The 9 Reasons Raised Garden Beds are Amazing
So you’re looking to grow some food? Or maybe beautify your garden a bit? Well, look no further because raised beds are the cat’s pajamas.
Imagine taking a few steps outside your door to harvest everything you need for an organic, nutritious and delicious meal.
Sounds amazing, right?
While a traditional row crop garden presents many barriers to the average homeowner, raised beds provide the opportunity and flexibility to grow your own food in whatever space you have.
They certainly check both boxes when it comes to beauty and function, but did you know there are also a ton of other benefits to raised beds?
It’s true.
In this post I’ll go over all the benefits to raised beds and what an incredible addition to your space the space saving, easy to build, high-yielding, DIY-worthy boxes make.
Raised beds are awesome.
A garden brings life to your home and can drastically change the feel of your space, so don’t overlook it!
I am not an expert gardener by any stretch of the imagination, and you don’t have to be either.
Prior to building our raised beds, I grew some vegetables straight in our garden beds. I personally think it is such a charming surprise to have a tomato plant coexisting with flowers, and this is a great way to get started vegetable gardening.
That being said, having a space that is dedicated solely for the purpose of growing organic veg is such an amazing addition to any property, looks beautiful and really catapults the amount of food you can grow.
1. You don’t need to dedicate a huge space
Don’t want to forego your outdoor entertainment space or flower beds? Neither did I. We have a pretty small yard, and the raised beds fit in so nicely.
If you design and build your own beds, you can create them to fit perfectly into the space you have available. This is what we did, and they not only look amazing but also function really well in their allotted space.
With methods like square foot gardening, you are able to grow a ton of food without having to sacrifice a lot of space.
There are amazing resources out there on square foot gardening. To put it simply, you separate your raised beds into 1-square foot sections with a twine or wood grid over the top of your box, and you can then fit more plants into each cell while it remains neat and tidy.
You would be surprised with how much food you can grow with just a 4’x4′ bed when planting in this manner. For example, in one square foot area, you can fit 6 lettuce, 9 onions, 16 radishes, or 16 carrots!
Pretty amazing for such a small amount of space.
You can further maximize on the space in your raised beds by growing your crops vertically. This works great for crops that naturally climb, like beans, peas and cucumbers, but many crops can be trained up a trellis, like a number of squash and zucchini.
Check out how we built our easy and inexpensive DIY trellis here which allows us to grow vertically while adding to the aesthetic of our garden. It attaches directly to our beds and allows ample room for our climbing crops.
2. Organic food source
Forget the grocery store—just go to your backyard!
You’ll have a constant supply of healthy (organic!), delicious (seriously, so much better than what you’ll find at the store), free (sort of) organic veg.
It has been so nice to just go out and grab what I need for dinner without having to run out and spend all that time at the grocery store.
Not to mention the health benefits of eating organic foods. You’ll know exactly how your food was made, where it came from, and that no pesiticides or other nasty chemicals were used in the process.
Buying this peace of mind from the market is EXPENSIVE!
And if not prior to, we have certainly all experienced first-hand in 2020 the importance of being more self-sufficient. Knowing you have the security of food at your fingertips is a wonderful thing.
3. Easy to build
Seriously. So easy.
All you need is a few boards to your desired height and width, attached at the corners with 2×4’s.
The best part of making this a DIY project is you’ll get to design it to your unique space and personality.
Want different shapes that fit together like a puzzle? Go for it! How about lining your deck or patio with raised beds? The world is your oyster!
Check out our guide to design and build your own raised beds that shows you just how fun and easy it truly is.
4. Improved soil conditions for your crops
Depending on where you live, your soil will have it’s own unique challenges. Clay soil typically has problems with drainage and too high or low pH levels can effect the uptake of essential nutrients.
Our native soil is incredibly sandy and rocky. It drains well, but also requires a lot of water to keep things happy.
Raised beds allow you to have control over the soil and growing conditions. When you fill up your beds, you’ll be able to put in nutrient-dense compost and organic matter which will make for very happy plants, and a delicious harvest!
We would never be able to grow all that we have in our raised beds in the native soil without a TON of back-breaking work.
5. NO sacrificing your weekend
You won’t be a slave to your garden with raised beds.
You don’t need to worry about the big chores that are required with traditional row crops. No need for tilling the soil or constant weeding.
By their nature, raised beds foster less weeds than with traditional row crops due to the plants being closer together and “raised” from the ground.
And if you set up drip tubing, all you really have to do is sow, harvest and take care of any insects that may pop up.
Everyone loves a chore-free weekend!
6. Longer growing season
Because they sit above the ground, the soil in raised beds will typically warm up earlier and stay warm for longer compared to the ground.
This allows for a longer growing season as you can get started earlier, and keep your crops going longer.
You can also easily add heat cables to the soil or add a row cover to further extend your season (and it doesn’t have to be huge as you can plant a lot in a small space!).
7. Good for the environment
Raised beds allow the urban or suburban home a perhaps rare opportunity to take care of wildlife, grow something green to improve our air quality, use organic practices and take care of your neighborhood bees.
What’s better than that?
8. It’s therapeutic
There are so many studies about how gardening is good for our mental health.
I absolutely love getting my hands in the dirt, and find so much joy in knowing I’m investing in the earth and helping it’s critters.
There’s just something about putting faith into a tiny seed and knowing that with the proper care you can create something much greater. There’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere.
Raised beds provide an opportunity to easily reap these benefits (in a small space without a lot of work).
All I know is it’s good for the soul and it’s an experience that you will have to check out for yourself. But trust me when I say you won’t want to miss out on this one!
9. They are beautiful
Your landscape is the first thing anyone sees when arriving to your home. A few simple tweaks in the garden can drastically improve your home’s curb appeal and envokes a feeling of serenity before even stepping foot inside.
In a suburban neighborhood with small yards, making the most of our spaces is so important!
Raised beds look so much neater and cleaner than traditional row crops, add hardscape, different textures and that pop of color from your crops.
Anyone else grow up with Beatrix Potter? I absolutely love the look of raised beds with picket fencing, stone walls and geraniums in terra cotta pots.
Excuse me while I zone out in nostalgia…
Putting it to bed.
Raised beds are just one way to improve your landscape, but they are a simple DIY project that bring so much benefit to the homeowner and the overall look of your space.
They are absoutely beautiful but are also functional, which is so important, especially when you have a smaller home or yard.
Our vegetable garden area is still a work in progress (big DIY plans to come!), but putting down the raised beds were the first step, and one I wish I did years earlier.
If you’re considering raised beds, go for it! You will not regret it and will reap all the benefits:
- organic food source in minimal space
- improved soil conditions for ideal growing
- beauty for your landscape
- less work and time required than traditional row crops
- easy to build
- longer season
- good for your health and the environment
So much to love!
Questions? We’re here!
Comment below and let us know what
you’ll grow in your raised beds this season
Check out these related posts for further
DIY inspiration in the garden!
8 Simple Steps to Design and Build Your
Own Custom Raised Beds
How To Build a Trellis for Raised Garden Beds //
SUPER EASY & BUDGET FRIENDLY
