Building Raised Beds: Easy, Accessible Garden Space for Vegetables and Flowers

by Fern Marshall Bradley

For beginning gardeners and homeowners, this handbook shows you exactly how to plan, build, and plant a simple raised bed. Fully illustrated step-by-step instructions make it easy and ensure success! In just a weekend, using a few basic materials and minimal building skills, you can set up a complete garden bed adapted for vegetables, flowers, or herbs.   

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening

97 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always looking for new ideas how I can join in the work in the garden and plant my plants and shrubs or grow some vegetables or herbs.
Because my mobility is quite bad I get frustrated that I cannot get down and plant things.

So I thought this book would give me some ideas. I can learnt how you had to dig down to build up. I wouldn't be able to do that alone.
But I recognized and learnt the need to do this.

It teaches us how to nurture the soil to get best results. After all, this is where your plants are going to live. I had to think about which way to do it, according to the sun, and also how big or small I would like it.

It also teaches how you can build upon it in time and even experiment with different shapes.
I have learnt that spacing is also important when it comes to planting.

It goes on to tell you how to water your plants, when to water your plants and how to nurture.

You can build up your area with bricks, wood surrounds, anything really that is durable.

I found this very interesting reading and learnt a lot.

I would like to thank Storey Publishing via Net Galley for my copy.
Publishing date is this coming December so look out for your copy

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Building Raised Beds continues the Storey basics line of condensed, easy-to-follow instructions on a large variety of topics. All books in this line contain line drawings, a smaller page count without all the filler but with all the information to successfully accomplish a task. In this book, garden beds (creation, building up or digging down, soil, sun, planting, care, etc.) are discussed with a simple raised bed instruction included.

The book is divided into four chapters: One - Getting Started (Investigating sunlight and soil, dig down or build up?, dimensions and layout); Two - Building your beds (Digging down, Building up, Soil amendments, Pathways); Three - Planting and Tending (Planting how-to, Watering, Mulching and feeding, Dealing with weeds, pests, and diseases); Four - Accessorizing your bed (setting up a support system, installing a watering system, sending your garden into space, a sturdy vertical trellis, adding artistic touches. Resources and links, index.

As can be seen from the above chapters, the emphasis is on what needs to be done before and then after building the raised bed. Instructions are only given for one rectangular bed, though images are shown for different shapes of beds. Although the title says "building", there's really more of an emphasis on everything else - from making pest control measures (fences, snail control, etc.) to watering options. The choice of building up or digging down into the soil is explained as well - explaining that arid areas will need a different type of bedding than wet areas.

Note that this book is for those with a yard and not for apartment dwellers looking for options on their porches or balconies. But the topic is thoroughly covered - from beds built into a slope to compost and soil types. What the book lacks in breadth in order to be brief more than makes up in depth on the topic. Building a simple raised bed and everything needed to successfully create a flower or vegetable garden is included.

In all, another great entry in the Storey Basics line of books. I have quite a few now, on a variety of topics from pickling to pruning, and all have been well done, consistent, and informative. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Janey Dangerous · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a great little book and had clear instructions on how to make several kinds of raised beds from scratch! My version had several key pages cut out so I am left wondering what wisdoms I may have missed. Alas! I will try to get my hands on an unaltered copy eventually. Still a solid addition to my pre-gardening research with the missing info, so that's saying something!

[Jim Mason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what was expected

I thought the title of the book was what it was about, building a raised bed, it was more about what goes inside a raised bed than actually building a bed itself, although good information was given.

[Olivia Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Introduction

This is a good entry level read on raised bed gardening. Doesn't give a ton of information but enough practical guidelines and tips to get you started. Also includes resources for further learning.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Answered some of my basic questions about mulching & watering, so that was nice.

[Ligaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very short book that would be great for beginners. No photos though, and just a few illustrations, but good, basic information.

[Marie Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of books with too many words, this little gem packs a sweet punch: everything you need to know to get started building and maintaining raised beds, and nothing extraneous. I'm inspired to start expanding!

[Mary H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible book, I read this in one sitting and then felt ready to go and tackle the raised beds for the year. Might need re-reading!!