“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” That’s what Thomas Jefferson thought about gardening — and he served as President and Secretary of State, wrote the Declaration of Independence, made the Louisiana Purchase, launched the Lewis and Clark expedition and founded UVA. But the endorsement of an overachieving Founding Father is far down the list of real reasons to take up this challenge. Growing your own food is as healthy as it gets in terms of diet and exercise. There’s also a rare satisfaction that comes from eating what you nurtured from seed, and a confidence-boosting sense of self-sufficiency that any doomsday prepper or naturalist can relate to. Here’s a few suggestions on what you’ll need to get started on your first of many hardware store and plant nursery runs to come.
Dovetail Cedar Raised Garden Kit
Raised garden beds hold several advantages over a basic row garden. Improved soil quality (because you dictate the mixture of specialized dirt and mulch used inside) and superior drainage are the two biggest benefits. They’re also capable of growing more produce per square foot because the loose soil promotes water and air movement. This makes it possible to plant raised beds more densely, which in turn limits opportunities for weeds to take hold. Finally, being higher up makes it easier to block out pests and lets the raised earth warm more quickly than the ground, meaning the beds can be planted earlier in the season. This kit is strong, looks great and requires no tools to assemble. It can also be easily connected with other kits as your gardening aspirations grow, or stacked for plants with deeper roots.
