Growing up in the south, it was always given that we would have a garden each year. I remember these gardens being massive. Massive in size and massive in the amount of work that went into planting, maintaining and harvesting! This year I choose to go with a raised bed garden. Raised beds make gardening easy – they can be assembled in just a few hours and are much easier to maintain.
THE FRAME:
Luckily I have an uncle who runs a saw mill. He was able to cut boards down for me, but you can also get these items at your local Home Depot or lumber yard. I used pine but you can also use redwood or cedar ― both are beautiful and rot-resistant.
Materials for a raised garden bed
- Two 2-foot-long 8-by-10
- Two 2-foot-long 8-by-4
- Electric drill and wood screws
- Newspaper
- Soil
- Veggie plants or seeds
Simply drill the ends of the boards together making a box. Place the box where your raised garden will receive plenty of sunshine and is close to a water source. 
After you decide where your raised bed should be placed, prepare the ground by using a shovel or hard garden rake to dig up the ground beneath.
You will also want to lay some old newspaper to minimize the weeds and grass that might try to grow in your garden bed.
After the newspapers are in place, cover the space with garden soil. I choose to go with Miracle Grow garden soil. If you know the dimensions of your garden bed someone at your local garden center will be able to help you with calculating the amount needed.
When you have your soil in your garden bed you can now begin planting your vegetables. You can plant from seeds or from plants.
I decided to plant from plants this year. I choose to go with crooked neck squash, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplant and what would a Georgia garden be without tomatoes?
After the plants or seeds are in your raised bed, be sure to water the garden. Be cautious as to not over water your vegetables. The soil should be moist but not overly wet. I simply cannot wait until these plants start growing and producing my very own veggies to cook for my boys!
*I am an employee of Mohawk Home.
