Raised Garden Beds

I just put my garden to rest for the winter, but it's never to early to start building your beds. I personally order my beds to be custom built by a local architect.
I make him go out to the pile of debris that was once a shed until a big wind done knocked that shed right on its keester. That world famous architect caresses each piece of lumber until he finds just the right one to salvage for our beds.

This is what he came up with this year, he's a genius. And did I mention it was free?




Here's the raised bed I built today and just for kicks I threw in some green lettuce. Hahahahahahhaaaa! Oh, slay me.

Honestly, these are the raised beds built by a group of Kansas Master Gardeners at their community education garden. It makes my garden look like, well, crap on a stick. Um, Mr. World Famous Architech? Yeah, uh, make me some like this okay?

I've been using raised beds in my garden for several years. The building of the frame is the most work you will do in your garden the entire season. I like them because there is little to no weeding, they retain moisture better and they drain excess water better row gardening. And aren't they pretty? Oh, and you always have a little ledge to sit on when you go out to the garden. Don't you love a ledge to sit on in the garden when your hot and sweaty? Me too.

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You can make a mix of 1/3 compost, 1/3 top soil and 1/3 peat moss to have a deliciously fertile soil. Or you can do what my neighbor, Ramone, does and add a little sand and "getchoo some lime" to mix it with your soil. Ramone swears by sand and lime and who am I to argue with a man that grows sweet potatoes the size of my 4yo's head? I swear he told me to "getchoo some lime an some san" at least eight hundred times this summer. I love Ramone. Next year I'm going to listen to him.