Raised Bed Gardening

I never thought I could be excited about gardening.  When I was a teenager,  it was forced upon me by my father and grandfather.  Who hauled me out the garden for tedious chores like weeding, harvesting, shucking and shelling. 

Now I can hardly stay out of my garden. I only wish my father were alive to see me. 

But my garden is not my father's and grandfather's garden.  I spent my first 3 years here in the country gardening the the old fashioned hard way.  Tilling, planting in rows, weeding, loosing the battle to weeds, and finally quitting in August. 

Last summer I started a raised bed rotation garden - not exactly square foot gardening - but close. 

No more tilling, no more extreme weeding! 

• the soil isn't walked on and so it isn't compacted
• good soil is added above the ground therefore avoiding the hard red clay (which takes years of amending to improve)
• the plants are spaced close, beds are filled with mulch and interplantings, so there is less weeds. 

In addition to being less work, this garden is healthier because it can remain chemical free by:

• interplanting -  mixing in aromatic herbs and veggies to confuse pest and save space
• companion planting - planting herbs and flowers to repel pest, and attract beneficial insects
• yearly crop rotation - moving plants so that pest and disease can't get established
• adding flowers and water to attract pollinators and predators. 

I hope to share my gardening victories and failures and hear about yours so we can learn from each other.

Have you found a way to make gardening easier and more enjoyable?  Leave a comment and if you have a blog or website, leave a link.