Archive for the ‘Garden’ category

Raised Garden Beds

February 15th, 2011

Raised Garden BedsIf you love gardening and have a tiny space, with soil that is not so good, then raised garden beds is the solution to your problems. This is an easy and efficient way to have a nice green patch in your back or front yard, to bring a smile on your face. Raised garden beds also do not require the complex gardening techniques and is suitable for amateurs and beginners. Simple ‘do it yourself ‘ landscaping techniques can make these garden beds look attractive. So, sit back and read these tips before you pick up that shovel and start off!

What is a Raised Garden Bed?

Raised garden beds, just as the name suggests are gardens constructed on top of natural soil or land. These are a few inches above ground level. The raised portion of the bed may be free or contained to protect the raised soil, using wooden or stone structures. The raised garden bed soil is different from the soil available in your garden. The soil used is fertile and rich in compost, to enhance the healthy growth of your plants. You can grow anything from showy flowers to garden vegetables in these garden beds. It is simple to make a raised bed garden. Follow these simple steps for your own garden beds.

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed?

Before you learn how to build a raised garden bed, you need to be sure of what you plan to grow in these raised garden beds: flowers, vegetables or shrubs. See to it that you choose a spot that would receive a minimum 8 hours of sunlight. Choose a spot that is easily accessible and is not in the way. The spot should be such that, you don’t have to walk through it every time to get to the other side. The size of the patch should be such that the middle of the bed can be reached easily as well. A four feet wide space around you is recommended. For the depth of the bed, six inches should work well, as both vegetables and flowers grow well with this depth. Use landscape fabric to cover the patch you have decided. Now comes the part where you will actually construct the bed. Simple raised garden bed plans are available to help you make these raised bed gardens on your own. Here is one such simple plan that you could make use of.

Material

  • Lumber: The best wood to use for this purpose would be cedar, as it is weather resistant. For the sides of the bed, use 2×6″ boards and for the corners, use 4×4″ sized boards. » Read more: Raised Garden Beds

Comments Off »

Posted in Garden

Tags:

Garden Layout Ideas

February 3rd, 2011

Garden Layout IdeasGardens are a necessity to make the outdoors look presentable and to improve the curb appeal for your home. Having a lawn, systematically planned flower beds, a well maintained edge and walkways along with a lovely fence that matches the garden, could all compile to make an attractive garden around the house. These arrangements also make your feel pleasant and cheerful when you are looking for a comfortable and stress free environment in the house. However, even if you have a lawn or a flower garden in your outdoors, it is very important to give it a proper shape and layout, so that the result looks neat and well maintained. For this purpose, you need a plan or a layout for the garden to have the particulars mentioned above in specific areas. Irrespective of the size of the outdoor, there are various garden layout ideas which you could incorporate. A few of these are mentioned below, take a look.

Garden Layout Tips

Since, none of us like to look at a messy, unorganized, and haphazard outdoor, you will need a layout for your garden, if you are planning to make one. It is not at all difficult to come up with your own garden layout ideas, because you are the best judge to manage the space around your garden. When you decide to make a garden in your house outdoors, you will first have to check if you have fertile soil for the plants and lawn to grow.

After you have the soil ready, you can choose what type of garden you would like to have, such as flower gardens, vegetable garden or a combination or flowers and lawns. However, you can use a few ideas and tips for the placement of the different factors of a garden such as flowering plants and edging, walkways, water features, patios, lawns, etc., which could prove useful. Thus, read on and take your pick from the simple and effective gardening tips mentioned below.

Flower Beds

  • If you have chosen to make a flower garden or any other type where you would like to include flowers, find corners, sides or rows in the garden where you can grow these flowering plants. As I mentioned earlier, check if the land is fertile and if not, you can add soil to wherever you wish to grow the flower beds.
  • Growing flowers can take time, and maintainance such as water, food and ploughing. Therefore, choose your flowers first and then plant them in the desired manner. » Read more: Garden Layout Ideas

Comments Off »

Posted in Garden

Tags: