Discover the Display Gardens Open House

Join us for this year’s Open House at the Discovery Garden,
the Salal Native Plant Garden, and the NW Fruit Garden
Saturday, June 29, 2024
10:00 a.m. ~ 2:00 p.m.
Free Admission & Parking

Visit 8 acres of gardens at one location in Skagit Valley

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By Kay Torrance and Janine Wentworth
Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Explore all three gardens and talk to the volunteers who maintain the gardens. Use your ‘Discovery Passport’ and map to lead you on a self-guided tour of educational displays and activities including:

• Container Gardening
• Growing Media for Container Gardening
• Drip Irrigation
• Plant Clinic
• Plant Sale

Also booths by:

• Skagit County Noxious Weeds
• Skagit County Natural Resources
• Skagit Conservation District

 

The Skagit Valley is home to three display gardens operated by volunteers as a learning resource for the public: the WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden, the Salal Native Plant Garden, and the NW Fruit Garden. The gardens are co-located on the grounds of Washington State University (WSU) Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC) in Mount Vernon, WA (directions).

Ask a Master Gardener
Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners will be on-site to provide research-based solutions for your gardening challenges. Visit our Plant Clinic in the Pavilion for solutions to your plant problems or bring in a plant sample for identification. There will be a perennial plant sale. Bring your dull gardening tool to have it sharpened for free.

This year, master gardeners have crafted a special display on container gardening. Learn how to incorporate containers in your landscape or on your patio or balcony. Find out what you can grow and how to prepare the containers for success. There will also be information on planting media and using drip irrigation.

© Nancy Crowell Photography

© Kay Torrance
The Discovery Garden
Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener Discovery Garden features 30 themed garden rooms on 1.5 acres with ADA-accessible paths and educational displays. Designed to support Skagit home gardeners by promoting research-based gardening practices, master gardeners have created 30 garden rooms within the garden, featuring hundreds of plants chosen to flourish in Skagit Valley. Master gardeners will be on hand to show you their favorite plants.

The Discovery Garden began in 1994 when the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners had a vision for a garden that would demonstrate best practices for gardening in the Skagit area. After two years of planning, the garden’s first plantings of trees and installation of fences was completed in the fall of 1996, transforming a rural agricultural field into a public display garden. Check out the garden’s webpage and browse the 30 garden rooms to find inspiration for your garden.

Salal Native Plant Garden
The Salal Native Plant Garden is a half-acre oasis of native plants tucked behind the Discovery Garden. You can enter by walking through the Discovery Garden and following the paths to the south. Cool off in the shade and explore how you can incorporate low-maintenance natives into your home landscape. See how red osier dogwood, salal, cascara, vine maples, and others could look in your yard. Docents will be available for tours and to answer questions.

The Salal Native Plant Garden was created twenty-five years ago as a collaborative effort between volunteers of the Salal Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and the Washington State University Agriculture Extension Agency at Mount Vernon (WSU). 

NW Fruit Garden
The NW Fruit Garden (formerly WWFRF) is six-acres planted with fruit trees, berry bushes, and other fruit-bearing plants suited for our climate, along with espaliers and informative signage. Tour the Antique Apple Collection in the orchard’s inner oval or tour the entire orchard. Ask about pruning and thinning of fruit. Find out what fruit varieties are best for your needs. The garden includes many unusual plants, such as medlar, sea buckthorn, kiwi, Aronia, and haskaps.

The NW Fruit Garden is located on the west side of the Discovery Garden. The garden was initiated in 1991 to provide a resource for the public to view successful fruit varieties and cultural methods for our Pacific maritime climate. Whether you are choosing two or three fruit tree varieties for a small urban backyard or have a more extensive orchard for family or even farmers-market production, NW Fruit has information on variety selection and fruit culture for the Pacific Northwest.

Master gardeners are focusing on container gardening at this year’s Open House. Check out the options and growing media recipes. © Ginny Bode

Plant Clinic experts will be on hand to answer questions and diagnose your gardening issues. © Ginny Bode

If you can’t make the Open House, all three gardens are open and free to the public seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Visit the gardens throughout the year to view the seasonal changes. Signage in each garden identifies plants and makes for interesting and educational self-guided tours.

RESOURCES:

• Discover the Display Gardens website
• Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener website
• Salal Native Plant Garden website
• NW Fruit (Western Washington Fruit Research Foundation website

ABOUT THE AUTHORS :

Kay Torrance and Janine Wentworth are Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners and part of the Planning Committee for the annual Open House.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a master gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Mark your calendar for these upcoming master gardener events:

Skagit County Fair
Thursday ~ Sunday, August 8-11, 2024
Skagit County Fairgrounds
Building D
(map)
Visit our booth, see our displays, and talk with master gardeners about how to make your garden beautiful and productive.
Know & Grow Lecture Series
Season Extenders
Presented by Hallie Kintner
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 ~ 1 p.m.
Free Admission
NWREC Sakuma Auditorium
16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon

 

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A Second Act for Your Square 1-Gallon Pots at the Discovery Garden!

Bring your leftover square 1-gallon pots to the Discovery Garden (16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon). The bin for recycling the square 1-gal pots is located in the parking lot, just north (to the right) of the main entrance.
We only need square 1-gallon pots like the ones pictured below (bottom right). The recycling bin will be available now through fall. Simply put your pots into the bin, and we take care of the rest!

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Gardening for All Ages and Abilities

Practical tips and ideas for adapting the garden through life’s transitions

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By: Ginny Bode with Madelyn Case and Anita Reetz, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners

Gardeners know spending time in the garden feeds the soul. But sometimes, as life changes, we face the need to adapt how we garden so it is possible for ourselves or those we love to continue cultivating wellbeing through gardening.

For some, physical limitations present lifelong challenges; for others, aging begins to interfere with the bending, kneeling, and digging associated with gardening. There are many reasons to take heart and continue to enjoy gardening by implementing some of these adaptive methods.

In her book Gardening for a Lifetime, Sidney Eddison sums up the reason for adapting when she says, “We are all doing exactly the same thing-trying to hang on to something we love.” Her book is loaded with practical ideas for reducing and removing barriers that hinder and continue the joy of growing plants through life’s transitions.

Reducing the size and work of a garden is the first step, followed by making it easier, more accessible, and user-friendly. A vegetable garden the size you’ve always had, and probably shared with others, can be resized to reduce both the work of maintaining and the work of harvesting. Choose to grow your top favorites, looking for plants that require less maintenance.

Eddison writes about requiring a “standard of good behavior” for perennials. Her measure includes observing a perennial’s health, fortitude, and ability to withstand the extremes of summer and winter. They must be “well-behaved” and not invite pests. As plants age out, replace them with sizes and varieties that are easier to maintain. And, because climbing ladders is problematic as we age, choose low-profile trees and shrubs that are easier to reach for pruning and maintenance.

Pay Attention to Walkways
Every garden needs to be accessible and safe. Falls are problematic and can limit the ability to garden even more. Remove any places that may cause one to stumble. Eliminate a dip in a walking path and poor transitions between surfaces. Smooth pathways such as pavers, rather than woodchips or gravel, ensure ease for every gardener, particularly those who need the aid of a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

Herbs and lettuces can easily be grown in containers making it easy to gather when preparing a meal.

If the space doesn’t allow a large footprint, grow vertically with trellises in pots. Tomatoes are a beautiful addition, and can drive grown vertically with good airflow.
Be Amazed by What Can Be Grown in Containers
Life can throw us a curve, and home may change from acreage or a city lot with a garden to an apartment. Don’t let it rob the joy of gardening. When faced with gardening on a patio, containers can provide an excellent way to get a dirt fix. Most home gardeners are familiar with growing flowers in pots and containers. Many also successfully grow a wide range of vegetables, including tomatoes, beans, and kitchen herbs in pots. Depending on the space and container size, some folks even grow potatoes! The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible by Edward Smith provides advice for growing an abundant vegetable garden on your patio or balcony. Smith’s book is a stalwart in gardeners’ libraries because it is packed with information covering sun exposure, pot size, soil choices, and which varieties do best in containers.

Raised beds are also an excellent solution to making the garden user-friendly, making it possible to get your hands in the dirt without bending or kneeling. By keeping the beds narrow, 4′ or less, every inch of the garden is reachable from a standing or wheelchair position. It is incredible how much can be grown in a raised bed. With the popularity of raised beds, kits that only require simple assembly are available, or you can use the plans referenced later in this article.

Master gardener and adaptive gardening consultant Toni Gattone shares many adaptive gardening ideas in her book The Lifelong Gardener. Faced with chronic back pain, she searched for ways to adapt her northern California garden. She collected considerable wisdom about assessing limitations and finding joy in the changes. In the book, Toni profiles several gardeners faced with specific challenges and how they solved them with intentional choices and tools.

Gattone has a chapter about tools available for gardeners who face physical challenges. Scooters, carts, and ergonomically designed tools reduce some of the problems caused by aging joints. Long-handled hoes and weeders can make it much easier to garden from a bench.

Share a Gardening Space with a Friend or Join a Community Garden
Another way to garden without a home garden is to share a space. Many communities have garden spaces for people who need a place to garden. Whether in a community garden or sharing space in a friend’s garden, both offer the additional benefit of social interaction and shared knowledge.

The Enabling Garden features an abundance of garden possibilities for making it easier to garden for all ages and abilities © Nancy Crowell Photography
See the Possibilities in Action
As spring turns to summer, you will find inspiration for adaptive gardening techniques in the Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener’s Discovery Garden on Memorial Highway (SR 536), west of Mount Vernon. Within the one-and-a-half-acre garden, local master gardeners have created an Enabling Garden, showcasing possibilities for people of all ages with limited physical abilities.

The Enabling Garden’s features include:

• Smooth ground surfaces
• Raised beds
• Resting places
• A display of adaptive gardening tools
• A selection of plants chosen for their sensory attributes or space

Many tools are available to help ease physical challenges. Long-handled hoes and weeders can make it much easier to garden from a bench.
© Ginny Bode

White stones delineate areas for the visually impaired in this raised bed in the Enabling Garden

Rather than wood chips or gravel, pavers allow visitors with walkers or wheelchairs to move about easily. The raised bed design (8-foot x 4-foot x 1-3-foot) permits the gardener to reach every inch of each bed, standing or from a wheelchair. You’ll find more information about raised beds along with plans at https://www.skagitmg.org/raised-beds-2023/.

One raised bed features a sitting ledge to offer a rest from work. Another bed is designed for the visually impaired and features curved streams of small white rocks separating plant clusters and plants with different textures to touch and feel. A third raised bed is divided into three parts with cutouts to push in a walker or wheelchair.

A fourth raised bed features a vertical lattice panel in the center, supporting various runner beans and clematis. The panel, located in the middle, permits tending from both sides. Square foot gardening techniques are displayed in another raised bed where 24 one-foot squares, laid out with twine, show the variety and abundance of small vegetables, herbs, and flowers that one raised bed produces.

The coordinators of the Enabling Garden choose plants for their ability to satisfy the senses of smell, touch, hearing, and taste. Kids visiting this garden say, “It’s fun to feel” the wooly lambs’ ear (Stachys byzantina), spiky lemon thyme (Thymus citriodorus), saxifrage, trailing English ivy (Hedera helix), and soft moss that flourish in the bed designed for the visually impaired. Fragrant plants throughout the garden include lilies, mint, sage, violets, and sweet peas. Herbs like lavender, rosemary, and lemon verbena can energize the gardener. You will find plants included for their sounds, too! Balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus), bamboo, Chinese lantern plants (Physalis alkekengi), and honesty (Lunaria annua) provide interesting and pleasant sounds.

Within the Enabling Garden, you’ll also find a display picturing enabling tools, showing the tool and explaining how it helps gardeners use less energy and work more effectively.

These tips only touch on surface ideas to make it possible to experience the rewards of gardening no matter what physical limitations a gardener faces. The resources below dig deeper into the possibilities for gardening at any age or ability.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES:

Eddison, S. 2010. Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older. Timber Press Portland, OR.

Smith, E. 2011. The Vegetable Gardener’s Container Bible. Storey Publishing, North Adams, MA.

Bartholomew, M. 2018. All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space! Cool Springs Press, Franklin, TN.

Gattone, T. 2019. The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Ginny Bode

Anita Reetz

Madelyn Case

ABOUT THE AUTHORS :

Ginny Bode, Anita Reetz, and Madelyn Case are Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners. Anita and Madelyn are the coordinators of the Enabling Garden at the Discovery Garden on SR 536 west of Mount Vernon. https://www.skagitmg.org/home/discovery-garden/

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: www.skagit.wsu.edu/mg

Help for the Vegetable Garden Novice

Tips every first-time vegetable gardener should consider

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By Anne Hays and Cathy Markham, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners 

I am a vegetable garden rookie! There, now you know.

Some of us become gardeners later than others. I grew up moving from state to state just about every year. Our family’s unique military and government-dictated lifestyle left few opportunities for gardening growing up. As an adult, I found myself living in Alaska, spending 30-plus years tending fireweed, wild lowbush blueberries, and devils-club. Now, living in the abundantly beautiful Skagit Valley, I have the time and desire to learn how to successfully plant and grow a vegetable garden. As a novice, first-time veggie gardener, I turned to my wonderful friend and fellow Master Gardener, Cathy Markham, and asked her to mentor me through the process. The following is a journal of guidance and learning with the goal of a vibrant and bountiful vegetable garden this coming spring and summer.

Think Before You Leap

As both a gardener and a chef, Cathy has been growing a cook’s garden for many years. Both her Italian grandmother, on the central coast of California, and her mother, in the high mountain desert of Idaho, grew gardens. Cathy has never known a time when her family didn’t grow, harvest, and preserve.

Cathy advises working to get the most out of your garden space. When she teaches about gardening, she advises “Think before you leap.” Answer a couple of key questions such as “What do you want to take away from your decision to garden and what kind of commitment are you honestly willing to make regarding time, dedication, and hard work?” There are no wrong answers; it is just very helpful to define your expectations.

After many, many years of experience gained from multiple acres of gardens, and knowledge collected from gardeners who have gone before her, Cathy asks every novice vegetable gardener to consider:

Do you have a space that is prepared to plant? Is the soil in need of amending? Is there adequate water and is the sunlight appropriate for your garden space?

Is your space protected from deer, rabbits, or other animals that see your garden as a free salad bar?

Are you prepared to tend your garden frequently, checking for insects and disease, weeding, tending seedlings, and then harvesting for maximum yield?

Considering these questions will help you decide if “digging in” and starting a home vegetable garden is for you. In fairness, sometimes our lives or interests can’t support the commitment of growing a garden and it is better to support a local farm stand. Gardening is just not fun when you are constantly trying to keep your plants alive in poor soil and conditions, or when you are doing the added work of trying to keep the deer and rabbits out of your garden. If you are serious about getting a harvest for delicious eating and winter storage, the answers to these questions are important.

After listening to Cathy’s advice, considering her questions, and thinking through our commitment to becoming vegetable gardeners, my partner and I said “Yes! We are ready and committed to growing our own vegetable garden.”

This past fall, we set about building a garden space, installing six vinyl-clad trough-style raised beds which were ordered from an online source.

The start of the process of building a raised bed garden on a small, city lot. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The raised bed components delivered by the online retailer. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Opting to use drip irrigation, we installed the necessary infrastructure and then filled the six beds with commercially distributed topsoil. Placed next to the house on the south side, three beds measure 3.5 feet by 3.5 feet. Two beds measure 2.5 feet by 8 feet and one measuring 2 feet by 6.5 feet, adjacent to the square beds with a 6-foot path and workspace in between. We plan to attach hog-wire to the house wall for trellising above the three, square beds.

The investment, not including the raised beds, came to $539.63. Once everything was in place, we invited Cathy to visit the newly minted, naked garden. She thought the raised garden beds looked great; having the potential for lots of sun, available irrigation, and plenty of space for vertical growing! Cathy suggested getting started right away by planting winter veggies such as leeks, kale, and garlic as a first foray into the veggie gardening realm.

Rookie Alert: The eight garlic cloves purchased were about six more than most any household needs. Cathy happily adopted the surplus garlic for her garden. Then she quietly pointed out that the leeks, which by then, looked more like bunches of scallions, needed to be separated from their clumps to grow with adequate space. Who knew?

The raised bed components assembled and ready for DIY drip system installation. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

The finished garden beds ready for planting. © Anne Hays/Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener
The Next Step – Planning What to Grow
Here again, Cathy’s advice, based on years of experience and research-based learning, was invaluable-she helped us decide what to grow; when to grow; and whether to buy starts versus seeds. Her advice is to grow what you love to eat. Okay, then not so many cukes since my partner is not a fan. Cathy recommends a wonderful book: Grow Cook Eat by Willi Galloway as a starting point for garden planning.
Starting with Seeds Versus Buying Plant Starts
Locally grown plant starts are a reliable way to get up and running. But spending time with seed catalogs is enthusiastically encouraged! Some favorites are provided in the references below.

The next steps will include getting together during the cold and dark winter months for tea or warm cider to go through seed catalogs and map out the garden planting. Raised bed experts recommend growing tomatoes on a trellis, and weaving in other climbers, such as beans, on the same trellis to efficiently utilize the space. It is key to plant at the right time – don’t start too early!

Here are some of the guiding principles Cathy encourages new gardeners to lean on:

Grow what you love to eat.

• You have a lot of choices for what to plant in your vegetable gardens but the best choices are the ones you or your family are actually willing to add to your diet and eat. You are more likely to put the work into the garden and harvest for foods you love to eat.

Start small and be successful with easy-to-grow plants.

• A very small garden can be very productive and rewarding. It gives you a chance to experiment with plants, maybe one tomato plant or eggplant. Greens, bush beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots, and herbs are an easy way to start. Choose bush and dwarf varieties for small spaces so you won’t have to worry about staking. If you have vertical space, climbing vegetables are great; these include peas, beans, cucumbers, indeterminant tomatoes, and now several new varieties of squash have been developed which grow vertically in small spaces.

Grow nutrition-rich and versatile choices.

• Adding nutrient-dense vegetables to our diet is always a plus! Dark leaved greens like kale, spinach, and chard; rich dark root vegetables like beets and carrots; peas and beans, garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots; broccoli or broccolini; and tomatoes!

Grow what is expensive to buy or is not as flavorful when you buy it.

• This is especially true of herbs which are easy to grow for the most part and make a huge difference in food preparation. Tomatoes and English peas (shelling peas) are examples of vegetables that are so much better fresh from the garden. Potatoes and corn are plentiful and readily available, so you may choose to skip giving up the space it takes to grow them.

Decide what “mountains to die on.”

• Based on your time and patience, decide what you are willing to deal with in your garden. For example, you may choose not to grow many vegetables from the cabbage family because you are not willing to deal with the bugs and worms that they attract. You may choose instead to grow broccolini, a short, early-season vegetable, or maybe Kalettes (a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts) because they are fun. You can buy what you choose not to grow at a farmer’s market.
• We live in an area where an excellent choice of vegetable starts is available. If you have a new garden, this is a big boost to success because you don’t have to deal with the germination of seeds. Beans are the exception here, they do best when grown from seed. The plus for growing from seed is the huge variety of available seed sources. This may not be a priority for new gardeners.

Grow organic as much as possible.

• The better you take care of your garden the less you will need to use any chemicals on it. Keep the garden clean of weeds, and mulch to keep the weeds down and the soil moist. Keep the pathways clean also; weeds and grass are very difficult to manage when they grow big. It is easier to pick them small, not letting the weeds compete for nutrition. Thinning your growing plants appropriately will cause them to grow strong and able to survive the normal garden bugs. Use a foliar spray made of a mix of kelp concentrate and fish emulsion for fertilizing. Water the plants consistently so they do not become compromised and weak, which leads to disease.

Begin at the right time – don’t start too early.

• It is so tempting to get the seeds or plants in the garden early. The first sunny day seems warm enough – surely we are done with the cold weather! Garden success comes from resisting this temptation. It isn’t a competition with anyone else, or a race to see who can get the earliest peas. Take the time to prepare the gardens, clean out the flower beds, and pace yourself. This may not suit some, but except for garlic, which gets planted in late October, and leeks and shallots in March, planting can wait until April for the cool spring crops, and everything else until mid to late May. Wait patiently until late May and or even early June to plant tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and tender herbs like basil. Until the soil is warm, so many plants just shiver and sit. But if you wait until the soil is warm, seeds will germinate quickly and plants are stronger. A compromised plant may not ever get back the vigor of one that has not been traumatized by the weather!

Commit to what you start, that is – take care of your garden. And have fun!
As winter turns to spring, we will meet, talk, plan, and put these guiding principles into action. We plan to continue with a follow-up blog post in spring to report back about our plans and decision process. We promise, you’re going to want to learn more about our garden pest-repelling strategies.

The end goal – Cathy Markham’s garden yields an abundance of fresh produce for eating and preserving. © Cathy Markham / Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

REFERENCES:

Galloway, W. (2012). Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening. Seattle, WA. Sasquatch Books.

Raymond, D. (1983) Joy of Gardening. North Adams, MA. Storey.

Damrosch, B. (2008) The Garden Primer: The Completely Revised Gardener’s Bible. New York, NY. Workman Publishing Company.

LeHoullier, C. (2014). Epic Tomatoes. North Adams, MA. Storey.

Robinson, Jo. (2014). Eating on the Wild Side. New York, NW. Hachette Group.

Miles, C. (2013). WSU Home Vegetable Gardening in Washington. Washington State University Extension Publication #EM057E. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/home-vegetable-gardening-in-washington-home-garden-series.

This is a non-inclusive list of seed purveyors to consider:

Renee’s Garden Seeds, www.reneesgarden.com
For some varieties of seeds, Renee’s offers combination packages of two or three types of seeds, dyed so you can differentiate. This is especially nice for variety without planting a huge garden. The tri-color beans and three variety zucchinis are particular favorites.

Italy-Franchi www.growitalian.com

Territorial Seed Company https://territorialseed.com/

Johnny’s Selected Seeds Company https://www.johnnyseeds.com/

Learn from the experts at the
Country Living Expo
& Modern Homesteading

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Learn More and Register Here >>

These Gardening Topics and More:

• Fruit Tree Pruning & Grafting
• Microclimates in the Garden
• Low Maintenance Gardening
• Roses
• Bee Keeping
• Soil Sampling
• Veggie Gardening
• Growing in High Tunnels, Cold Frames, and Unheated Greenhouses
• Pest Control
• Hop Growing
• Flower Arranging
• Know Your Native Trees
• Introduction into Mason Bees

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Anne Hays and Cathy Markham are certified Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners, Class of 2022. Cathy has a degree in food and nutrition from the University of Idaho and is a Registered Dietician. Her vegetable garden has been featured in the Seattle Times Sunday Magazine.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/

These raised beds in the Discovery Garden show the multiple advantages of raised bed gardening.© Photo by Nancy Crowell / Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Gardening with Raised Beds

Raised Beds Provide Many Advantages to Home Gardeners

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Editor’s Note: 
As the daylight hours continue to wane, many gardeners turn their attention to planning for next season. Some of us even have a Christmas wish list which has been known to be filled with tools and even projects that will enhance our gardening endeavors. For this reason, the Ask a Master Gardener Blog editors are reprinting a favorite article, complete with plans, a materials list, and updated references which answer one of the most asked questions at plant clinics and market kiosks —“How do I build a raised bed garden?”

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By Dave Buchan, Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener

Want to grow better vegetables but concerned about poor soil quality in your garden plot? Are you frustrated with continually trying to amend your soil for better growing but getting nowhere? Do you have site conditions or drainage problems that prevent establishing a good garden? Your solution might be gardening with raised beds.

What is a Raised Garden Bed?
A raised bed is really nothing more than a device containing a vertical column of quality soil to create the best possible growing conditions for your garden. Raised beds can vary greatly in size, but typical garden beds are generally 12 to 24-inches in height and about 4-feet in width. Your ideal width may vary, but a 4-foot width is a dimension that most gardeners use because you can easily tend half the garden from one side, and then the other half from the other side. Length can vary depending on space and site conditions. Some gardeners choose raised beds up to 16-feet long.
Why Use Raised Garden Beds?

Raised beds offer many advantages for gardeners. Most importantly, raised beds allow you to control the quality of your soil. Soil quality is the number one consideration for successful gardening. The second major advantage of raised beds is that you can garden without getting down on your hands and knees to tend your garden. For older gardeners, this is a real benefit and can make gardening more fun. Placing a wood or metal “seat rail” on top of each side of the raised bed allows you to sit on the edge of the planter for easier weeding or tending.

Another advantage with raised beds is that with bed sidewalls exposed to the sun, soil temperature in the beds can be slightly higher than with a normal garden. And surprisingly, a simple degree or two in soil temperature can make a big difference in the growth of your plants.

Other benefits of raised beds are that: (1) vegetables can be planted a bit closer together and thereby a better yield per square foot of garden space, and (2) raised bed soil will not be as compacted as normal garden soil. There are no rows between plants that are walked on and no wheelbarrows traveling over to compact the soil. Less compaction means more fertile soil for better plant growth.

What Types of Raised Beds are Commonly Used?
Raised beds are made from many materials: stone, concrete block, concrete riprap, treated or plain lumber, galvanized steel panels, railroad ties, and more. Whatever material is used the structure needs to be strong and durable. You can imagine that a well-watered 18 to 24-inch high column of soil carries a lot of weight, especially laterally. So, your “container” needs to be strong enough to support that soil weight. If you’re not too handy, there are raised bed kits available online and in some box stores. These kits can vary in quality and durability, so take care choosing a unit that will work for the long haul.

If money is no object, you can buy commercial galvanized steel feed troughs as your raised bed. They come in a variety of sizes and are sturdy, good-looking, and will last years. Simply drill a series of ½ inch holes in the bottom for good drainage and VOILA! -a great raised bed.

More likely, you will choose to make your raised beds using materials that are commonly available from local stores or surplus outlets, such as treated or kiln-dried lumber, concrete block, concrete riprap, stone, or galvanized steel panels.

Material Considerations
Concrete block: Concrete block can make a good raised bed, but you need to be prepared to spend some time tweaking and adjusting rows of blocks. You need to start with a level site. Blocks are heavy to work with and even a slight change in ground level on the first row can translate to a bigger problem on the second row. This requires patience and some determination to get it right.

Stone or riprap concrete: If you have a supply of stone or riprap to use, great. But this can be heavy work and you need to be careful with stacking stone or concrete to create a solid structure that will last.

Treated or kiln-dried lumber: All wood will eventually rot, even treated wood. Whenever wood is in contact with soil, wood will begin to deteriorate. Especially at today’s lumber prices, you want your investment in a raised bed to provide years of reliable service. There are techniques to add to the life of wood used in raised beds, which are discussed in the website materials described below. Caution: Chemicals used to treat lumber can leach into the soil and contaminate the plants being grown.

Corrugated galvanized steel panels: From both a cost and durability perspective corrugated galvanized steel side panels with treated wood corner posts and treated wood seat rails are sturdy and long-lasting. The steel panels are lightweight and easily cut with metal shears, skill saw or jig saw with metal cutting blades. These materials are available at almost any hardware or box store. The galvanized steel sidewalls will last many years and will not leach chemicals into the soil as can some treated wood. Placing a treated 2-foot by 6-foot board horizontally across the top of each sidewall creates a handy seat for use when weeding and tending your garden.

If you’d like to learn more about how to build this raised bed, download the pdf here> which includes detailed “how to” information, complete with construction diagrams, instructions, materials list, and cost estimates for a typical 4-foot by 8-foot by 2-foot-high raised bed.

REFERENCES:

Boeckmann, C. A step-by-step guide to building an easy DIY raised garden bed. Updated July 26, 2023. https://www.almanac.com/content/how-build-raised-garden-bed/

Cogger, C. Raised beds: will they benefit your garden. https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/raised-beds-deciding-if-they-benefit-your-vegetable-garden-home-garden-series

Faust, A. Finlay, E. How to Construct a Raised Bed in the Garden. July 5, 2023. Penn State Extension. https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-construct-a-raised-bed-in-the-garden

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dave Buchan has been a Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardener since 2012.

Questions about home gardening or becoming a Master Gardener, may be directed to: Skagit County WSU Extension Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Suite A, Burlington, WA 98233; by phone: 360-428-4270; or via the website: https://extension.wsu.edu/skagit/mg/