GETTING A LIFT FROM GROWING
Raised-bed gardening can aid those with mobility difficulties
Raised-bed gardening — the art of growing vegetables and flowers in container boxes lifted up from the ground — is a trend that is now popular not only in community gardens but also with small-space gardeners keen to make the best use of a balcony, patio or deck.
The advantages to this type of gardening are obvious. Raised beds are easier to access for people who have difficulty bending or kneeling.
Beds are also accessible from all sides, which means plants and soil in the centre can be easily cultivated from different positions without the need of having to step into the bed itself. There are a few other benefits. Soil in raised-beds tends to warm up faster in spring and stay warmer longer in the fall. All of which means you can extend your growing season and get more productive yields.
Raised-beds also allow you to have more control of the growing environment, so you can keep a close eye out for weeds and bugs.
In selecting the right raised-bed for your purposes, you need to think about weight — the weight of the bed itself and its ultimate weight when it is filled with soil and planted.
This will also be increased when watered.
Drainage is another key issue. It is essential that the soil drains easily to avoid it becoming compacted and caked, which can kill crops.
Water is slightly more crucial than in a regular garden because raised-beds can dry out more quickly.
Raised-beds, of course, should be located on level ground in an area that receives full sun.
Some systems, such as the LifeSpace one created by Wes Hooper and Cooper Pantages, of West Vancouver, come with their own internal irrigation reservoir system.
The 21-litre reservoir in the LifeSpace system allows you to go away on weekends and know your plants are still being watered. Units are priced from $349 to $699 depending on size. For more details, go to www.lifespacegardens.com.
To save you all the work of fitting your pieces of cedar lumber together, West Coast Seeds has produced a set of Raised Bed Corner Sets that can be instantly fitted together with lumber to make a perfect raised-bed. The heavy duty aluminum brackets come in four sizes and range in price from $35.99 to $69.99.
VegTrug is another form of raised-bed gardening offered by West Coast Seeds. These are elevated beds that stand waist-high supported by sturdy legs.
The beauty of this style is that it eliminates all the difficulty of having to bend, kneel or squat. You can simply tend your crops standing up or even from a seated position.
“That makes it fine for anyone with mobility challenges,” says Mark Macdonald of West Coast Seeds.
Two forms of VegTrugs are available. They both stand 80 cm (31 inches) high and 76 cm (30 inches) wide. The small VegTrug is 100 cm (40 inches) long and sells for $259.99; the Medium VegTrug is 180 cm (70 inch) long and sells for $369.99.
The smaller one is recommended if you are keen to have a herb garden on your balcony or deck. The medium size VegTrug is said to be ideal for growing bush beans, bush tomatoes and even zucchini.
Lee Valley Tools also is offering some ready-made raised-beds made in B.C. by CedarCraft from “100 per cent sustainably grown Western Red Cedar.”
There is a 124 cm (49 inch) square by 30 cm (12 inches) CedarCraft Urban Raised Bed for $299 plus the Cascade Two-Tier Garden Planter for $229.
There is also a Self-watering Raised Planter that contains a “high capacity reservoir” built into the bottom for $209. This planter stands 29 inches (73 cm) high and measures about 100-by-40-by-22 cm (40-by-16-by-9 inches).
Raised-bed gardening is not only great for gardeners who like more manageable, easy-access growing sites, but also for parents who want to give children a growing space of their own that won’t feel overwhelming and can be easily monitored.
Raised-bed gardening is also great for parents who want to give children a growing space of their own that won’t feel overwhelming.