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Spring gardening is an exciting time of year. Can you picture harvesting and eating fresh produce from the garden for the first time after a cold winter? To enjoy a productive spring season, we recommend planning ahead. Often gardeners miss the window for spring planting because they’re focused on their summer garden. But with a little knowledge, you can create a planting plan that seamlessly transitions between seasons and grows an abundance of fresh spring produce!

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1. Optimize Growing Conditions

If you’re starting a new garden this spring, we find the most practical place to begin is by assessing growing factors like sunlight and water. You can perform a site survey to understand your property’s growing potential, or use handy tools like the Sun Surveyor app to find the sunniest spot in your yard.

You can learn more about finding the best location for your edible garden in this blog post.

In general, the more sunlight the better! Without sun, it won’t matter if you choose pest-resistant crops or space them appropriately because not much will grow in shade. Typically, we recommend building in an area that gets 6+ hours of full sun for the best results. Although some cool-weather crops like baby greens and tender herbs can grow in partial sun (4+ hours), you will probably experience mixed success.

Overall we find that building a raised bed garden in a sunny, flat, visible and accessible location provides the best experience long-term. This allows for maximum interaction with the garden with minimal frustration during ongoing maintenance.

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2. Set Your Spring Gardening Goals

After you’ve identified the best location for your edible garden, you can continue to plan your dream garden design based on your gardening goals. It can be helpful to ask questions like:

• What do you want to grow?
• What produce do you or your family enjoy?
• What size space are you working with?
• What is your time commitment for maintenance?

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These factors will help you decide the size and layout of your garden – whether you’re starting with patio-side raised beds or trying to feed your entire family with organic produce. Even if you have an existing garden space, you can tailor the layout to fit your lifestyle. Maybe you want to expand past an annual vegetable garden into perennial beds with pollinator-friendly plants, or edible fruits and like raspberries, strawberries, or figs.

Spring is also a great time to assess your existing garden infrastructure. Did you struggle with watering or pests last year? Consider upgrading your fencing or adding drip irrigation to provide the best conditions for your spring crops to thrive. Every year is a new chance to set new gardening goals for what you want to learn or improve.

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3. Create Seasonal Planting Plans

To create a spring planting plan, it’s important to understand two factors: frost and crop seasonality. We recommend spring planting after the danger of hard frost has passed, which you can find online. Many cool-weather crops like baby greens, carrots, and radishes can survive cold temperatures once they’re mature, but seeds and young plant starts will struggle to germinate and thrive in freezing temperatures. Your local nursery can help recommend which crops grow best from seeds or starts.

When selecting your spring plants, remember that not all cool-season crops will be ready to harvest at the same time. What we call “quick spring” crops – baby greens and tender herbs – are often ready to harvest around the time of summer planting, but “long spring” crops – like carrots and onions – won’t be ready to harvest until mid-summer. This means that long spring crops will also take up space in your summer planting plan, so be sure to leave enough room in your spring plan to rotate in your warm-weather favorites.

This is called “succession planting,” which is a valuable technique to maximize space in your garden by gradually replacing expired crops with new plantings. To create a multi-season planting plan, we recommend working backwards! Plan your summer garden first by choosing your favorite summer and long spring selections. Then, fill in the summer spaces with quick spring selections in March. Always follow proper plant spacing guidelines, whether you’re using vertical trellises to maximize growing space or not.

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While creating your spring and summer planting plans, remember that crop rotation is key to soil health. Since certain crops share nutrient profiles and pest vulnerabilities, crop rotation minimizes the risk of complications in your garden. Nightshades in particular take up a lot of nutrients from the soil, making annual soil care even more important. Examples of nightshades include tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. We recommend moving the placement of crops in your garden every year, in a three-year rotation. For this reason, no more than 1/3 of your garden should contain nightshades at any one time. 

Once you’ve decided on which spring crops you want to plant, you can use a program like Excel (or pencil and paper) to plan the layout of your garden. We recommend placing taller plants on the North side of the garden on trellis structures, so they don’t cast shade on the other crops. From there, fill in shorter crops based on the plant spacing requirements. Although it might be tempting to add as many plants as possible, plants crowded too closely together are at higher risk of developing fungal disease due to lack of air and light. You will be surprised at the amount of produce a properly spaced mature tomato plant can produce!

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4. Prep Your Beds for Spring Planting

Another important component of spring gardening is preparing your beds for planting. This includes amending the soil. Maintaining healthy and balanced soil in your raised beds will help your garden thrive. At Backyard Eats, we recommend a system of annual soil care to maintain an ideal balance between soil nutrients, texture, and drainage.

First, we add a layer of compost to annual gardens in winter. Then before spring planting, we add potting mix to annual raised beds. Potting mix has quick-acting nutrients to help feed seeds and starts. It’s fluffy texture will also help improve drainage properties throughout the season while allowing tender roots to grow through it. Potting mix also adds volume back to raised beds that may have compacted over the winter. If your garden is extremely compacted, it can help seeds to loosen the soil slightly, although we typically don’t recommend completely tilling a garden in order to maintain the existing soil structure.

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Conclusion

With these steps—optimizing growing conditions, setting clear goals, crafting a thoughtful planting plan, and preparing your garden beds—you’re ready to embrace the spring gardening season with excitement and purpose. Spring is a time to experiment, refine your gardening techniques, and savor the unique joys of growing cool-season crops. By planning ahead and nurturing your soil, you’ll set the stage for a seamless transition into summer gardening and enjoy a bountiful harvest.

Ready to turn your gardening dreams into reality? Whether you need guidance with site selection, crop planning, or garden installation, we’re here to help. Book a consultation today and discover how easy it can be to grow fresh, delicious food at home!

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Do you want to increase your confidence and knowledge as a gardener? Join our newsletter! In our newsletter we feature seasonal gardening updates, relevant harvesting advice, garden project inspiration and more. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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New Beginnings in the Garden

New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity to focus on creating a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. Whether your aim is to spend more time outdoors, build lasting family memories, or improve your health, starting your own garden is a rewarding and transformative goal. Growing your food not only connects you to the earth but also provides a tangible way to achieve personal and family aspirations. With the new year approaching, now is the ideal time to lay the groundwork for a flourishing spring harvest.

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Why Plan Now for Spring?

Planning your garden in advance is a game-changer. Early preparation ensures you don’t miss critical planting windows and allows you to address key maintenance tasks, like pre-season soil care, well in advance. This proactive approach gives you the peace of mind that your garden is primed for success. Take advantage of the winter months to:

• Reflect on last season: Which crops thrived? Which didn’t? What changes would you like to make?
• Use planning tools: Backyard Eats simplifies this process with a custom planting plan and order form. These tools allow clients to effortlessly select their favorite crops and strategically place them in their raised beds for optimized growth.
• Develop a planting and maintenance schedule: Knowing when to start seeds, transplant crops, and provide essential care ensures a smooth transition between spring and summer gardening.

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Setting Garden Goals

The key to a successful garden is having clear, actionable goals. Here are ideas to inspire gardeners of all levels:

 

Crop-Specific Goals

• Grow enough herbs to make fresh pesto or teas.
• Cultivate an abundant salsa garden with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro.
• Start a “snacking garden” for kids, featuring cherry tomatoes, snap peas, and strawberries.

Lifestyle Goals

• Build a backyard oasis where you can unwind while tending your garden.
• Use gardening as a family bonding activity to teach children about where food comes from.
• Commit to replacing store-bought produce with homegrown, organic options for better nutrition and freshness.

Sustainability Goals

• Reduce your carbon footprint by growing produce that travels from your backyard to your plate.
• Learn techniques like composting and water conservation to make your garden eco-friendly.
• Plant pollinator-friendly flowers to support local ecosystems.

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Key Steps for Spring Planting Success

Winter is the perfect time to reflect and prepare for the upcoming gardening season. Start by taking stock of what worked well last year and what could use improvement. Maybe your tomatoes were a triumph, but you realized you didn’t have enough space for all the herbs you wanted. Or perhaps the cucumbers you planted thrived, but you weren’t quite sure how to support them properly. These insights are invaluable as you plan for a more productive garden.

If you’re thinking about expanding your garden or trying something new, consider incorporating edible perennials like strawberries or asparagus into your space. These crops require some upfront planning but reward you with years of harvests. Perimeter flower beds or dedicated spaces for perennial herbs can also add beauty and biodiversity while maximizing functionality.

Once you’ve outlined your goals, the next step is creating a timeline for planting. For example, cold-tolerant greens like kale and spinach can go in earlier than heat-loving crops like peppers and tomatoes.

Knowing your region’s frost dates is essential, and we’re here to help you figure out exactly when and how to start. From preparing the soil to setting up trellises or irrigation systems, planning ahead ensures a smooth transition from winter to spring.

If that feels like a lot to tackle on your own, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Our team can help with everything from designing your garden layout to providing seamless maintenance throughout the season. By working together, we can make sure your garden thrives and that you enjoy the process every step of the way.

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Join a Gardening Community This Year

Gardening is more rewarding when shared with others. Backyard Eats offers a community-focused approach with our online Finding the Magic course series, which includes:

• Courses: Learn garden design and seasonal crop planning with exclusive resources and monthly webinars.
• Interactive Forums: Connect with fellow gardeners to share tips, experiences, and encouragement.
• Additional Resources: For ongoing learning.

Engaging with a gardening community can provide the motivation and knowledge needed to turn your resolutions into reality. Register today and start learning!

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Conclusion

No matter your gardening goals, the team at Backyard Eats is here to help. From custom garden installations to comprehensive maintenance services, we provide everything you need to make gardening an easy and enjoyable part of your lifestyle. Take the first step by booking a consultation to begin your gardening journey this new year!

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Do you want to increase your confidence and knowledge as a gardener? Join our newsletter! In our newsletter we feature seasonal gardening updates, relevant harvesting advice, garden project inspiration and more. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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This time of year always serves as a necessary change of pace after a busy and fruitful summer. Nature turns inward, directing energy and attention toward preserving resources and preparing for renewal in Spring. Invited by nature, we humans seem to follow suit. For me, reflection and gratitude seem to present themselves naturally and come easier when the weather gets cold and activity slows.

A topic at the top of my gratitude list this year is our experiences in watching community gardens grow in and around Philadelphia and beyond. Using edible annuals and perennials, these spaces tend to be primarily centered around food growing, but I have yet to find a space that doesn’t benefit from the incorporation of herbs and pollinators or the addition of plantings designed around sensory experiences like a dye garden. Witnessing a flourishing community space reminds us professional gardeners why we do what we do. All the ways that food growing connects us to our earth and each other present themselves in shared community garden spaces.

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Awareness

Bearing witness to a child eating a raspberry off the vine for the first time or realizing a potato comes from the ground is a beautiful experience. Community garden spaces allow children and adults alike an arena for exploration, imagination and discovery. Many things can be learned by reading books, but some things just have to be experienced. Here are a few:

 

• Pulling all the greens off of a carrot without it coming out of the ground because you forgot to wiggle
• Being elbow deep in a thicket of cherry tomatoes in search of a fresh snack
• Overturning squash leaves to uncover a football size zucchini that everyone missed

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Abundance

A proper community garden space can serve as a fresh food source for plenty of humans and animals alike. Whether a community space is managed as individual plots for rent or as a collective effort to donate to food-scarce communities, a lot of growing can be done in even the smallest of shared spaces. Especially in urban areas where green space is limited and residents may not have room to grow food, shared spaces can provide the footprint needed to produce otherwise hard to come by or overly expensive fresh and organic food. If we set up the right conditions and intentions, Mother Nature will deliver.

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Education

Public garden spaces provide pleasant settings for all sorts of educational programming. We have seen spaces used for horticulture and gardening-specific topics like pruning and harvesting, as well as specific topics like clothes-dying or medicine-making. Other programs that tend to revolve around shared spaces are yoga, meditation, cooking, and music. When we create spaces for growing, we are also creating venues for learning and discovery.

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Camaraderie

If you decide to volunteer at or start a community garden, you are likely to encounter like-minded characters. Bonding over a shared love of nature and food has been an essential aspect of the human experience for generations. Watching longtime neighbors that otherwise would have never met develop relationships or share recipes is a wonderful experience. Shared community spaces do indeed strengthen neighborhoods and create opportunities for connection, which is vital to the health of any town, school, or workplace.

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We Can Help

Starting and maintaining a community garden space can be challenging. In addition to the challenges presented by gardening in general, community garden organizers often have to manage volunteers, township requirements, and school boards to name a few. We can help! Our mission is to be a key resource in the homegrown food movement, and community spaces are near and dear to this mission. From grant writing to design to volunteer organization, we have experience with all aspects of starting and maintaining these spaces.

We are grateful to all the dreamers out there, that labor with love to imagine a better world filled with communal green spaces where people come to experience the wonders of nature. If you or anyone you know is interested, we offer free, on-site consultations to anyone that needs help starting or maintaining a community garden space. Just give us a call!

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Do you want to increase your confidence and knowledge as a gardener? Join our newsletter! In our newsletter we feature seasonal gardening updates, relevant harvesting advice, garden project inspiration and more. You can unsubscribe anytime.

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Designing a thriving edible garden starts with understanding the local wildlife. The types of critters in your garden – like deer, groundhogs, or rabbits – will influence your garden’s fencing needs and protection strategies. From there, you can design a garden that suits your gardening goals and other site factors. In this guide, we’ll break down which fencing and protection options we recommend for edible gardens based on several common garden pests.

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Identify Your Garden Posts

Protecting your garden starts with choosing the right fencing and layout to keep out unwanted critters. Here’s how to handle common pests:

Deer are one of the biggest threats since they can wipe out your garden overnight. A 5–6 foot fence around your garden is the best way to keep them out. Even if you already have a property fence, adding a dedicated garden fence makes a big difference. Make sure it completely encloses the area and has a secure gate. Taller fencing works especially well in smaller gardens since deer need room to land when they jump. Adding spray or granular repellents outside the fence can help, but they’re not 100% reliable.

Groundhogs are another big problem because they climb and dig. They’ll scale a 4-foot fence or burrow underneath it to get at your plants. A tall fence—again, 5–6 feet—is a good start, but you’ll need to reinforce the edges to stop them from digging. You can use raised beds, buried fencing, or metal edging along the bottom of the fence. Look for signs of burrows near your garden and shore up those areas to keep them out.

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Rabbits can’t climb well but are experts at squeezing through small gaps or digging under fences. To block them, use a fence with holes smaller than 2 inches and at least 3 feet high. Tall raised beds are another great option to keep them out. Be extra vigilant in spring, when baby rabbits might find ways to sneak in.

Birds and squirrels are trickier since they can fly or climb into your garden. They’re more of a nuisance than a major threat, though—they’ll nibble on plants or dig around but aren’t likely to destroy everything. If they’re going after specific crops like berries, netting can help protect those plants. For the most part, it’s better to accept a little damage than to try to completely fence them out.

As for moles, voles, and chipmunks, these burrowers don’t usually go after your plants directly. Instead of fencing, try using granular repellents to discourage them. If you spot ridges, tunnels, or damaged roots, applying repellents around those areas can help. The key is to match your fencing and garden setup to the pests you’re dealing with. A little planning goes a long way in keeping your plants safe!

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Designing Unique Garden Spaces

For smaller backyards, patio gardens, or other unique spaces, adding fencing can feel tricky, but it’s still possible to balance protection with aesthetics. Compact or custom fencing solutions are often the best option here. For example, in narrow patio-side raised beds, we’ve incorporated sleek, 5–6 foot deer-resistant fencing that blends well with the surrounding area while keeping pests out.

When dealing with perennial beds, such as strawberries, lightweight coverings or netting can offer extra protection from birds and other small animals without requiring permanent infrastructure. One effective approach we’ve used is building simple “cages” around strawberry beds. These structures use short fencing combined with a removable lid, allowing you to access the plants while keeping critters out.

Additionally, consider your garden layout when planning fencing. Walk-in fenced areas can maximize use of perimeter space and make it easier to tend to plants, while reach-over fencing for raised beds works well in compact spaces to prevent pets or animals from hopping in without restricting access. Thoughtful planning and creative solutions can help make even the most unusual garden spaces both functional and pest-resistant.

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Conclusion

Protecting your garden from critters is a crucial part of designing a productive and beautiful space. The right fencing and strategic deterrents can make all the difference. Need help designing your garden? Contact us today to create a critter-proof layout tailored to your gardening needs.

Book a consultation today to learn how we can help design, build, and maintain your dream edible garden!

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After selecting the perfect location for your raised bed garden, it’s time to plan your layout and decide on the size of your space. This will depend on your gardening goals, the landscape, and existing garden infrastructure. Consider how you plan to cook with your produce and whether you’ll be using vertical space, as both will influence your garden’s yield and size.

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What Size Should My Garden Be?

Before finalizing the layout, determine the size of your garden footprint. This will depend on the amount and type of produce you want to grow.

Do you aim to feed your family year-round, including preserving produce for the winter? A larger garden space, optimized with irrigation and fencing, will suit your long-term needs. However, even if you dream of a large garden, ask yourself if you’re prepared to maintain it consistently. A sprawling garden can quickly become overwhelming and unmanageable if you don’t have the time to care for it. In that case, consider creating a more manageable space or hiring a gardener for assistance.

Here are some questions to help guide your decision:

• How many people will this garden feed?
• Do I want to garden as a hobby or to provide for my family?
• How much time do I have to manage the garden?
• Is a larger space necessary?

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Many new gardeners assume they need a large, expansive garden to grow a lot of food. While a big garden can be an inspiring image, you may find that it’s larger than you actually need or too difficult to maintain. With the right infrastructure, growing conditions, and soil care, even a small garden can yield a satisfying amount of produce. For example, a single tomato plant in a healthy raised bed can produce 2 to 10 times more than a hobbyist’s typical tomato plant. Instead of planting 10 or more tomato plants, you might be happier with 2 to 6 well-performing plants.

Vertical structures, like trellises, can further increase your harvest without expanding your garden’s footprint. By maximizing vertical space, you reduce the risk of fungal diseases and improve airflow, which promotes better plant health and productivity. Plus, crops like squash, which can quickly overrun a garden bed with sprawling vines, can be trained vertically, freeing up space for shorter crops like greens or herbs.

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Garden Size Guidelines

If you’re a beginner, we recommend starting with around 64 square feet of growing space. This is equivalent to two 4×8 raised beds, which can typically fit in a 12×12′ area. This size allows you to experiment with a variety of crops during spring and summer.

For example, the average Backyard Eats garden spans 80-100 square feet. With more space, you’ll have room to experiment with different crop varieties or grow larger quantities of your favorite crops.

Gardens larger than 125 square feet are considered “large,” and these are often best for large families, those seeking self-sufficiency, or shared community garden spaces.

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Perennials in Raised Bed Layouts

Keep in mind that these square footage recommendations apply to raised beds with annual crops. Many perennials, like shrubs and berries, grow better outside of raised beds and are better suited for your landscape. These perennials typically don’t affect the footprint of your raised bed garden unless you plan to add perimeter planting beds around them.

Some perennials, such as strawberries and asparagus, can be planted in raised beds. However, we recommend keeping strawberries in separate beds from annual crops because they tend to spread and take over. For strawberries or asparagus, aim for at least 20 square feet of space, though 32+ square feet is ideal.

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Conclusion

By thoughtfully planning your garden’s size and layout, you can create a space that suits your needs and goals, whether you’re growing food for your family or enjoying gardening as a hobby. Focus on what will work for you and remember that a smaller, well-maintained garden can produce a rewarding harvest.

Book a consultation today to learn how we can help design, build, and maintain your dream edible garden!

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Planning an edible garden is an exciting endeavor – however, it can be easy to get bogged down in logistics. Before building, it’s important to select a site where your edible crops will thrive year-round. A well-planned garden meets both practical and personal needs, but without some factors – like sunlight – your garden will not be as successful. This guide will cover how to conduct a site survey and choose the best location for your edible garden, including factors like groundwater and accessibility.

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Conducting a Site Survey: Setting the Foundation for Success

A site survey is a way to gather information about your property’s growing conditions. This process helps avoid placing your garden in a sub-par location, and challenges misconceptions about where you can grow food. We suggest starting with the assumption that anywhere on your property can hold a garden, and eliminating areas from there based on the factors outlined below. This will help you avoid mistakes from focusing on just one factor.

First, eliminate any obvious areas where you can’t grow food. This includes driveways, rooftops, and heavily shaded spaces. Next, identify areas with heavy shade, large tree cover, or overgrown vegetation. As we’ll cover below, plants in your garden will struggle to thrive in little to no sunlight.

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Essential Factors for Choosing Your Garden Location

The five factors we consider when conducting a site survey are sunlight, groundwater, terrain, visibility, and accessibility. Two factors we consider non-negotiable because they will affect the performance of your garden: sunlight and water. The others can make it more difficult to build or maintain a garden space, but to an extent can be a matter of personal preference.

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1. Sunlight: The Most Important Factor

Sunlight is the most important factor to your garden’s success. Sun is the driving force behind energy production in plants. Without adequate sunlight, your plants will likely experience stunted growth and a less robust harvest. In general, the more sun the better! We recommend 6+ hours of full sunlight for root crops and larger fruiting crops like tomatoes, squash, and carrots. If you garden only gets 4 hours of sunlight a day, you will have the most success with baby greens, lettuce, and tender herbs like dill. We consider two hours of partial shade, like under a tree, to be the equivalent of one hour of full sun. You can use dappled light creatively for partial-shade crops.

You don’t need to stand in your garden every day in every season to understand how sunlight affects your property. There are handy phone apps like the Sun Surveyor app that will take a live reading of your prospective garden space and automatically calculate sun exposure in different seasons. Keep in mind other features, like nearby buildings, that will also shade small plants.

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2. Water Access: Ensuring Easy Hydration for Your Plants

Water access is also essential to healthy plants, whether you opt for hand-watering or an automatic drip irrigation system. Water access matters because raised beds often dry out faster than in-ground beds. Annual crops generally have shallot root systems that require frequent watering, unlike perennials like trees that can pull water from the earth. If you intend to hand-water your garden, consider how close your garden is to your hose spigot. You don’t want to carry a heavy watering can over long distances or steep terrain.

However, you don’t necessarily need to place your garden directly next to a hose. Drip irrigations are relatively easy to set up and run underground long distances through your yard. Drip irrigation is also convenient because it will automatically water your garden in the right place, at the right time, in the right amount. This minimizes fungal issues due to overwatering or overhead watering, and will help your plants thrive with the right amount of water. You can even set it to water your garden when you’re on vacation.

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3. Terrain: Smoothing Out Challenges

We find that building a garden on flat, stable ground will generally provide you the best experience. This includes ease of installation and ongoing garden maintenance. First, uneven or sloped terrain complicates the setup of raised beds. Although you can custom-build raised beds so the final garden is level, it may require more advanced carpentry skills. It also makes working and using tools like wheelbarrows and heavy bags of soil difficult.

On an ongoing basis, sloped terrain also makes access to the garden difficult. Building on a level surface will also minimize soil erosion on slopes from water runoff or pathways, including general wear and tear on raised beds over time.

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4. Visibility: Keeping Your Garden Top of Mind

In general, we recommend placing your garden in a visible and high-traffic location. “Out of sight, out of mind” is a real phenomenon and we find that the gardens that get the most interaction are the ones that are visible from inside the house. Especially for newer gardeners, it may help to see when different crops are ready to harvest. However, not everyone wants their garden to be high visibility. It can be helpful to ask yourself questions like, do you want your garden to be visible from the street? What room(s) in my house faces the garden location? Will this garden block sight-lines to other parts of the yard, like children playing?

Consider how additional infrastructure will affect the visual weight of your garden. For example, in urban areas fencing is often necessary to keep out animals like deer and groundhogs that will jump or climb 5-6 feet to find food. If you’re concerned about pests but the appearance of a boxy garden doesn’t appeal to you, consider planting native perennial plants in beds around the garden for a more “natural” look.

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5. Accessibility: Making Gardening Easy and Enjoyable

For similar reasons, we recommend placing your garden close to pathways or main living areas. For example, if you place your garden next to your garage you will pass by it most days and therefore be more likely to interact with it. You can ask yourself questions like, How often do I visit this space in my yard? Which door do I use most often to enter the house?

Placing a garden near your kitchen will also enhance the magic of homegrown food. What’s better than harvesting fresh herbs to use in dinner, or seeing a ripe tomato that’s ready to throw into a salad? Even if your main raised bed garden is in another part of your yard, a tiered planter for herbs can keep homegrown flavor close at hand. Ensure your garden is accessible for all gardeners, especially those with limited mobility. This includes the width of gates and pathways, the height of raised beds or in-ground beds, and whether you need stairs to access the space.

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Conclusion

Choosing the right location for your raised bed vegetable garden is crucial for ensuring a thriving and productive garden. By carefully considering factors like sunlight, water access, terrain, visibility, and accessibility, you can create an environment where your plants will flourish. Whether you’re a first-time gardener or looking to optimize your existing setup, taking the time to plan your garden’s placement can save you from common pitfalls and maximize your harvest.

If you’re ready to take the next step and build the perfect garden for your space, don’t hesitate to book a consultation with one of our experts today. We’ll help you design a garden that meets all your needs and sets you up for gardening success!

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Raised bed gardening is an accessible, effective way to grow your own food. However, the materials used in your raised beds significantly impact the garden’s durability, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. This post explores the pros and cons of common raised bed materials—wood, metal, and stone—to help you make the best choice for your garden.

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Why Are Materials Important?

The materials in your raised beds influence factors like soil quality, plant growth, and maintenance requirements. Different materials react uniquely to weather, moisture, and temperature, all of which directly affect plant health. By choosing the right materials, you can create a productive, long-lasting garden that suits your space and climate.

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Raised Bed Kits vs. Custom Gardens

For beginners, raised bed kits offer an affordable way to start gardening. They’re convenient, modular, and easy to place in most spaces. However, while these kits are budget-friendly and beginner-friendly, they may lack the structural durability and flexibility of custom-built beds. Custom raised beds, particularly those made from wood, provide greater stability and design freedom, accommodating additional infrastructure such as fencing, irrigation, and pathways for a more versatile gardening experience.

In short, raised bed kits work well for new gardeners looking for an easy entry point. However, custom-built beds, especially wooden ones, provide a sturdier foundation for long-term gardening projects. With custom beds, you can also expand your garden layout to allow for larger crops, efficient pathways, and better soil management.

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Wood: Our Choice For Raised Beds

Wood is our preferred material for raised beds. It’s versatile, durable, and cost-effective, providing benefits that many other materials cannot match. Wood can be cut and customized to fit any garden space and lends itself to a variety of designs, such as the popular “U-shaped” raised bed. This layout maximizes growing space and reduces the need for pathways, making it more efficient than individual raised beds often found in metal kits.

Another key advantage of wood is its breathability, which improves soil aeration and drainage. Wood naturally allows excess moisture to escape, preventing root rot and promoting healthier root growth, especially in areas with heavy rain. This breathability, combined with wood’s durability, makes it an excellent choice for maintaining plant health over time.

Additionally, wood is relatively easy to work with and is generally cost-effective. Cedar is especially well-suited for raised beds due to its natural rot resistance, providing a chemical-free, safe environment for edible plants. Reinforced with sturdy hardware, wooden beds can endure the elements and support larger plants, making them ideal for both beginner and experienced gardeners.

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Photo by Jiaming Zhang on Wikimedia Commons

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Metal Raised Beds: Pros and Cons

Metal raised beds are popular for their simple, modular setup, which makes them easy to place and rearrange. However, they have significant limitations, especially concerning heat retention. Metal absorbs and holds onto heat much longer than wood, which can be detrimental to plant health in warmer months. During the peak of summer, metal beds can overheat, “frying” tender seedlings and stressing established plants. This excessive heat disrupts plant growth, leading to potential crop failure.

The primary structural weakness in metal beds lies at the connection points, often held together by screws. These screws are prone to rust or loosening in wet conditions, which weakens the entire bed. Over time, these beds can become unstable and challenging to repair if parts warp or corrode. While galvanized steel is more durable and rust-resistant, it still holds more heat than wood, which poses a risk to plant health. Some metal bed designs also feature sharp edges that may be unsafe for gardeners during planting and maintenance.

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Photo by Neptuul on Wikimedia Commons

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Stone Raised Beds: Pros and Cons

Stone is less common in raised bed kits, but it offers an attractive and natural look that blends well with landscapes. However, stone’s high thermal mass can be a drawback. Like metal, stone retains heat, and this heat can build up to levels harmful to plants. In hot weather, stone beds can radiate excessive heat into the soil, causing root stress and dehydration that stunts plant growth or kills tender crops. The impact on plant health can be significant, especially in regions with intense sunlight.

Additionally, stone beds are a more permanent installation. They’re difficult to reposition, and any repairs often require disassembling the entire structure. Because stone beds are heavy and require careful stacking, proper installation is more challenging and may require masonry skills. Stone beds are ideal for gardeners looking for a long-term solution and a semi-permanent garden structure, but they don’t offer the flexibility or adjustability of wood.

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Conclusion

Choosing the right material for your raised bed garden depends on your climate, gardening goals, and maintenance preferences. For most gardeners seeking a reliable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing solution, wood stands out as the best option. Whether you’re starting fresh or expanding an existing garden, a wood-based raised bed setup offers the versatility and durability needed to enjoy gardening for years to come.

Book a consultation today to learn how we can help you start your edible garden!

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Starting a home vegetable garden is exciting, but it can also be a bit overwhelming, especially with all the different setup options out there. Raised beds are an ideal choice for many beginners because they simplify so much of the growing process, making it easy to get started and see results. Unlike in-ground gardens or containers, raised beds offer unique benefits that help your plants thrive and make gardening more enjoyable. Whether you’re working with a small space, a sloped yard, or just want to make your first gardening experience easier, raised beds have you covered. Let’s explore why raised beds are one of the best ways to grow your own food in your own backyard!

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Garden Materials That Last

Quality materials are critical to a successful, long-lasting garden, and raised beds built with durable wood like cedar or hemlock offer impressive longevity. Professionally-installed raised beds are often treated with natural, food-safe preservatives that allow them to withstand weather, rot, and pests, lasting for 10 to 15 years or more. In contrast, DIY kits or cheaper materials like thin lumber or metal can warp or degrade quickly, meaning you might need to replace them sooner than expected.

When choosing materials, consider this: sturdy wood retains soil moisture better, creating a healthy root environment. Plus, raised beds crafted with high-quality lumber can support additions like fencing and trellises, extending the garden’s usability and versatility.

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Level Placement in Any Yard

Finding a flat, sunny spot is essential for garden success, and this can be challenging if your yard has slopes or uneven surfaces. Raised beds can be built on virtually any type of ground, as professionals are equipped to make necessary adjustments to ensure a stable, level garden. This way, water distributes evenly, and soil doesn’t wash away or pool in low areas, issues that can hinder plant growth. If you’re working on a slope, placing a DIY raised bed might be difficult, but an expertly-built bed can be customized to fit securely on hillsides or irregular terrain, maximizing your available garden space.

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Ease of Installation With Expert Help

While DIY raised beds can be satisfying projects, they often come with challenges that beginners might not anticipate. Setting up a raised bed involves more than just assembling a frame—it includes selecting the right soil, locating an optimal spot, and making sure the garden is level. For new gardeners, these tasks can become time-consuming and confusing.

Professional installers can save time and energy by designing raised beds that suit the specific needs of your yard. They take care of the setup process, so all you need to do is enjoy your garden once it’s ready. Investing in an expert installation means you’ll avoid potential frustrations and start growing your food quickly and efficiently.

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Integrated Irrigation for Easy Watering

Watering your vegetable garden effectively is essential, and raised beds make it easier to control irrigation. While hand-watering can be satisfying, it’s also time-consuming and may lead to under- or over-watering, especially during busy weeks. With drip irrigation systems, water reaches plants’ roots directly, helping crops grow stronger and reducing the risk of fungal diseases.

An irrigation setup can include a timer that automates the watering schedule, giving plants just the right amount without waste. This hands-off approach not only saves time but ensures that your garden remains healthy even during hot, dry spells or when you’re away.

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Built-In Fencing to Protect Your Plants

One of the biggest challenges in vegetable gardening is protecting plants from animals. Raised beds can be fitted with integrated fencing to keep out pests, large and small. Professionally-installed beds often include durable metal mesh fences that blend with the garden’s look while keeping out rabbits, groundhogs, and even deer. DIY kits rarely come with fencing, and retrofitting one can be tricky, especially if the garden bed isn’t sturdy enough to support it. Professionally-designed raised beds make it easy to add fencing without altering or compromising the bed structure, saving your harvest from becoming a snack for neighborhood wildlife.

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Trellises and Pathways for a Complete Garden Setup

In raised bed gardens, vertical space is as important as ground space. Trellises allow climbing plants like tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers to grow up rather than out, making it easy to maximize yields even in smaller spaces. Professional raised bed installations can include integrated trellising for an efficient and organized layout, preventing plants from sprawling and making garden upkeep simpler.

Pathways between beds are another practical feature to consider. They make weeding and harvesting easy and reduce soil compaction, which is beneficial for plant health. A neat pathway of gravel or mulch between beds keeps your garden accessible and tidy.

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Conclusion: Getting Started with Raised Beds

Raised beds bring a wealth of benefits to home gardeners by combining ease, flexibility, and support for healthy plant growth. They simplify many gardening tasks, from watering to pest control, and can be customized to fit any yard’s size or layout. By choosing durable materials and planning for the long term, you’ll have a beautiful, functional garden that lasts for years.

Whether you’re dreaming of fresh tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, or fragrant herbs, a raised bed garden is a great choice for growing your own food. A professionally-installed raised bed garden can take the guesswork out of the process, allowing you to focus on enjoying your harvest and sharing it with friends and family. Book a consultation today to learn how we can help you start your edible garden!

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Starting a Container or Raised Bed Garden

Starting a garden is an exciting way to cultivate your own food, connect with nature, and create a personalized outdoor space. Whether you’re working with a spacious backyard or a small patio, choosing the right gardening method is crucial for success. From container gardening to raised beds, each approach has its own set of advantages and challenges. In this guide, we’ll explore the key factors to consider when starting a garden and help you determine the best option for your needs. Whether you’re aiming for convenience or long-term growth, there’s a perfect gardening style for everyone.

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What to Consider When Starting a Garden

There are some key factors to consider when starting a garden that will help you determine what format of garden is right for you. First, location. Do you have a large yard that gets a lot of sunlight? Or are you trying to grow food on a small, shady patio? Although raised beds can be arranged to accommodate small spaces, such as a patio, container gardening in pots or grow bags remains the obvious solution for balcony gardening.

Does your backyard flood every time it rains? Although raised beds lift crops up from the ground, they will still wick up water and be affected by shifting soil. Do you prefer a garden that’s visible from your kitchen window? We recommend placing your garden in a visible and convenient zone, whether you’re installing raised beds into the landscape or growing lettuce on your balcony. This will help you see what’s ready to harvest and what needs to be maintained.

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Pros of Container Gardening

On the other hand, gardening in smaller containers – like pots or grow bags – can provide several benefits to home gardeners. Unlike an in-ground garden, you don’t need a large yard or outdoor space to grow food in containers. You can start gardening on your patio or even grow herbs on your windowsill. For the beginner home gardener, starting small can seem less intimidating than immediately investing in a larger garden space. This can help you build confidence in your skills as a gardener. You can always expand or change your garden format in the future.

Container gardening is also flexible in terms of positioning and design. You can relocate garden pots more easily than a raised bed garden or in-ground garden – or even move containers inside for winter, depending on your climate. You can also place containers higher up (for example, on a table) if bending or kneeling down to ground level is difficult for you. As a side effect of this added height, your garden will also struggle less with weeds!

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Photo by Kenneth Surillo on Pexels

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Cons of Container Gardening

Despite these benefits, container gardening can be challenging due to soil and water limitations. Yes, a small collection of planters is fairly easy to water by hand. However, in general plant pots dry out quicker than other types of garden beds. This means you will need to water them more frequently. Likewise, they’re also more affected by temperature fluctuations which can add heat stress to your crops.

Because container gardens aren’t a self-sustaining system, they also require maintenance in terms of soil nutrients and balance. This means you will have to frequently add fertilizer to your pots, in order to provide the crops you want to grow with enough nutrients to produce fruit.

Another considerable limitation of container gardening is planter size. Many edible crops – including indeterminate – have strong root systems. In a cramped environment, plants won’t reach their full potential and you might be disappointed with your harvest. Squash, melons, and cucumbers, for example, are sprawling vining plants that can quickly outgrow their pots and begin to take over the surrounding space. These vining tendencies can be managed with trellises or fencing – however, it’s more difficult to add structures and sturdy cages to containers than it is in an established raised bed system. On a similar note, root crops like carrots and turnips also require a container that’s deep enough for them to develop fully. While container gardening’s compact size makes it more flexible in terms of layout, lack of space or infrastructure can limit what you can successfully grow in terms of food. If you have a patio garden then shallow-rooted plants like baby grees, lettuce, or tender herbs like cilantro and dill might be best for you.

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Pros of Raised Bed Gardening

Raised bed gardens offer many of the same benefits of container gardens: including control over growing conditions and design. As more permanent structures, raised beds can also support a wider variety of crops and sturdier structural additions than planters.

First, raised beds are customizable to your landscape. You can choose where to place raised beds in your yard based on factors like sunlight, water drainage, and slope. (We recommend 6-8 hours of sunlight for best success with most annual crops.) When designing your raised beds, you can also add enough height to meet your food-growing goals and accessibility needs. For example, we recommend a minimum of 12” of growing depth to allow the roots of annual plants to fully develop and support a mature plant; however, 18-24” can also be effective and easier to reach. Keep in mind that if you’re adding trellises or other vertical structures to your garden, that will also increase the height of your plants and how far you need to reach.

One significant advantage of raised beds is their ability to control soil conditions. Like any container, raised beds do require a careful balance of soil nutrients and drainage for healthy annual plants. However, this also means you can start your raised bed garden with an ideal soil blend free from contaminants and full of microscopic life.

Another design advantage of raised bed gardening is the ability to add additional infrastructure, such as fencing against pests or trellising to support vining plants. This could be as simple as a bamboo pyramid planted in a raised bed, or framed fencing built directly into the structure of the beds like with these metal corners. If you’re gardening on your patio, you might not worry about deer nibbling on your veggies – but if you’re going to build a raised bed garden in your backyard, you should be able to enjoy the harvest too! For example, we recommend 5-6 ft fencing to deter deer or groundhogs from jumping or climbing (respectively) into garden areas.

Another beneficial form of raised bed infrastructure is drip irrigation, which can water your plants automatically at the roots every day so they receive the optimal amount of moisture, which will help your plants thrive.

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Cons of Raised Bed Gardening

Although we believe that raised beds are a great medium for growing food, there are a few drawbacks. For example, they require a larger amount of land to build on than a patio – although we have also built patio-side raised beds before! And while structural upgrades like fencing can help protect your garden against pests, some people find the look of a boxy garden uninviting. If that sounds like you, consider planting native and pollinator-friendly perennial plants around a raised bed garden area for a more natural look – like in this family-friendly space.

However, if you primarily want to grow edible perennials – like berries or fruit trees – raised beds might not be right for you. Unlike annual plants, which tend to have relatively shallow root systems, perennial plants have stronger and deeper roots. Native perennials also tend to deal better with in-ground soil than annuals, and can quickly outgrow raised bed spaces. There are some exceptions – like mint or strawberries, which tend to “take over” undefined zones – but in general, we recommend raised beds for annual crops and in-ground beds for edible perennials.

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Why We Recommend Raised Beds

Despite a few drawbacks, raised beds remain one of the most versatile and rewarding gardening methods. The ability to control soil quality and create an optimal growing environment makes them an excellent choice for home gardeners, especially for those growing annual vegetables and herbs. Raised beds offer long-term benefits, from better water management to ease of access, making gardening more manageable and efficient. Whether you’re looking to maximize your harvest, protect your plants from pests, or create a low-maintenance system with irrigation, raised beds provide a durable and customizable solution that adapts to your space and needs.

Whether you want the flexibility of portable pots or the structure of a raised bed, starting small and expanding over time is a great way to gain confidence in your gardening skills. Ready to get growing? Book a consultation today to start planning your dream garden and enjoy the rewards of fresh, homegrown produce right at your fingertips!

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Why Plant Garlic and Shallots?

Growing garlic and shallots at home is a rewarding winter gardening task. Because garlic and shallots can survive cold winter weather, planting these crops in fall is a great way to improve next year’s harvest by acting now.

Garlic and shallots are both easy-to-grow alliums that form the base of many different recipes. In summer (typically July) when these crops become ready for harvest, the fresh flavors will pair well with other crops you can grow at home like tomatoes and eggplant.

Here is a quick guide on how to successfully plant and grow garlic and shallots in fall:

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Hardneck versus Softneck Garlic

When choosing a variety of garlic to plant, it’s important to consider your climate. There are two main types of garlic, known as “hardneck” and “softneck” garlic. As its name suggests, if you break open a bulb of hardneck garlic you will see a hard stem between the bulbs. Hardneck garlic grows well in cold climates and produces “scapes” (edible green shoots) in spring. However, they have a shorter storage life than softneck garlic.

Softneck garlic can typically be stored for up to six months as opposed to three or four. In our climate, we prefer hardneck garlic for its reliability in cold weather and delicious scape.

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Photo by Kaboompics.com on Unsplash

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When to Plant Garlic and Shallots

At Backyard Eats, we often plant garlic and shallots in November. We’ve also seen that garlic and shallots remain reliably successful when planted anytime before the ground freezes for the winter.

This timing window is essential for garlic or shallot cloves to establish roots before winter, but not put too much energy into growing a stalk or leaves. These would suck energy from the clove and prevent it from forming a new full-sized bulb. Once spring’s warm weather returns, having a pre-existing root structure will help the bulbs develop more quickly because it will be able to put its energy upwards instead of into root growth.

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How to Plant Garlic and Shallots

Ideally, you should plant garlic and shallots in a location that receives full sun (6-8 hours a day). Also, be aware that these crops won’t be ready to harvest until late summer, so they will take up space in your spring & summer garden planting plan. Garlic prefers nutrient-rich and loamy soil, so consider adding a layer of compost to your raised beds in fall for soil health and weed suppression over winter. We recommend raised beds for annual crops like alliums because they allow for greater control over soil texture.

The process for planting garlic and shallots is very similar. Break up your bulbs into individual cloves, keeping the outer papery layer intact if possible. Choose the largest, healthiest bulbs that are firm and free of damage. Plant each clove with the pointed end up towards the sun: this is where the stalk will grow in spring. It’s typically recommended to space cloves about 6-8 inches apart to leave room for mature bulbs to develop. Garlic can be planted at 3-4” deep, whereas shallots can be planted with the point at soil level.

If not planted deep enough, garlic may resurface before spring. Adding a layer of organic mulch or salt hay (not straw, which can harbor fungal disease and weeds) can help protect your crops from extreme winter weather or creatures. You can move aside some mulch in spring to help sunlight reach growing plants.

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Photo by greenwish_ on Unsplash

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How Alliums Grow Over Winter

After planting individual cloves, cold weather will cause garlic and shallots to go dormant during winter. In spring, when daylight and warmth increases, the crops will be triggered to grow leaves. As a result, each clove will multiply underground to form the typical bulb of garlic or shallots that you are used to seeing in the grocery store. This process is known as vernalization.

After garlic and shallots begin to bulb underground, they will send up new vegetative shoots as they continue to grow. If you are growing hardneck garlic, you can enjoy an early harvest of garlic scapes without damaging the developing bulbs. In fact, harvesting the scape in late June will allow the plant to focus more energy on bulb production. Garlic and shallots are typically ready to harvest in mid-late summer when the leaves begin to die back and turn brown. In Philadelphia we typically harvest garlic in July.

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Learn More

The satisfaction of growing garlic and shallots at home is a great way to experience the magic of homegrown food! For more advice on harvesting and storing garlic and shallots, try our Harvest Toolkit.

Ready to keep your garden thriving year-round? Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more tips on how to make the most of your homegrown produce!

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