From Compost to Amendments: Soil Solutions for Raised Garden Beds

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

I’ve been gardening for most of my life in one form or another, but around ten years ago I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, and since then I’ve had a whole decade to come up with the best gardening hacks to and gardening tools for gardening with chronic pain and low energy.

Psoriatic arthritis often confuses people who don’t have it - its cousins rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are far more common, so there’s a misconception that psoriatic arthritis isn’t as serious or doesn’t have as much of an impact on quality of life as these more well known forms of arthritis. The fact is that psoriatic arthritis is more than a skin condition. I experience severe joint pain and fatigue, just like someone with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. I just get the added “bonus” of sensitive dry skin too. While exercise can help with my symptoms, it can also make them worse if I push myself too hard. I’ve had to learn my physical limitations by testing them, and they are a lot lower than someone living without an autoimmune disease. The idea that arthritis is an “old person's” condition is so pervasive that people often think it can’t really be that bad, especially since I don’t look sick and I’m not old. But invisible illnesses like arthritis and other autoimmune conditions can dramatically change your life, no matter your age or outward appearance.

In order to continue with my love of gardening even with arthritis, I invested in gardening tools that would make it possible for me to continue doing what I love. The biggest change I made in the garden to support my body came in the form of 6 new elevated garden beds from Gardener’s Supply Company.

Self-Watering Elevated Planter Box, 2' x 8'

These no-bend garden boxes keep plants hydrated via a series of innovative, connected reservoirs that deliver water to roots on demand. Four generous 5-gallon reservoirs extend the time between waterings and create more even moisture throughout the bed. And, since water is drawn primarily from the bottom instead of applied from the top, less water is lost to evaporation too! 10" planting depth accommodates a wide variety of crops, from tomatoes to root-crops like carrots.

The height of the planter box has other advantages too: fewer weeds, reduced maintenance, and fewer critters nibbling at your prize plants. The sturdy aluminum legs won't buckle or sag, and the wood is naturally rot-resistant and safe for your organic crops. Best of all, it allows me to garden at table-height, eliminating the bending and kneeling that makes gardening difficult on my joints. They are made of durable cedar wood with metal legs, and I like that the natural materials blend in seamlessly with the environment.

After building and placing my raised garden beds, it was time to fill them. But understanding what soil is best for raised beds isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. Filling raised garden beds will either set your garden up for success, or failure. The good news is once you’ve finished reading this post you’ll know exactly how to fill a raised bed cheaper, what to fill your raised beds with, what is the difference between garden soil and topsoil and more.

What should I fill my raised garden bed with?

The goal is to fill your raised garden beds with a mix of components that will deliver nutrients to your growing plants and encourage the right amount of water retention and drainage. You can accomplish this by putting organic matter such as old logs, sticks, grass clippings and leaf mold at the base, followed by a layer of topsoil and then finally a layer of compost.

The ratio that you use is going to depend on a lot of factors specific to your local climate. For example, in especially damp climates you’ll want to incorporate significantly more drainage. And, if you’re growing vegetables or other produce, you’re going to need a higher ratio of nutrient dense compost or fertilizer.

You can get bagged soil and compost from local nurseries, but it’s a lot more economical to have your soil delivered in bulk. For my six beds, I needed 3 yards of soil. I wanted to buy the soil in bulk because the cost would be less than half and I wouldn’t need to worry about recycling all those bags, but since my beds are raised off of the ground there’s no way they could support the weight of true garden soil - I needed a lightweight potting mix blend that would drain well but hold some moisture. I went with Coast of Maine potting mix because it’s some of the best soil you can buy, and the bags were recyclable at the same drop off points you can recycle your plastic shopping bags at in grocery stores.

If you do decide to get bagged soil, keep in mind that soil that is sold at big box stores like Lowes and Home Depot is questionable quality at best - in fact, last year there was a huge scandal because large amounts of this bagged soil were found to be contaminated with herbicides. It’s much safer to get your bagged soil or bulk soil from a local garden nursery that specializes in products meant for growing food and flowers. The last thing you want is to have all your hard work planning and planting your garden go to waste because your plants aren’t able to thrive in the soil that you used.

It’s very important not to underfill your beds. It will settle and sink down a lot more than you think. In addition, if you use too much organic matter like leaves this will cause your soil level to sink even more dramatically as the material decomposes throughout the season. This can happen pretty quickly. You’ll also need to top off your raised beds with a compost blend at the beginning of each new gardening season to accommodate for soil nutrients lost to plants using it up and general settling. A fresh layer of compost on top of your raised beds will revitalize the soil and make sure it is ready to continue helping your plants thrive for many years to come. You can also plant a cover crop in the fall to add additional nutrients to your soil, or use a mulch like wood chips that will slowly release nutrients as it breaks down.

How do you fill a raised bed cheaply?

If you’re on a tight budget for filling raised garden beds, I’d recommend the hugelkultur method. Hugelkultur is a centuries-old, traditional way of building a garden bed from rotten logs and plant debris. Buried in a hugelkultur bed, decomposing wood releases water and nutrients into the soil to conserve precious resources. This method is popular in permaculture and allows you to use less soil and more found organic matter that is free. Hugelkultur beds hold moisture extremely well and are great for dry climates. Don’t let a small budget keep you from gardening. There are many ways to improve the quality of your soil over time even if it isn’t that great in your first year.

Where can you find garden soil for raised beds?

The best place to find high quality garden soil for your raised beds is at your local garden nursery. Look for a topsoil/compost blend or raised bed mix. Sometimes you can even find local companies that offer residential composting services and then resell the compost as its own product. This is more common in rural areas.

What should you not put in a raised bed?

Avoid putting any painted or pressure treated woods in the base of your raised beds, as toxic chemicals can leach from the wood into your soil and plants.

What is the difference between garden soil and topsoil?

Garden soil is topsoil that has been enriched to make it better suited for plant growth. Amendments may include compost or other organic matter, and some soils – like perennial potting mixes – have added ingredients to encourage growth of specific types of plants.

Is topsoil OK for raised beds?

You should never use only topsoil for raised garden bed soil, or only compost. Your plants need a healthy balance of both in order to grow properly. This will depend on your climate and if any of your plants are heavy feeders that require lots of fertilizer. A general rule of thumb is to use a ratio of one to one - fifty percent topsoil and fifty percent compost.

Do you need special soil for raised beds?

There are many specialized garden soil for raised beds mixes available both commercially as a pre-bagged product and in bulk from local nurseries. I always recommend getting the best soil for raised beds you can afford, since it is the building block that will nourish your growing plants and give it what it needs in order to produce well. These blends are most likely to give you the best results. But plants are resilient creatures, so if your budget is limited or you don’t have access to the highest quality soil for raised beds, don’t let that stop you from trying to grow! You can plant cover crops and add liquid fertilizer to improve the quality of your soil over time.

Are you filling raised garden beds this year?
let me know how you grow in the comments!

Keeping Pests at Bay: 7 Effective and Eco-Friendly Ways to Control Garden Pests

First things first: this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but pests in your garden aren’t always a bad thing. Pests like to frequent areas that support a wide variety of plant life - so if your garden doesn’t have pests, you’re probably not a part of the ecosystem, which should always be your goal. But we all know that once these insects and animals have discovered your garden, they can be difficult to manage. Your garden can quickly become a one-stop grocery shop for all your wildlife neighbors. And while I’m all for sharing the bounty, these critters often take more than their fair share.

I have lost entire crops to squash bugs and cabbage moths, squishing potato beetles is not my favorite pastime and the near-surgical process of extracting squash bugs from the vine left my stomach turning.

I’d much rather prevent pests from ballooning out of control in the first place than be forced to take matters into my own hands and cause a loss of life - no matter how small. The reality is that every living thing needs to eat. Who am I to decide that these small creatures should live or die? But when you’ve put hours of time and effort into growing a garden, it can be frustrating when pests and diseases start attacking your plants. The good news is that there are many natural ways to control garden pests without chemicals that are harmful to our health and the environment.

How do pests damage vegetable gardens?

The effects of pests in the garden are endless. For example, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles can chew on leaves, causing visible holes and damage to the plant's structure.

Aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies can suck sap from plant stems and leaves, causing them to wilt and potentially die.

Fruit flies and corn borers can bore into fruits and vegetables, causing them to rot or become infested with larvae.

Mosquitoes and ticks can spread diseases to plants, such as viruses and bacteria that can cause wilting, yellowing, and stunted growth.

Moles and voles can dig up roots, causing damage to the plant's underground structure and potentially killing the plant.

Cutworms and wireworms can eat plant roots, causing the plant to wilt and potentially die.

Grubs and nematodes can tunnel in soil, damaging the plant's root system and preventing it from absorbing nutrients and water properly.

Now I know this sounds like a spooky horror story where your garden is going to be teeming with unfriendly visitors, but the reality is your individual microclimate will dictate which of these unpleasant companions you’ll find. You’ll most likely end up dealing with 1-5 of these in your backyard garden each year and get a sense for what your area is most susceptible to. But just to give you a head start, it’s a good idea to read up on some of the various methods you can employ to prevent garden damage caused by pests.

Why shouldn’t you use pesticides in your vegetable garden?

Pesticides can be harmful to human health if they are ingested or come into contact with the skin. Exposure to pesticides has been linked to cancer, birth defects, and other health problems. They can have negative impacts on the environment, including contaminating soil and water, killing beneficial insects and wildlife, and contributing to the development of pesticide-resistant pests. Pesticides can kill beneficial soil organisms, such as earthworms and microorganisms, which play a vital role in maintaining soil fertility and health, as well as harm bees and other pollinators such as birds, which are essential for the production of many fruits and vegetables.

Insects

My two main methods of preventing insect damage in the garden are companion planting and birds. Companion planting involves growing certain plants that have compounds which are known to deter pests. Here’s a few plants to consider:

• Basil: May repel flies, mosquitoes, and aphids

• Chrysanthemums: Contain a natural insecticide called pyrethrum, which can repel and kill a variety of insects, including ants, roaches, and spider mites.

• Lavender: Has a strong fragrance that can repel mosquitoes, flies, and moths.

• Marigolds: Contain a natural insecticide called pyrethrin, which can repel mosquitoes, flies, and other insects.

• Mint: Has a strong scent that can repel ants, flies, and mosquitoes.

• Rosemary: Has a strong scent that can repel mosquitoes and other insects.

Bird “Strike zone”

Birds can be a natural and effective way to reduce bugs in the garden. Many bird species, including chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice, are known for their insect-eating habits and can help control the populations of harmful bugs in the garden. Birds can consume large numbers of pests in a single day. For example, chickadees can eat up to 500 insects per day. Birds can help control the spread of pests, such as aphids and caterpillars, by eating them before they can reproduce and lay eggs. Some bird species, such as hummingbirds, can also help pollinate plants while they feed on nectar, leading to better fruit and vegetable yields.

To attract birds to your garden, you can provide food, water, and shelter. Planting native plants that produce berries or seeds can provide a food source, while birdhouses, birdbaths, and nesting boxes can provide shelter and water. By encouraging birds to visit your garden, you can create a natural and effective pest control system that benefits both your garden and the environment.

How to attract beneficial insects for natural pest control

One more important note: Insects aren’t all bad. Attracting beneficial insects is a natural and effective way to control pest populations in the garden. It is important to encourage these beneficial insects by planting a variety of flowers that bloom at different times and can provide a steady food source and attract a diverse range of beneficial insects. You may also want to provide nesting sites, such as hollow stems or brush piles, that can attract beneficial insects such as native bees and ladybugs, and a water source such as a birdbath or shallow dish. Planting specific plants together can attract beneficial insects and deter harmful pests. For example, planting dill, fennel, or parsley can attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies and lacewings, which prey on aphids.

Rodents

Rodents and deer can decimate an entire garden very quickly. You’ll want to be proactive if you know that you have a large population of these creatures nearby.

Preventing rodent damage in the garden with physical barriers

Using physical barriers, such as mesh screens or fences, can prevent rodents from accessing your garden. This is especially important in the case of deer. Deer are capable of jumping over a six-foot fence, so a fence should be at least eight feet tall. You can also try installing motion-activated sprinklers in your garden, which will spray water when it detects a deer approaching. Try to create movement and sound in the garden that may startle deer away such as scarecrows, loud wind chimes or hanging reflective objects like CDs or aluminum foil to create movement.

Companion planting for pest prevention in the garden

Certain plants are known to repel rodents. Planting these around your garden can help to keep rodents away. You can try growing Mint (including peppermint, spearmint, and pennyroyal), lavender, alliums including garlic and onions, marigolds, daffodils and catnip (which will hopefully attracts your neighborhood cats to the area)

Natural predators: Encouraging natural predators, such as cats, owls, and snakes, can help to keep rodents away. Garden snakes, also known as garter snakes, can be particularly beneficial to your garden ecosystem as they feed on insects and other pests. To encourage garden snakes, create areas where snakes can hide, such as brush piles, rock piles, or old logs. This will give them a safe place to rest and hide from predators. Snakes need water to survive, so provide a shallow water source like a birdbath or small pond. Minimize disturbance in your garden by avoiding heavy foot traffic or loud noises. Snakes need to regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun. Provide a sunny spot in your garden where snakes can bask and warm themselves.

Other garden pest prevention methods

Crop rotation

Crop rotation is an effective method of pest management that involves planting different crops in a specific order or sequence to reduce the buildup of pests in the soil. To use crop rotation to prevent pests in your garden, it’s important to understand the life cycle of pests: Different pests have different life cycles and prefer to feed on certain types of plants. Rotate your crops so that plants from the same family are not planted in the same section of your garden in consecutive years. For example, if you grew tomatoes in a particular bed one year, rotate to a different family the next year, such as peas, beans, or lettuce.

Row covers

Row covers are a physical barrier that can be used to protect plants from pests, while also providing some protection from frost, sun and wind. There are different types of row covers available, including lightweight, medium weight, and heavyweight. Lightweight covers are ideal for pest prevention, while medium and heavyweight covers can also provide some frost protection. Place the row cover over the plants and secure it to the ground with stakes, rocks, or other heavy objects to prevent pests from crawling underneath. It's important to ensure good ventilation under the row cover to prevent the buildup of heat and moisture, which can damage plants or promote the growth of fungal diseases. You can use hoops or other supports to keep the cover from touching the plants.

While row covers can help prevent pests, it's important to monitor for any signs of infestation, such as holes or damage to the plants. Lift the covers periodically to check for pests, and remove any that you find.

Row covers should be removed once the plants have matured and are ready to be harvested or when the weather has warmed up enough that pests are no longer a threat. This will allow the plants to pollinate and grow properly.

Sanitation

Good garden hygiene will go a long way. Remove plant debris and weeds after harvest and before planting a new crop. This will help reduce the risk of pests and diseases overwintering in the soil or on plant debris.

What pests do you have in your garden?

Nurturing Nature's Best: Why Healthy Garden Soil is Essential for a Productive Vegetable Garden

Rich garden soil is a thing of beauty. Dark and loamy, with a rich, earthy smell. It is the perfect medium for growing plants, and it is a pleasure to work with. I love to dig my hands into the soil in my garden. I can feel the potential for life humming beneath my fingertips, soft and crumbling and alive. The smell brings me back to this moment; feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin as I work in the garden.

Soil is more than just a place to grow plants. With my hands in the earth, I can relax and connect with nature. In this place it is easy to notice the beauty of the world around us. When I work in the garden, I feel a sense of peace and tranquility. I am surrounded by the beauty of nature, and I am reminded of the importance of taking care of our planet.

Garden Soil: The Foundation of Your Garden

Garden soil is the foundation of your garden. It provides the nutrients and minerals that your plants need to grow and thrive. It also helps to regulate the water and air in your garden. Without healthy soil, your plants can’t reach their full potential.

But what is garden soil? And how do you choose the right soil for your garden?

What is Garden Soil?

Garden soil is a mixture of topsoil, compost, and organic matter. Topsoil is the layer of soil that is on the surface of the ground. It is usually the most fertile layer of soil. Compost is made from organic materials, such as food scraps, yard waste, and manure. Organic matter helps to improve the structure and fertility of soil.

Microbes in the soil play an important role in plant health. They help to break down organic matter, release nutrients, and protect plants from pests and diseases. Microbes help to break down organic matter, which releases nutrients that plants can use. This can help to improve plant growth and productivity. They can also help to protect plants from pests and diseases by producing antibiotics or other compounds that kill or inhibit harmful organisms, increase soil fertility by breaking down organic matter and releasing nutrients, reduce soil erosion by binding the soil particles together and improve water quality by filtering out pollutants and removing harmful chemicals from the water. Recent studies have even found that inhaling some of these microbes while moving soil in your garden may have antidepressant effects.

How to Choose the Right Soil for Your Garden

The first step in choosing the right soil for your garden is to determine the type of soil that you have. You can do this by taking a soil sample and having it tested at a local nursery or garden center. But this isn’t strictly necessary. You can also run a more rudimentary test of your own to test the soil using a mason jar. Fill the mason jar 1/3 full of well-sifted soil and add water to almost the top of the jar with some dish soap. Shake the mixture up. As the soil/water mixture settles over 48-72 hours the sand, silt, and clay will separate forming horizons. Mark the jar at the top of the sand layer, the top of the silt layer, and the top of the clay layer. Measure the height of each layer and the total height of all three layers. This will tell you if your soil is primarily clay, silt or sand.

Once you know the type of soil that you have, you can choose the right soil for your garden. If you have sandy soil, you will need to add compost or organic matter to improve the drainage. If you have clay soil, you will need to add sand or gravel to improve the drainage.

You will also need to consider the pH of your soil. The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is. A pH of 7 is considered neutral. A pH of less than 7 is acidic. A pH of greater than 7 is alkaline. Most plants prefer a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. If your soil is too acidic or too alkaline, you will need to add lime or sulfur to adjust the pH.

How to Prepare Garden Soil

Once you have chosen the right soil for your garden, you will need to prepare it. This involves removing any weeds or debris, and then adding compost or organic matter. You can also add a slow-release fertilizer to your soil. This will give your plants a boost of nutrients that will last throughout the growing season.

How to Care for Garden Soil

The best way to care for garden soil is to keep it healthy. This means adding compost or organic matter regularly, and watering your plants regularly so your soil doesn’t become hydrophobic. You should also test your soil pH regularly and adjust it as needed.

What is hydrophobic soil?

Hydrophobic soil occurs when a waxy residue builds up on the soil particles resulting in it repelling water rather than absorbing it. This can happen if you do not water consistently, or you don’t use mulching to protect the surface layer of your soil from drying out. You can tell that soil has become hydrophobic because the water will bead up and not soak into the earth normally. You can also confirm your soil is hydrophobic by digging down an inch or two beneath the soil after watering. The surface may look damp, but underneath the soil will be completely dry.

How to fix hydrophobic soil

The easiest way to correct hydrophobic soil is to amend it with nutrient rich compost. However, you most likely won’t be fixing the soil that is hydrophobic - you’re really just slowly replacing the soil that has gone “bad” by mixing in fresh new soil that can encourage better absorption.

What soil is best for raised beds?

The best soil for traditional raised beds that sit on the ground is a mix of topsoil, compost, and sand. Topsoil provides nutrients and drainage. Compost improves the soil quality. And sand helps to aerate the soil. You can buy a pre-made mix of soil for raised beds or you can make your own. I always recommend Coast of Maine soil mixes for filling raised beds. Their Castine Blend™ Organic & Natural Raised Bed Mix is the ideal soil for raised bed organic gardening. It is carefully formulated to provide balance between structure, water retention, drainage and aeration for growing strong, vigorous vegetables, herbs and flowers in raised beds, planter boxes or other container gardens. It provides your garden the rich and diverse soil it needs.

Coast of Maine prides themselves on using a high quality enriched blend of fully cured compost, sphagnum peat moss, dehydrated poultry manure, lobster and crab shell meal, greensand, biochar, worm castings and mycorrhizae in their mixes. Close attention to detail with frequent turning, sampling and testing plus a lengthy aging and curing process produces dark, rich compost that builds soil and enhances plant growth.

If you are gardening in elevated raised beds like mine that are on legs, these are technically considered container gardens. It is important to use a lightweight potting mix (which has no actual soil in it) since your container gardens have different drainage and weight requirements.

Coast of Maine generously donated an entire pallet of their premium Bar Harbor Blend Organic Potting Soil to fill my raised beds with this summer, giving my plants the foundation they need to thrive. This all-purpose potting soil is made with sphagnum peat moss, compost, perlite, lobster and crab shell meal and kelp meal. It is designed for potting indoor and outdoor container plants. They also sent their Stonington Blend Plant Food which I will use to top-dress my beds. Lobster, as well as other shellfish species like crab (often taken with lobster as a by-catch), has been harvested off the coast of Maine for centuries. When the shells and bodies are dehydrated and ground into a meal for use as a fertilizer, it provides an all-natural source of organic nitrogen and calcium for plants, especially during their vegetative growth phase. Natural nitrogen and calcium help promote strong stem growth, green foliage, and vigorous roots.

No matter what, it is important to use a soil that is well-draining and that contains nutrients.

To make your own mix, combine equal parts topsoil, compost, and sand. If you’re purchasing soil, try to find a nursery or landscaping company that will deliver in bulk - the cost will be significantly less and you’ll avoid the many plastic bags needed for bagged soil going to the landfill.

How do you fill a raised bed cheaply?

You can put small sticks, leaves or even logs (for deeper beds) in the base of your raised bed to take up some of the room before adding your soil. Just keep in mind that the soil level will lower significantly as those materials begin to break down.

Is topsoil ok for raised beds?

You should use topsoil in moderation in raised beds. It is important to mix topsoil with compost and sand to improve the drainage and aeration of the soil.

What should you not put in a raised bed to fill it?

There are a few things that you should not put in a raised bed to fill it. These include:

• Clay soil

• Rocks

• Garbage

• Weeds that have gone to seed

What is the difference between garden soil and raised bed soil?

The main difference between garden soil and raised bed soil is that raised bed soil is usually more fertile and well-draining.

What is the difference between garden soil and topsoil?

Topsoil is the layer of soil that is on the surface of the ground. It is usually the most fertile layer of soil. Garden soil is a mixture of topsoil, compost, and sand. If you plant your garden in just topsoil, your plants won’t have the right combination of nutrients and drainage to thrive.

How healthy is your garden soil?

Why You Need Gardener's Supply Co.'s Raised Beds for Your Garden [Review]

The Cottage Peach is reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are our own.

Gardening with chronic illness

I’ve been gardening for most of my life in one form or another, but around ten years ago I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, and since then I’ve had a whole decade to come up with the best gardening hacks to and gardening tools for gardening with chronic pain and low energy.

Psoriatic arthritis often confuses people who don’t have it - its cousins rheumatoid and osteoarthritis are far more common, so there’s a misconception that psoriatic arthritis isn’t as serious or doesn’t have as much of an impact on quality of life as these more well known forms of arthritis. The fact is that psoriatic arthritis is more than a skin condition. I experience severe joint pain and fatigue, just like someone with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. I just get the added “bonus” of sensitive dry skin too. While exercise can help with my symptoms, it can also make them worse if I push myself too hard. I’ve had to learn my physical limitations by testing them, and they are a lot lower than someone living without an autoimmune disease. The idea that arthritis is an “old person's” condition is so pervasive that people often think it can’t really be that bad, especially since I don’t look sick and I’m not old. But invisible illnesses like arthritis and other autoimmune conditions can dramatically change your life, no matter your age or outward appearance.

I’ve hit breaking points with my arthritis while gardening many times. I have sat, covered in dirt and crying because I couldn’t bend over or kneel to clear weeds from an in-ground garden bed. I thought the solution was to just scoot along on my butt, but quickly discovered that even though this was easier on my joints it was still physically exhausting and left me too fatigued to finish. I have lost the hand strength to grip a shovel or rake on more than one occasion. I have felt scared that someday even the little things I do could be beyond my ability if I’m not careful. Gardening is rooted in my soul, a part of my identity, and I don’t know what I’d do without it at this point. Gardening and nature in general have brought me out of the darkest moments in my life. Tending to plants gives me purpose and fulfills my need to nurture.

This is the reason I sit here day after day and type these words to you: I grew from these challenges, and I want to show you how you can too. Now these hard times that I faced are just more proof that I know I can trust myself to stand up for my needs and prioritize them. They solidified my identity and brought me closer to knowing myself. Most of this came from mindset (we are hard-wired to see the negative first, but that can be overcome) but after that mindset shift, in order to make real concrete change I invested in gardening tools that would make it possible for me to continue doing what I love. The biggest change I made in the garden to support my body came in the form of 6 new elevated garden beds from Gardener’s Supply Company.

No-Bend, Self-Watering Elevated Planter Box

These no-bend garden boxes keep plants hydrated via a series of innovative, connected reservoirs that deliver water to roots on demand. Four generous 5-gallon reservoirs extend the time between waterings and create more even moisture throughout the bed. And, since water is drawn primarily from the bottom instead of applied from the top, less water is lost to evaporation too! 10" planting depth accommodates a wide variety of crops, from tomatoes to root-crops like carrots.

The height of the planter box has other advantages too: fewer weeds, reduced maintenance, and fewer critters nibbling at your prize plants. The sturdy aluminum legs won't buckle or sag, and the wood is naturally rot-resistant and safe for your organic crops. Best of all, it allows me to garden at table-height, eliminating the bending and kneeling that makes gardening difficult on my joints.

They are made of durable cedar wood with metal legs, and I like that the natural materials blend in seamlessly with the environment.

Benefits of raised beds

• Able to grow a large variety of fruits and vegetables

• Less weeds

• Easier to maintain

• Control of soil quality and composition

• Reduces pests

Depending on the size, raised beds can be a disadvantage for growing larger crops. They aren’t well suited for growing things like corn or potatoes for example. But you’d be surprised how large a plant you can fit - for example, I am growing squash plants along the edges of my beds and trailing them down the side of the planter box.

The best materials for raised beds

Raised beds can be made from many different materials, including metal, wood and plastic. Many people do not want to grow in plastic containers due to concerns of chemicals leaching into the soil (although it’s unlikely that your plants would absorb enough of these chemicals to actually make it into your food). Metal containers can be durable if well constructed, but can be susceptible to rust and don’t always fit into the natural look of your garden since they can be a bit industrial. Wood is a natural and renewable material, and made out of rot-resistant trees such as cedar or cypress such as these beds they will last you a very long time and can even be treated to extend their lifespan. Wood garden beds will blend right into the natural surroundings.

How to build raised beds

Assembling the elevated garden beds from Gardener’s is a little involved, but you don’t need to be a construction expert or have any fancy tools to put them together. I was able to build a single bed in about an hour, and each one after that went a little bit faster. The instructions spell everything out step by step, and with a little patience you’ll have your beds assembled in no time! I do recommend having a second person to help you, since the beds are fairly large and need to be turned on their side for some steps of assembly. We organized all the pieces on the lawn near where the beds would be placed, then worked through each section step by step. You build the exterior of the box first and then each of the four self watering trays sits on top of the metal rail inside. Because these are elevated off of the ground, they are technically container gardens - it’s important to account for the fact that you will need potting soil (made with no actual dirt), not garden soil to fill these beds to provide proper drainage and weight requirements. I filled mine with Coast of Maine’s Bar Harbor Blend Organic Potting Soil (more to come on why I chose this amazing company)

How to maintain raised beds

These raised beds are made from durable and high quality cedar, which will last a long time. You can extend their life even further by sealing the beds. Use a food safe sealer, especially on the interior of the beds, like this one recommended by Gardener’s Supply. The exterior is stained using a finish similar to this one from Gardener’s in “Lakeside Cedar”. With this simple step done, you’re ready to fill your beds and plant.

Since we have harsh winters, I will probably use a firewood cover to protect them when not in use. This firewood cover hack should work for many different raised bed shapes and sizes!

My Honest Review of the Gardener’s Supply Co. Elevated Planter Boxes

These elevated garden beds from Gardener’s are well constructed, and built to last. I strongly recommend them, especially if you garden with chronic pain like I do. The design is really beautiful and fits in nicely with the natural landscape. I really like the contrast of the black metal legs with the warm wood tones. Best of all, they empower me to do what I love - garden! - without pain from bending and kneeling, and eliminate garden tasks like weeding that drain my limited energy.

Constructing the beds was probably the only area that I can see being a downside for some. It’s not complicated, but it is time consuming and requires that you have a helping hand in order for things to go smoothly. Building boxes and keeping everything square and level can be deceptively challenging, and we encountered a few areas where I wish we had thought to build ours on a flat level surface such as a driveway in order to help everything line up correctly.

I think we will have these garden beds for a long time to come. They are rock solid and make the space feel so much more intentional and cohesive. My garden truly feels like a sanctuary now that I am always finding myself drawn to spending time in.

Toolbox

This galvanized toolbox was such a pleasant surprise. I’m always forgetting my tools - either leaving them in the house which means trips back and forth that drain my limited energy, or leaving them outside to get ruined in the rain! With this box that problem is totally eliminated, and the metal stays pretty cool to the touch too.

Self-watering reservoir

You can get these elevated garden beds without the self-watering insert, but keep in mind that any bed lifted off of the ground is going to dry out much faster than an in-ground garden bed. Without a self-watering reservoir you may need to water every single day. These reservoirs are designed specifically for elevated garden beds and planter boxes, with a 5-gallon reservoir that reduces time between waterings & spreads moisture more evenly for healthier plants. It reduces the need for daily watering, creates more even moisture throughout the bed, and promotes deeper water absorption as roots reach the reservoir. And since you'll mostly be watering from the bottom instead of the top, less water will be lost to evaporation. When combined with additional inserts, it can elevate almost any size elevated raised bed into a self-watering one. These inserts are made from durable, thick plastic (food grade of course) and installation couldn’t have been simpler. The trays simply rest on the metal rail on the inside of the beds and are connected with flexible tubing. The water level indicator leaves nothing to chance, so I always know when it’s time to add more water. I’ve also noticed they serve double-duty as a rainwater collection system, since they fill naturally during heavy rain storms.

What I’m growing in my raised beds

Since these raised garden beds are a generous 10” deep, I am able to grow everything that I would normally grow in my in-ground garden in these beds. Here’s the list of everything I’ll be growing in these raised beds this year:

• BASIL

• BELL PEPPERS

• BROCCOLI

• BRUSSEL SPROUTS

• CARROTS

• CHERRY TOMATOES

• CHIVES

• CUCAMELON

• CUCUMBERS

• EGGPLANT

• FORGET-ME-NOTS

• GREEN BEANS

• KALE

• LETTUCE

• Birdhouse Gourd

• PANSIES

• PARSLEY

• RADISH

• SNAP PEAS

• SPINACH

• SQUASH (SUMMER, BUTTERNUT, ACORN)

• STRAWBERRIES

• SWISS CHARD

• VIOLAS

Are you team raised beds, or in ground? Let me know why in the comments!

Slow Living in the Garden with Chronic Illness

Winter

Last winter my Psoriatic Arthritis flared the worst it ever has, and I found myself wondering if there would be any bit of me that was able to enjoy summer. It hurts my heart to even think about the place I was in mentally. How stuck I was. When you don't have the choice to do the things you love, it can feel like your identity is slipping away.

On a particularly bad day, I thought of geese.

Being the lead goose in a formation is hard.⁠ Research has shown that the passage of the leading bird through the air provides an aerodynamic increase in the lift to the bird following behind. This is why geese fly in a V formation.⁠ 

How do geese decide who will lead their journey? Is it the strongest bird? The one with the largest wings?⁠

The truth is much more humbling.⁠

Each goose is equally responsible for leading, at different times.⁠ They take turns.⁠ They share the burden.⁠ 

I see similar patterns in my own life in this season. We cannot always lead our flock. Sometimes our flock needs to lend a wing, and increase our own lift in turn.⁠

Struggling under the weight of extreme fatigue, pain, and inflammation, I had to accept help more than I’m comfortable with. I had to take on a role of rest and recuperation, and put aside responsibilities. 

I learned to be comfortable in the physical and mental discomfort and believe that the people around me want to help me to shoulder that burden. 

This vulnerability grounds me. It makes me strong.

Spring

With spring came new growth and new medication. I've struggled to write about my chronic illness since finding a treatment that helps, because not everyone gets to come out of that place I was in. I'm also waiting for the other shoe to drop, feeling like I am on borrowed time. 

The weight of that knowledge is heavy on my mind any time I celebrate how far I've come or I realize I was able to do more than I could have before my medication change. It also feels like things were so bad, any improvement is seen from the outside as me being 100% "better" by comparison - which is just never going to happen. It's difficult for me to just appreciate the positive changes without that tinge of uncertainty. Autoimmune disease is like that. When so little is understood you are forced to reckon with an ever changing emotional and physical reality and accept the unknown. Otherwise you miss out on enjoying the good times.

It was a long winter, and spring has been full of hope and realized dreams. But we don't have to find the silver lining in everything all of the time. Sometimes there really isn’t one until you look back later and realize how much you’ve grown through what you’ve gone through.

I know in my heart that these struggles have always made me stronger and more empathetic. I hope sharing my struggles can help someone else feel less alone. 

These really hard days don't last. Even when they feel like they will never end, there is always some type of pause and laughter and forgetting of what you’ve gone through, what you’re going through.

I watch what a seed must accomplish before it can become a harvestable, mature plant and wonder if I too am like the seed. Maybe, just maybe, I will form roots and strength where pain and loneliness once was.

This spring I feel tightly encased in my hardened shell, but ready to burst forth and see the sunshine again. But I worry - I know that my love of gardening will test my physical limits, and I need a plan to modify the garden to fit my limitations.

The work of preparing the garden this spring has been harder than ever before, but it wasn't because I planted more - I planted less. It was harder because of my arthritis.

Anyone with chronic illness will tell you that the energy we have is limited. Even medicated and feeling so much better than I did all winter it's still hard to do the things I used to do. 

I cried in frustration multiple times. I almost gave up. I have had to let others help me do the things I was so looking forward to doing.

I can’t say, "I got it done anyway" because that's not how chronic illness works - I didn't finish all my tasks. I felt disappointed and so very angry with my body. Something I love to do has been changed in a way I don't know if I'll ever get back and it's okay if that's an adjustment and it's ok if I spend half my time enjoying it and the other half with tear stained dirt streaks running down my face. 

Two things can be true. Life isn't a straight line path we get to walk down, even on a moment to moment basis there will be ups and downs.

Accessible Garden Planning

I have the luxury of space, of sprawling land to wander and call home. I have the luxury of time, to spend planning what I'll grow where, to dig in the earth. I have the luxury of knowledge, gathered through my failures. 

I can grow my food and watch it from the comfort of this space, this sanctuary I am creating on our land.

These things are not afforded to everyone. Accessible sustainability should be the norm, but it is not.

This season, I took a few steps in order to make it possible for me to garden WITH my chronic illness, not despite it. The first was to accept that I wouldn’t grow as much as I have previously. The second was to set up elevated garden beds.

Since gardening involves a fair amount of kneeling, I knew I had to find a way around that, and elevated beds seemed to be the way to go. I began to research elevated beds, looking for a solution that would work for me.

It turned out that solution was staring me right in the face.

As we began a deep spring clean of our basement my eyes landed on two raised wooden retail tables from a store closing sale that have been sitting in storage for years. We didn’t have to buy anything, we didn’t even have to BUILD anything.

I dragged them outside and got them into position, then I wiped them down and drilled drainage holes into the plywood “floor” of the bed. A layer of weed barrier, then small sticks and top soil blended with last season’s compost, and I had two elevated beds. Our food waste would feed our plants, and our plants would feed us.

I also installed olla watering pots in our garden beds.

Ollas keep your plants watered through a process called soil moisture tension. When the soil around the olla is dry, the water is pulled out through the pot’s “pores”, or microscopic holes in the unglazed clay, and makes its way to your thirsty plants. If the soil is already moist, the water stays in the pot.

With the ollas installed, I would only need to water the gardens every 3-5 days, and instead of standing there holding a hose for what felt like hours I could simply fill the olla pot with water and call it done.

The last thing I did was to get ahead of the weeding. We still had one main in-ground garden bed for larger plants like our corn and squash, and I knew that bending and kneeling to battle the weeds would not be an option any more. I combated this by spreading a very thick layer of straw over the entire bed before I planted anything.

Summer

My accessible garden plan is working. We’ve pulled a spare table out to give me a spot to sit and rest by the sunflowers. It has become a sanctuary for me. I am frustrated at times with how little I have been able to grow in comparison to years past, but I appreciate that I do not have to spent hours tending the garden every week if I’m not able to. The garden will be just fine without me for a bit. I let go and let nature take over.

In August, the garden becomes a jungle dense with life, the most self-sufficient it will be as established plants require less and less of my daily attention.

I do not take for granted that the systems I labored to put in place all year long have finally paid off, the dividends materializing in the form of bell peppers, beans, squash, broccoli, chard and more. But I still like to think I am needed in this season, if only to fend off errant pests and the occasional drought. Feeling needed in the garden is one of the most fulfilling pieces of working with the land.

I’m still processing some disappointment as I've watched other gardeners with their huge lush garden beds, and it's felt like another form of grieving my life before chronic illness. I was able to do that once, and now I can't.

Yes, I am making the most of my circumstance, and yes - my medications have allowed me to return to the activities that make me "me" to some degree. But unless you have chronic illness, you can't understand how hard it is to know things will never be exactly the same as they were when you were healthy.

I am proud of what I have accomplished - I may not have grown the usual quantity of plants, but I have learned to appreciate what I have, accept and support my body, and dedicate time to things that make me happy.

I could go on forever about how chronic illness forces you to put things in perspective in a way that gives as much as it takes, but I'll leave it at that. I went from hating getting up early to go to work at my office job in a call center to making excuses to get up early to tend to the garden, grow our own food and flowers, create art and just enjoy nature. At it’s root, no matter how much or how little I grow - this is what matters.

Your dream life is just one decision away from becoming reality - what small steps can you take today to bring yourself closer to your dreams?