Garden Update: March 2022

When Ryan and I first built our garden, we installed wooden raised beds. They’ve been great – a good size, nice and deep, and easy to perch on. We choose eco-treated wood, and we’ve been trying to encourage a vibrant ecosystem in the garden, and that’s worked too well – it has decomposed the raised beds!

They were gradually becoming unstable, so last year we made the decision to replace them, and this time we’ve gone with galvanised metal raised beds. Although they take up less space, because they don’t have thick edges, they’re pretty much the same in terms of the planting area.

The beds we chose are Original Veggie Beds*, which are available from Thompson & Morgan (and other places). We’ve got a mix of both colours, and are creating a chequerboard pattern.

Replacing each bed is a lot of work. We have to dig out the soil, dismantle the wooden bed, build the metal bed and then put all the soil back. We had hoped to be finished by now, but the weather over the winter has not cooperated! It has either been very wet, very windy or very cold.

We’ve just completed bed 4 of 12. One side of the garden will be devoted to fruit bushes, and the blueberries, gooseberries and raspberries are now in their new homes. The fourth new bed is currently home to my overwintering onions, and when they’re done I’m planning on putting my perennial sea beet plants in there.

As everything is taking longer than we hoped, I’ve simplified my garden plan for this year. As the other six beds are replaced I will fill them with potatoes, beans, gherkins and squash. Fingers crossed we can get the beds done on time and I’m not juggling plants waiting for their new home!

* That’s an affiliate link, and if you click through and make a purchase I’ll earn a few