The Downsized Veggie Garden. Kate Copsey
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.
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