A Beginner’s Guide to Raised Bed Gardening - Gardening Tips and Techniques on Organic Raised Bed Gardening


Book Description

A Beginner’s Guide to Raised Bed Gardening Gardening Tips and Techniques on Organic Raised Bed Gardening Table of Contents Introduction Tips and techniques for Raised Bed Gardening The Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening Raised Beds as Spiritual Therapy Conserving water in raised beds. Preventing Soil Erosion Keyhole gardens How to Construct a Raised Garden Choosing the Right Soil Rooting zone Making Raised Beds From Timber Support for the outer wall. Watering your raised beds How to check soil drainage In Your Garden Making a Kitchen Garden in Raised Beds How to Make a Compost Heap How to Make Leaf Compost Organic manure for Making Compost Making a Worm Farm Herbal Plants in Your Raised Garden Staggered Harvests Lasagna Gardening Conclusion Author Bio Introduction The first time I came across an example of raised bed gardening, my reaction was, that is an extremely sensible way of gardening, you do not have to stoop down to ground level. I was seeing these raised garden beds in a friend’s home. She loved gardening. She also had back trouble. So crouching down in front of her beloved flower and vegetable as well as herbal garden in order to de-weed them was purgatory to her. And then her handy do-it-yourself practical husband said, “Why don’t we raise the crops and plants in beds which are waist high?” And he immediately set about building 4 feet wide beds, in square shaped blocks with wood. The soil was raised above ground level, and placed in that wooden frame. The results were amazing. It was only 10 years later that I found out that raised bed gardening was being practiced extensively all over the world. Avid gardeners were making bed frames out of concrete, rock, and even wood. They made the containers to their own particular requirements, with dimensions ranging from 1.0 m to 2 m, depending on the space they had. Gardening in containers is all very well, but raised gardening eliminates the use of pots. And best of all, as my friend told me, “I do the gardening on my raised bed. Himself –(her enthusiastic DIY gardener husband) plans to plant plants which love the shade under the raised beds. In that way, we are utilizing every inch of the soil, as well as lots of space above ground level. What a sensible way to make gardens in limited spaces.” She has the right of it. And this is possibly the reason why so many people want to know all about raised bed gardening in rich organic compost laden soil. So as you are one of them, let us start with how we can utilize every square inch of our land, economically and beneficially, by making raised beds, how to make them, how to take care of them and how to enjoy their harvest. I definitely advocate natural methods for gardening, so I am going to tell you about the best organic and natural gardening practices, which people all over the world have been using for centuries. Take advantage of our technology in other aspects of gardening like watering, etc., but still use the old natural methods for fertilizing the soil.




Organic Gardening for Everyone


Book Description

If you want to grow healthy vegetables at home, but have hesitated because it seems too hard and time consuming, Organic Gardening for Everyone is your perfect hands-on guide—an “if I can do it, you can do it” case study that addresses your concerns and gets you started. Loaded with practical advice and step-by-step guidance, Organic Gardening for Everyone takes a very personal and friendly approach to a subject that can be intimidating. It is a first-class primer on organic vegetable gardening, and an inspirational story about how anyone can balance the rigors of gardening with the demands of a modern, family-oriented lifestyle. In 2012, a California mom decided to start an organic vegetable garden. But she went about it in an unusual way: she crowdsourced it by launching a YouTube channel under the name "CaliKim" and asking for help. And then she started planting. As questions came up, she turned to her viewers and subscribers and they replied with answers and advice. As she learned, her garden grew successfully—even in the hot, harsh California climate. Her expertise also grew, and now she answers many more questions than she asks and has become a very accomplished home gardener. And CaliKim has a great story to tell: growing healthy organic vegetables for your family is not difficult, even for today’s time-challenged lifestyles. She provides complete step-by-step information on growing the most popular edibles organically, and also gives sound advice on how to take on the challenges of balancing a hectic lifestyle with successful growing—and how to involve the whole family in the process. You'll be rewarded for your effort every time you place a plate of natural, organic vegetables on the family dinner table knowing exactly what they are, what is in them, and where they came from.




Weedless Gardening


Book Description

Presents an innovative, organic approach to weed-free vegetable and flower gardening that is designed to protect the soil, enhance plant health, reduce the need for watering, and cuts down on labor. Original.




Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners


Book Description

Start a thriving garden with the beginner's guide to raised-bed gardening. Are you interested in creating a bountiful garden but worried that you don't have enough space? Embrace the perfect summer activity with Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners! This guide shows you how simple it can be to plan, build, and grow your own raised-bed garden in whatever space is available. Learn to build your bed, select the right plants, grow your own vegetables, and much more. This book makes it easy for even inexperienced gardeners to serve up freshly picked vegetables and herbs in no time. Plant a flourishing garden in minimal space with a garden book that includes: An introduction to raised-bed gardening—From constructing a planting box to mixing and maintaining soil, step-by-step instructions make getting started easy. Essential advice for all green thumbs—Help your garden thrive with detailed suggestions for crop rotation, partner planting, seed starting, and growing zones. Herb and vegetable gardening for beginners—Find growing and harvesting tips on 30 beginner-friendly plants, to make choosing the right ones for your garden a cinch. Start your new favorite summer hobby and get growing fast with this complete guide to raised-bed gardening.




You Grow Girl


Book Description

This is not your grandmother's gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality. Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience: Preparing soil Nurturing seedlings Fending off critters Reaping the bounty Readying plants for winter Preparing for the seasons ahead Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as: Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products Converting household junk into canny containers Growing and bagging herbal tea Concocting homemade pest repellents ...and much, much more. Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!




The Prairie Homestead Cookbook


Book Description

Jill Winger, creator of the award-winning blog The Prairie Homestead, introduces her debut The Prairie Homestead Cookbook, including 100+ delicious, wholesome recipes made with fresh ingredients to bring the flavors and spirit of homestead cooking to any kitchen table. With a foreword by bestselling author Joel Salatin The Pioneer Woman Cooks meets 100 Days of Real Food, on the Wyoming prairie. While Jill produces much of her own food on her Wyoming ranch, you don’t have to grow all—or even any—of your own food to cook and eat like a homesteader. Jill teaches people how to make delicious traditional American comfort food recipes with whole ingredients and shows that you don’t have to use obscure items to enjoy this lifestyle. And as a busy mother of three, Jill knows how to make recipes easy and delicious for all ages. "Jill takes you on an insightful and delicious journey of becoming a homesteader. This book is packed with so much easy to follow, practical, hands-on information about steps you can take towards integrating homesteading into your life. It is packed full of exciting and mouth-watering recipes and heartwarming stories of her unique adventure into homesteading. These recipes are ones I know I will be using regularly in my kitchen." - Eve Kilcher These 109 recipes include her family’s favorites, with maple-glazed pork chops, butternut Alfredo pasta, and browned butter skillet corn. Jill also shares 17 bonus recipes for homemade sauces, salt rubs, sour cream, and the like—staples that many people are surprised to learn you can make yourself. Beyond these recipes, The Prairie Homestead Cookbook shares the tools and tips Jill has learned from life on the homestead, like how to churn your own butter, feed a family on a budget, and experience all the fulfilling satisfaction of a DIY lifestyle.




Lasagna Gardening


Book Description

Explains how to use a system of layered mulch materials, including newspaper, leaves, and grass clippings, to provide a nutrient-rich base for healthy gardens and robust flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits




No Dig


Book Description

Work in partnership with nature to nurture your soil for healthy plants and bumper crops - without back-breaking effort! Have you ever wondered how to transform a weedy plot into a thriving vegetable garden? Well now you can! By following the simple steps set out in No Dig, in just a few short hours you can revolutionize your vegetable patch with plants already in the ground from day one! Charles Dowding is on a mission to teach that there is no need to dig over the soil, but by minimizing intervention you are actively boosting soil productivity. In fact, The less you dig, the more you preserve soil structure and nurture the fungal mycelium vital to the health of all plants. This is the essence of the No Dig system that Charles Dowding has perfected over a lifetime growing vegetables. So put your gardening gloves on and get ready to discover: - Guides and calendars of when to sow, grow, and harvest. - Inspiring information and first-hand guidance from the author - “Delve deeper” features look in-depth at the No Dig system and the facts and research that back it up. - The essential role of compost and how to make your own at home. - The importance of soil management, soil ecology, and soil health. Now one of the hottest topics in environmental science, this "wood-wide web" has informed Charles's practice for decades, and he's proven it isn't just trees that benefit - every gardener can harness the power of the wood-wide web. Featuring newly- commissioned step-by-step photography of all stages of growing vegetables and herbs, and all elements of No Dig growing, shot at Charles’s beautiful market garden in Somerset, you too will be able to grow more veg with less time and effort, and in harmony with nature - so join the No Dig revolution today! A must-have volume for followers of Charles Dowding who fervently believe in his approach to low input, high yield gardening, as well as gardeners who want to garden more lightly on the earth, with environmentally friendly techniques like organic and No Dig.




The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening


Book Description

The First-Time Gardener: Raised Bed Gardening is an essential beginner’s guide to building, filling, and growing a raised bed vegetable garden.