This is an early spring photo of our three square foot raised beds. The straw covers garlic plants that were planted in the fall. The vertical structures in the background are trellises to support the pole beans and the tomatoes.

The Raised Bed

Raising the soil bed above ground level creates the raised bed. This can be accomplished either by mounding the soil or by containing the soil with masonry or wood sides (recycled plastic timbers are also available). Raised beds can usually be planted sooner because the soil temperature will be higher. The raised bed will have better drainage, but consequently watering may be more critical. During a two-week period our first season, it rained nearly every day and left conventional gardens a sea of mud. Our raised beds never suffered from the excessive rainfall. The combination of the raised bed and square foot techniques is a perfect marriage.

The "Wall O Water"

We experimented with the Wall O Water which incorporates water filled tubes that store heat during the day and warm the plants during the night as well as providing frost protection.Unfilled Walls at the left, Wall being filled in center and filled Wall at right and in background