Re-Doing Raised Garden Bed In the Spring

skyrokit 1/30/2015, 5:21 pm

In December just moved into a new home that has a raised garden bed. I just measured it and it is 12 ft. x 8 ft. x 8 in. Not sure what the previous owner did for maintaining this, but would like to figure out a way to re-purpose it for SFG. It is much larger than I anticipated, so have been considering starting with a small section of the bed. If anyone has input on a good first time approach to dealing with this, your help and input will be most appreciated.

**Kelejan** 1/30/2015, 5:34 pm

I think the least work required would be to divide the 12 foot length to make three
3 ft x 8 ft with 18" between the beds.

All you would need would be two pieces 8" high x 8ft long (trimmed of course to fit inside the bed. The 18" paths between the beds could be filled with wood chips or something like that.

18" is not ideal but it would suffice.

mschaef 1/30/2015, 7:25 pm

I agree with the previous post. Just split the big bed into two. Then just fix one side of the bed and toss mixed wild flower or other flowers seeds on the unfixed side. That way you can garden in the size you want and get the bees coming for the flowers on the other.

**sanderson** 1/30/2015, 9:00 pm

Or make a key hole by designating a 4 x 4 patch on one side of the 12' length at midpoint. That should leave you 80 sq ft out of the original 96 sq ft to garden. That way nothing will be over the 4' width recommended for a 2' easy reach outside the bed from some non-bed place.

PS If you Google key hole garden the gardens in the photos will all be round. I'm picturing a SQUARE or Rectangle version. A 4' x 4' notch cut out in the middle of one long side.

yolos 1/30/2015, 9:05 pm

Kelejan wrote:I think the least work required would be to divide the 12 foot length to make three
3 ft x 8 ft with 18" between the beds.

All you would need would be two pieces 8" high x 8ft long (trimmed of course to fit inside the bed. The 18" paths between the beds could be filled with wood chips or something like that.

18" is not ideal but it would suffice.

This sounds good, using Kelejan's idea of three beds with 18" between each bed. As she said, a little narrow paths but workable if smaller veggies planted on the side near the paths. Using mschaef's idea of the flowers, plant flowers in the middle box and veggies in the outside two boxes.

Ooops, I just saw sanderson's opinion and that works also. Maybe a better idea. This is a sample keyhole (kinda screwy because it was copied from Excel). Sorry, for some reason I can't get rid of the blank lines but keep scrolling down.

			12 feet


8 ft			4 ft			8 ft

		4 ft		4 ft

	4 ft				4 ft

**sanderson** 1/30/2015, 9:13 pm

This isn't keyhole but it gave me an idea that a 4'x 4' "top hat" could be placed on one of the 4x4 sections for deep rooted veggies like carrots, parsnips, potatoes, etc. It could even be moved from year to year if you didn't mind shoveling the Mix to the new section. Re-Doing Raised Garden Bed In the Spring Boxes_10

Re-Doing Raised Garden Bed In the Spring Boxes_10

**Kelejan** 1/30/2015, 9:33 pm

No one seemed to have caught the mistake I made where I said all that was needed were two pieces of wood.

Of course it should have been four pieces of wood, one each side of the two paths.

**Kelejan** 1/30/2015, 9:39 pm

mschaef wrote:I agree with the previous post. Just split the big bed into two. Then just fix one side of the bed and toss mixed wild flower or other flowers seeds on the unfixed side. That way you can garden in the size you want and get the bees coming for the flowers on the other.

Would the two beds be 12x 4ft or 8 x 6ft and how would you manage them as it would difficult to reach in unless you had very long arms? I can only comfortably manage a three feet bed myself.

I like your idea, yolos. Not much work involved to get this bed useable.

yolos 1/30/2015, 10:02 pm

Kelejan wrote:
I like your idea, yolos. Not much work involved to get this bed useable.

Thanks, but it is actually Sanderson's idea I just put her idea into a diagram.

**sanderson** 1/30/2015, 10:09 pm

Yolos, Thank you for making a sketch of my idea. One picture is worth a thousand words. Every plant is within a 2' reach. Hmmm Thinking of my back yard. . .

skyrokit 1/30/2015, 10:23 pm

Thank you all for the input! Smile

This gives me a lot to play with.
I will probably come up with a modified version of one layout or the other. Thiis will be a work in progress and a wonderful challenge.
Have some time to decide what to do, as we still have snow on the ground and more on the way... Sad

Dreaming of future gardening needs and stress relief from the winter...

**Kelejan** 1/30/2015, 11:59 pm

yolos wrote:
Kelejan wrote:
I like your idea, yolos. Not much work involved to get this bed useable.
Thanks, but it is actually Sanderson's idea I just put her idea into a diagram.

I thought it was sanderson's then I read your input and promptly forgot sanderson. Embarassed

The 4 x 4 space in that design one could put a deck chair and watch the garden grow or smell the flowers.

quiltbea 1/31/2015, 11:47 am

Skyroket.....I was thinking of just laying a path of stone (over weed block) or granite slabs going down the middle of the bed with possibly a birdbath in the center.

Whatever plan you use, I would suggest that the pathway between any bed be wide enuf for a mower. If its narrower, the weeds will become a major workload for you. They keep popping up and need removal. A mower is a 90% help in that regard.
And if you ask me how I know, just ask my aching back. Even in the north the weeds can run rampant in those pathways.
Good luck with your project.

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