Will you be planting vegetables and herbs this spring? If so, raised bed gardening is an option to consider.
Raised beds are easier to fence in which helps to keep pesky grass and animals (like rabbits and dogs) out. Make the bed at least 12”-24” high, and in a location that gets at least 6-8 hours of direct sun each day. You should also take into consideration where your nearest water source is from the garden area. Soaker hoses or drip irrigation are excellent ways to keep the garden watered.
When choosing a location, it doesn’t really matter about the existing soil. The grass in the garden area does not even need to be removed. Flatten cardboard boxes over the existing grass, put your frame material down, and you are ready to add the garden soil mixture.
A good way to mix gardening soils together is to spread a tarp near where your garden is and pour the different bags of soil onto the tarp. Mix it by taking the two corners of the tarp and dragging the tarp over itself until the pile rolls to the edge of the tarp. Work your way around the tarp and repeat pulling the corners together until your soil is uniformly mixed. It’s finished when you don’t see any single material of one color.
If you don’t want to mix your own garden soil, then we can offer a very good product. Steinhauser’s offers Miracle-Gro products that contain compost and local soil in a loose configuration, providing good drainage. Just open up the bag and pour into your garden area. You can also use some Greensand or Earthworm Castings later when you are ready to plant the hot weather vegetables.
Steinhauser’s has vegetables and Bonnie Plants in the stores now along with a wonderful selection of seed packets to choose from as well. Come into the stores and ask how to get started on your raised garden or vegetable beds!