the clay or sand that you have in the garden is one of the reasons people resort to the raised bed in the first place, so nothing is achieved by filling the bed with that soil. A preferred mix is a combination of compost plus aerators. Garden centers carry a variety of suitable growing mediums. Composts from cows or mushrooms sit alongside container mixes and organic mixes. Readymade mixes come complete with a light texture and frequently a fertilizer too. For vegetables, it is best to look for a mix that either has an organic label or does not include urea fertilizer.

A perfect mix can be made right next to the raised bed and includes material from a variety of bags, each containing a slightly different set of nutrients.

Compost should be the dominant part of your mix and this can be from single or multiple sources. Next, you’ll add some perlite. Perlite is a volcanic material that helps to lighten the soil, aerate and increase drainage to the overall mix. Finally, add peat moss. The overall mix should end up being about 50% compost, 30% peat moss and 20% perlite. These do not have to be exact, but follow this general guide.

For a single raised bed, empty a few of the bags into the bed and mix the contents together, then add another bag and mix that in. This way you get an even mix throughout the whole bed. If you are doing multiple raised beds it is easier to mix the ingredients on a tarp next to the beds and use a small snow shovel to mix it.

How much mix do I need for the size of my bed?

A 4×4-foot bed that is 8 inches deep has a volume of 9.5 cubic feet. Here is how the 50/30/20 ratio works for that size bed:

50% COMPOST

The average small bag of compost is about 1.5 cubic feet, so you need 3.25 cubic feet of compost or about 3 bags.

30% PEAT MOSS

It comes in bales that expand when damp; a small bale yields about 3 cubic feet.

20% PERLITE

It comes in small or large bags, the smaller ones being about 1.5 cubic feet.

50% compost / 3.25 cu ft.	1.5 cu ft. per bag	3 bags
30% peat moss / 3 cu ft.	3 cu ft. per bale	1 small bale
20% perlite / 1.9 cu ft.	1.5 cu ft. per bag	1 small bag

Tools to Make Things Easier

Not all gardeners are the same size or have the same mobility. For instance, women generally have smaller hands compared to men, but a lot of things can affect the ability of a gardener to grip well or bend over. Just as small children need special tools to help them work comfortably in the garden, so do seniors and those with medical issues that reduce the strength of a person’s grip. As the population overall has matured, the industry has started to address these issues and come out with ergonomic tools to make tilling and planting a little easier for us all.

Tools for kids: If you are going to spend time messing with plants, it is only natural that your children will want to help. This can be a healthy activity for them and using the right tools will help them feel productive. Look for small-radius hand tools, and if possible, check the grip while still in the store. Metal tools are better than plastic. A basic child’s set of tools will consist of a metal trowel to plant and a pair of clippers to harvest peppers or other produce that cannot be easily picked from the vine.

Tools for adults: For making a new raised bed, you will need to have a full-sized digging fork to turn over the soil in the bed each year. Also, be sure to have a spade for adding new compost and a rake to smooth out the garden before sowing seeds or planting out your seedlings. Before you purchase the spade at the store, make sure its size works for you. Check to see if your arms are at a comfortable height to be able to dig down into the soil. Although there are not too many options in sizes, there are some slightly smaller-handled spades, particularly useful if you are petite. And finally, you will need a trowel and clippers to plant seedlings and harvest.

Tools with grip adaptions: There are great tools available now for those who have wrist issues and/or poor grips or who want to avoid getting those problems. Ergonomically curved hand tools relieve stress on the wrist by allowing a straighter angle for digging. Right-angled hand tools make for easier holding as you dig or rake.

Care of tools: Unless you are digging in heavy clay soil on a wet day, your tools will likely not get too dirty, but you should keep them dirt-free. A quick wipe down with a damp cloth or lightly oiled cloth will keep them in order. At the end of the season, some 3-in-1-type machine oil will keep them clean for storage, particularly those with moving parts like clippers. Diseases are easily spread from one area of the garden to another, so always wipe the tools with rubbing alcohol when dealing with diseased plants.

Container Basics

Containers can add beauty and flexibility to your garden space. They can be decorative focal points to accent your home or an area of the garden, or they can be purely utilitarian where the primary consideration is for a vessel to grow vegetables. Most containers fall somewhere in the middle, and cost can certainly be a major element in deciding which type to use. Remember that the plants really don’t care what the container is so long as it drains well! (For a review of the many types of containers available today, their advantages and drawbacks, see page 161.)

A Little History