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Container and Raised Bed Gardening

When arthritis limits your movement, gardening can be very tough. At times, it is nearly impossible to get down on the ground to do routine gardening chores in a regular garden. So give up planting altogether? I think not!

Container or raised bed gardening may be a workable solution. By raising the planting area there is much less bending and stooping. If you build it at the right level you can even garden from a chair.

If you desire lots of plants in a large area, then a raised bed is in order. Chances are you’ll need some help building it, but once that is done, you can handle the planting and maintenance.

Perhaps the easiest way to build a raised bed is out of landscaping timbers, but bricks, rocks or other solid materials can be used. Choose your area, remembering to take into consideration the amount of sunlight that particular area receives. Keep in mind that your bed should be accessible from both sides, the entire planting area should be reachable. Simply build a large rectangle by stacking the timbers. When it reaches a comfortable height for you, the filling begins.

If the bed is less than 12 inches deep you can simply fill with the planting medium of choice, topsoil would be my pick. Or you may want to mix peat moss, and/or compost with the soil. If the bed is deeper than 12 inches, you might want to consider putting a layer of pea gravel on the bottom to aid the drainage process.

If you just want to plant a few plants, container gardening is your best bet. The choice of containers is limited only by your imagination. Picture a front porch or patio filled with many different types of containers. Each container is home to a plant-vegetables, flowers, whatever you desire. The possibilities are endless.

Choosing the right container size can be tricky. Her are some recommended diameter sizes for container grown veggies:

Beans: 6in
Tomatoes: 12in
Peppers: 10
Spinach: 4in

Container and raised beds do require a little extra care, but the convince more than makes up for the extra work. Containers & raised beds will require more frequent watering than plants in the ground. A small container may need watered twice a day during the hottest times.

With a little careful planning, you can enjoy all the perks and tension relieving benefits of gardening, without the hassle!

References:
Container & Raised Bed Gardening by B. Rosie Lerner
Building a Raised Bed Garden by Margie Talt

Tina J. Underwood
Page last updated on May 10, 2000