10 Best Gardening Supplies to Buy at the Dollar Store (Plus 5 to Avoid)

May 17, 2020

I love shopping at my local Dollarama or Dollartree (or really any dollar store for that matter!) and I love it even more when I can get my favourite gardening supplies there too for a good deal. This Spring I took a trip to my local dollar store to see what I could get on the cheap, and was really surprised at how much there was! From gardening gloves, to gardening tools, and of course, seeds, pots, and more, there was so much to choose from.

So here’s my list of items I think are a really good deal, and a few that seem like a good idea, but I would probably pass on.

Garden Tools

You can get cheap and cheerful hand gardening tools at the dollar store, that are perfectly good for any light container or urban gardening that you want to do. If you’re using them for a weed-infested, overgrown spot, it’s best to skip the dollar store ones and invest in higher quality.

Pop Up Mini Greenhouse

For $3, you get a functional mini row cover that’s perfect for bringing plants outdoors early. The plastic is a lot longer than I thought it would be, so I could have easily put this in a larger space. The only downside is that it doesn’t come with something to attach the plastic to the wires. I personally like using binder clips and find them very convenient.

Fabric Grow Pots

Fabric grow pots are all the rage, and these ones are particularly cute! I’ll let you know my full opinion once I’ve actually used them for a season, but on looks alone they’re an A+.

Gardening Gloves

Perfect for light gardening jobs! Invest in the rubber-lined kind if you need to do more heavy duty weeding and garden chores.

Landscape Staples

I love using landscape staples to hold my fabrics in place. At 15 cents a staple, you can’t beat the price.

Plant Supports

Why spend tons of money on a plant support when you can get a perfectly functional one for just a few dollars? Lots of different varieties of supports to choose from.

Garden Decor

There’s tons of cute options, and because the prices are so reasonable, you don’t need to feel bad if you tire of it in a few years and pass it along to someone else.

Small Trellises

Need a cute little trellis for your small-space garden or containers? The dollar store to the rescue! There’s so many choices and they’re much more beautiful than you think they’d be for under $5.

WhirlyGigs (for keeping birds away)

The birds in my yard are too smart to be fooled by whirlygigs. But if your birds are not as smart, whirly gigs are a good first step to keep pesky birds from eating your lettuce and other tender greens.

Kids Gardening Toys

If you have a young helper in your life, the dollar store is a great place to get cute looking kids tools that don’t break the bank. If your young helper is a little older and more serious about helping you in the garden, then you might consider getting a more expensive and better quality set of tools. But for a sweet toddler who just wants to mess around in the soil or help you water a pot or two, dollar store toys are perfect.

5 Dollar store gardening items to avoid

While there are plenty of great finds at the dollar store, there’s also some items you really should take a pass on, especially if you’re a more serious gardener. Here’s the 5 items I would not buy.

Tomato Growing Kits

Sure, some of these kits might be perfectly fine for the plants that are in them, but there is no way that pot is going to be big enough for that tomato. If you want to buy the kit for the seeds, go ahead. Just know that it might need to be repotted in the future.

Seeds–if you need a specific Variety

Seeds from the dollar store will grow. They’re just not a good idea if you care deeply about what variety you’ll be planting that year.

Gardening Gloves

Wait. . . didn’t you put that in the must-buy section? Yes. However, if you’re doing a lot of weeding and need something that will really last, the dollar store gloves are likely not good enough quality to last you even a season.

Pots

Because of the nature of the dollar store, the size of pots you can buy there are going to be very difficult to take care of. They’ll dry out quicker, your plants might fry if you don’t water them multiple times a day, and you’ll be extremely frustrated.

Soil

Okay, so usually you can’t find soil at the Dollar Store. But if you do–it’s going to be in such a small size that, for most gardeners, it won’t be a deal because you’ll need so much more soil than the size that is offered. Buy soil elsewhere.

44 Pollinator Friendly Flowers and Herbs to Help Save the Bees

May 10, 2020

Creating a pollinator friendly garden is a win for both you and nature. You create habitat for the bees, which in turn pollinate your garden, which leads to delicious vegetables and better yields.

But what flowers are the best flowers to save the bees and other pollinators? I’ve researched and come up with a list of 44 annuals, perennials, and herbs you can grow in your backyard landscape to attract bees in your garden.

A quick disclaimer–I garden in zone 3b in the Canadian Prairies, so my suggestions reflect what grows here. If you know of another flower that bees love in another zone, please put it in the comments, along with what zone you’re in so we can all learn.

Alyssum

Sweet Alysum can also be grown as a cover crop between rows to help suppress weeds and add nutrients to the soil once it is worked in for the season.

Agastache (Anise Hyssop)

Agastache is a very drought resistant perennial and provides height in the landscape.

Apple Trees (Or really any fruit tree)

Okay, so this one is sort of cheating. But to be fair, have you ever seen a fruit tree in bloom that didn’t have tons of bees buzzing around it? Yes, many fruit trees need the bees to pollinate them, but not all. So plant those apple, cherry, plum, saskatoon berry, or any other flowering fruit free to encourage bees.

Related: 28 Hardy Fruit Trees for Zone 2 and Zone 3

Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)

Butterfly weed isn’t just for butterflies–bees love it too!

Aster

There are many varieties of asters to choose from, from the late summer blooming perennial, to the kind used as bedding plants or grown from seed in a cut flower garden.

For more native plant ideas to incorporate into your garden, check out this post.

Bachelor’s Buttons

Kids of all ages love bachelor buttons. They’re easy to grow from seed and bees can’t get enough of them.

Borage

Borage is an excellent companion flower in the garden and has medicinal purposes as well. In some climates it can get invasive.

Blanketflower

A stunningly beautiful native flower that’s also drought resistant. These are also great to plant in a spot that gets tons of heat

Calendula

Calendula is a workhorse in the garden. It’s easy to grow from seed, loved by pollinators, is a good companion plant for vegetables, and can be used as an ingredient is soaps and diy beauty products.

Related: 14 Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden

Catmint

You might plant catmint for the bees, but your cats will enjoy it as well. I once planted catmint, but there were so many neighbourhood cats that got into it that it didn’t stand a chance and died shortly after.

Celiosa

Celiosa is a striking and more unusual addition to your flowerpots. You can also start it from seed as a cut flower.

Plan the Perfect Garden

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Clover

Clover is an excellent cover crop and can be used as an alternative to grass in a lawn.

Cosmos

Cosmos are an easy cut and come again flower that you can start from seed. They look beautiful in the garden and as part of floral arrangements.

Crocus

Crocuses are a welcome early-blooming flower and one of the first food sources for bees in the Spring.

Chives

A garden isn’t complete without perennial chives. I adore their purple blooms and use fresh chives in my cooking all season long. Here’s a simple chive soup that I like to make.

Echinacea (Coneflower)

Echinacea is drought resistant and a lovely native plant to use in both the garden and in landscaping.

Related: 5 Benefits to Landscaping with Native Flowers

Foxglove

Foxgloves are a gorgeous addition to the garden, but not a good choice if you have children or pets. Every part of the plant is poisonous and can be fatal if ingested.

Geranium (Cranesbill)

Not to be confused with the ones used as bedding plants! Cranesbill Geraniums are perennials.

Goldenrod

This late summer to fall bloomer is a native plant that is drought tolerant and perfect in cut flower arrangements.

Heliotrope

Heliotropes are very fragrant with a smell that both bees and humans find irresistible.

Lavender

Lavender is another fragrant choice. The flowers can be used in soaps or as a flavour in drinks and desserts. If you live in zone 3 like I do, Lavender is extremely difficult to grow and won’t overwinter.

Liatris

Blazing star liatris is an easy-to-grow, drought resistant and deer resistant perennial. A must in any landscape!

Related: How to Design a Low-Maintenance Flower Bed

Lupin

Lupins are a gorgeous choice in the garden, but also dangerous for kids and pets.

Marigolds

Marigolds are easy to start from seed and are a good companion plant in the vegetable garden. I love the taller cut flower varieties like Mary Hellen and Crackerjack.

Mint

Every garden needs a mint plant, but keep it in a pot, as it is highly invasive.

Related: 28 Perennials You’ll Regret Planting

Mondara (Bee Balm)

It’s called bee balm–enough said.

Oregano

Another herb that is loved by both bees and humans.

Nasturtium

Nasturtiums are edible flowers with a peppery taste, and their seeds are easy to collect and grow.

Pansy

A beautiful and very hardy bedding plant. Pansies often survive a light frost or two.

Peony

Planting a peony bush? Just make sure you keep it farther away from the house so ants aren’t encouraged to come through your doors. Learn more about growing peonies here.

Phlox

Phlox makes a good ground cover in a rock garden and can be grown underneath a tree if there is enough light.

Poppies

Poppies are another easy-to-grow flower that often re-seed themselves.

Rosemary

We love rosemary for it’s deliciousness in cooking. Bees love rosemary for the little blue-ish flowers.

Related: How to Dry Herbs so They Still Taste Good!

Roses

Roses can be tricky to grow in zone 3. Stick to the Morden series of roses for the best success. Tea roses or anything fancy will not survive our winters.

Rudbeckia (Black-Eyed Susan)

A staple perennial of the late summer garden.

Sage

Sage has a lovely smell and is also a beautiful filler piece for flower arrangements.

Salvia

Scabiosa

The unusual blooms of scabiosa make a statement in the garden.

Snowdrops

Plant snowdrop underneath a tree or in the shade by your house for best results.

Stonecrop (Sedum)

There are so many types of sedum to chose from. To keep it bee-friendly, choose flowering varieties like Autumn Joy.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are also fun to plant with kids around. Compare their height to the sunflowers!

Thyme

Bees love the delicate purple flowers and you’ll love the fresh taste in your cooking.

Related: How to Grow a Mini Outdoor Herb Garden

Yarrow

I personally adore yarrow because it is a perennial with a long bloom time, it works well in flower arrangements, and it’s drought tolerant.

Zinnia

Every garden needs some cheerful zinnias! Zinnias are good companion flowers and cut flowers.

More Tips for Creating a Garden to Attract Bees

As I mentioned before, this list is definitely not exhaustive to all zones! There’s also a few general tips you can use to decide if a flower would encourage bees to your yard or not.

Use Organic Gardening Methods & Avoid Hybrids

Avoid using pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides as much as possible–even ones marketed as organic. They can contain ingredients that are harmful to pollinators.

Hybrid flowers are bred to have benefits to gardeners, but unfortunately they often have less pollen and nectar–bad news for bees. While I don’t think you should avoid all hybrids, maybe keep them to only a few favourites if you’re trying to attract bees.

Prioritize Native Flowers and Colourful Flowers

Native flowers have so many benefits to them, including being good for the bees. For ideas, go to your local library and pick up a book on plants native to year area, or google [your province or state] + native flowers for ideas. Some native flowers in my area that I like are goldenrod and asters.

Bees love colourful flowers! While all colours will work, bees prefer yellow, white, and blue/purple. While there are tons of flowers to choose in these colours, I like marigolds for yellow, alyssum for white, and bee balm & delphiniums in the blue/purple family.

Fragrant Flowers and Herbs

Fragrant flowers were meant to attract bees. Some of my favourites are lily of the valley, citronella geranium, and lilacs. Herbs such as chives, mint, sage, and lavender are also good choices.

Long blooming Flowers

Gardeners love long blooming flowers because they provide colour for more of the growing season. Bees love long blooming flowers because they provide a good food source for a longer amount of time. Try planting yarrow, rudbeckia, and daisies.

Early Blooming Spring Flowers

Even thought I’m personally not a fan of dandelions, I’ll leave them all of May because they’re one of the few sources of food for bees in early Spring. Try planting some early varieties of tulips, crocus, and daffodils.

Plant More Than One of Each Flower and Have Something Blooming in Every Season

While one bee-friendly plant is better than no bee-friendly plants, it’s better to have more than one of each type of flower you’re planting. Your landscape should also contain flowers that bloom in early-Spring, late-Fall, and everything in-between so there’s always a food source for the bees.

Have a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Different bees have different shapes and lengths of tongues. Therefore, you need a variety of flowers to make sure that your garden can benefit as many bees as possible.

Feeling inspired to add a few bee-friendly favourites to your garden? Which ones will you add?

7 Preventable Mistakes that New Gardeners Often Make

May 9, 2020

It’s your first vegetable garden and you’re so excited! You buy the plants, sow the seeds, start watering. . . and a few weeks later are totally discouraged and want to give up. This doesn’t have to be you, and it doesn’t mean you are cursed with a brown thumb.

Here are 7 things NOT to do when you start gardening for the first time. Almost all new gardeners give up on their garden because of these simple, preventable mistakes. When you avoid these beginner mistakes, your flowers, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other plants in your garden will flourish!

By avoiding these garden No-No’s, you’ll be able to succeed with your garden the first time. Take the jumpstart and learn from my own mistakes instead of experiencing it yourself!

P.S. Once you’ve read how not to garden, head on over to this collection of posts on how to start a garden, no matter what type or size.

1. Overcrowding

Plants are just like people, they need room to breathe, nutrients to live, and the spectacular sun. When plants are too close together, there is a lack of air flow, not enough nutrients, and a shortage of attention from the sun. Jam-packed gardens can cause fungal problems, stress, and ultimately leads to your plants dying.

Fix: Simply looking at the soil planting instructions on seed packets or researching the plants online can help a lot!

Remember: Less = More! Try to remember that a single plant with access to water and nutrients will surpass two plants fighting for the same things.

2. Not Knowing Your Soil

Did you know there are more than 6 different types of soil? Did you know plants can die if they’re in the wrong type of soil? Clay soil can deprive some plant roots of oxygen, while sandy soil doesn’t always retain any nutrients or minerals. Not knowing your soil will singlehandedly kill your garden!

Fix: You can simply improve your soil by knowing what type it is and improving it with a variety of supplements, such as organic fertilizer, composting, or manure. A soil test will tell you exactly what is in your garden and how to work with it. Most local Departments of Agriculture & Consumer services provide soil tests to their residents for free to improve their yard or garden. So contact them first before purchasing a soil test kit online.

3. Overwatering

Most people think more water, the better! However, this is the complete opposite for plants. Overwatering can lead the plants to drown, or invite mold to kill the roots.

Fix: Only water when your plant needs it! You can do this by sticking your finger in the soil about 2 inches. If it is dry = water! If it is not dry = don’t water!

Tip: It is better to water deep every few days, rather than a little bit everyday. Watering every few days allowed for deep watering which gives our plants deeper roots. It is also better to water in the earlier part of the day, since damp conditions during night can invite mould.

Side note: if the only time you have to water your plants is in the evening, don’t let that stop you from watering them. Plants with enough water in the evening are much better than a dehydrated plant because you couldn’t water at the right time.

4. Too Little or Too Much Sun

Gardening in the wrong place in your yard can be deadly to plants. For example, roses love sun but ferns do not. Some plants, like most vegetables and fruit, require full sun to grow which means 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. When a plant gets too much sun than it requires, dehydration occurs. When a plant gets too little sun they cannot feed themselves through photosynthesis! Therefore, too much or too little sun can cause your plants do die!

Fix: Plant your garden based on the sunlight availability in your yard! Then garden certain plants amongst your yard that you know will meet the sunlight requirements of the plant. From here, you will be able to make your garden reach its full potential!

5. Killing All Bugs

Many beginners believe that any bug in the garden is a bad bug, and is killing your plants! This causes many beginners to grab pesticides and spray them amongst your garden! Most people don’t consider that pesticides can kill beneficial insects that would have feasted on pest insects. Most plants need some form of pollination through bees, butterflies, and more! But you need these creatures to let your shine!

Fix: Get rid of the harmful and chemical pesticides. Let nature work it’s way amongst your garden, and don’t panic pesticide! Use organic or natural pesticides first, and only use chemicals as a last resort.

Tip: Ask your neighbours with a garden in the area what kind of pests they deal with and how they fix them. This gives you an advantage of being ahead of the game. Gardeners are a very friendly bunch, and most are excited to help you out and chat about their gardens.

6. Over-Fertilizing with The Wrong Fertilizer

You may be asking “Is over-fertilizing even possible?” And the answer is YES! Yes it is! An excessive amount of fertilizer can burn your plants, not allow for fruits or flowers to grow, or causes fast growth, leaving an unnecessary large amount of foliage.

Many newbie gardeners get excited and fertilize, fertilize, fertilize! Picking the wrong fertilizer may damage your plants and not allow vegetation to grow.

Fix: Learn what kind of nutrients your plant needs and know how much to apply. You can find what kind of fertilizer to use of the plant packet or giving it a quick search on the internet. If the thought of a bunch of different fertilizers is overwhelming, use a good water-soluble all-purpose fertilizer, or water with compost tea once a week or every two weeks.

7. Giving Up

Did your first garden die? It’s okay! New gardeners frequently feel overwhelmed, ashamed, or disappointed that their garden wasn’t what they pictured.

Fix: Do not give up! Learn the lessons that your garden taught you from the first season. Even pro-gardeners have their setbacks! Focus on the successes you had you had this season, learn from them, and just keep on growing!

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Happy gardening!

27 Annuals and Perennials That Survive & Thrive in Intense Heat

May 5, 2020

A marvelous list of annual and perennial flowers that can handle the heat amongst the summer sun? Yes Please! Here are Heat tolerant plants that are low maintenance and bloom all summer long are ideal when it comes to having a garden.

These colorful flowers are able to blossom and grow under scorching sun and lots of light–like a south-facing flower bed in front of a house where everything seems to die. They are all durable in hot weather and look good anywhere, like your front yard. Check them out!

Really quick gardening disclaimer: I garden in zone 3b in Saskatchewan, Canada, and as such, my gardening advice is best suited to the Canadian Prairies. While I try to make my gardening tips applicable to as many locations as possible, it is impossible to be 100% relevant to every single zone in North America and beyond. Thanks for understanding!

Top Perennials

1. Sedums

Sedums are nearly indestructible perennial flowers, as they can fight heat, drought, and disease! Sedums are very low maintenance and essentially bullet-proof flowers that come in a variety of different shapes, sizes, and colors. Sedums can bloom in summer or fall; however, I am partial to the Autumn Joy variety for late season blooming.

2. Coneflowers

Coneflowers are unbeatable native Saskatchewan perennials when it comes to hot weather, as they can give rise to single, double, or tripling flowers in the heated months. These perennials are bright and attract many butterflies and birds. They are easy to grow as they are both heat resistant and drought resistant.

3. Salvia

These sturdy and trouble-free perennial flowers can survive the heat and are drought-tolerant! They can grow up to 30” and come in an array in colours, including rosy pinks, deep lavenders, or bright blues. Their spiky flowered appearance are pollinator magnets, and succeed in part to full sun.

4. Daylily

Daylilies love to bathe in the direct, hot sun. And like the above perennials, daylilies are also drought-resistant. Their blooms appear early to midsummer and dividing clumps can get you more flowers every 2 to 3 years. The amount of color options on daylilies is almost infinite.

However, the widely found orange variety that is commonly known as a ditch lily (shown above), is one you probably want to avoid. Sure, it’s pretty, but it can easily overtake your flower bed and choke out other plants if you’re not willing to pull out the overgrowth every year.

P.S. Want to know which perennials you might regret planting? Check out this list for zone 2 and zone 3, and this list for warmer areas.

5. Peony

I am biased with this plant as I am infatuated with peonies! Peonies last for years and are able to survive the hot sunshine if a deep water is given throughout the summer. This plant is fantastic fo rising through the soil and blooming an abundance of bright blooms!

BONUS: Peonies are hardy to Zone 2! Here’s the beginners guide to planting and caring for these beauties.

6. Yarrow

Yarrow the perfect perennial for an area with high heat and poor soil. Once it’s established, it’s practically indestructible.

7. Coreopsis

This bright and cheery perennial can bloom all summer! Coreopsis laughs at hot and dry weather conditions and is an extremely reliable plant. This sturdy perennial produces an abundance of yellow, orange, pink, white, or red colored blooms. Use a well-drained soil for any type of Coreopsis.

8. Butterfly Weed

This Asclepius plant, known as Butterfly Weed, got its name from the many monarch butterflies that stop by. This perennial thrives as the temperature rises in the summer months, and are fantastic in flower arrangements.

As with any plant that has “weed” in the name, it can take over a flower bed, so be sure you plant it in an area that it’s okay if it takes over.

9. Bearded Iris

This uniquely named flower is an easy grow, and its blooms come in an unlimited number of colors. The Bearded Iris does extremely well in the sun for around 6 hours and is common front yard plant.

10. Liatris

This pretty perennial makes awesome cut-flowers for bouquets and calls out to many pollinators. Liatris is extremely hardy in hot weather and need full sunlight to bloom best. I like using liatris as a both a unique, medium sized perennial in the flower bed, and for a spiked cut flower in arrangements.

11. Penstemon

The Penstemon, or Beardtongue, is a hardy perennial that us very drought tolerant and survives the parching hot weather. It attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, so it’s commonly used near plants that are not self-pollinated.

Looking for more drought-tolerant perennials? Check out this list of 25 options.

12. Silvermound

Silvermound is super easy to grow and survives the hottest summer days. It keeps it’s clumped shape, but it can spread quite a bit. Use it as a nice silvery green counterpoint to all the colour in your garden.

13. Hens & Chicks

It’s hard to find a succulent that can survive prairie winters, but hens and chicks are a tried and true perennial that can survive both the -40 winter temps and the intense heat that often happens right beside the house, especially if it’s facing south.

Top Pereannuals*

*These are flowers that can either be gardened as perennials or annuals depending on certain species!

14. Gaillardias

Gaillardias, aka the Blanket Flower, loves hot and sunny spots. They come in a wide array of colors, ranging from hot pink to pale yellow. They can handle neglect and abandonment, so constant watering is not needed at all! They are awesome native plants that add an immense pop of colour in your front or backyard.

Use them as a border flower in your flowerbed.

15. Black Eyed Susan

This awesome-named flower has a daisy-like appearance and are very easy to grow. They are able to tolerate heat like a champion. They can grow to be around 2-3 feet tall, so I’d recommend this flower as a mid-sized plant.

16. Verbena

Verbena are heat loving and drought tolerant flowers that bloom from late spring to early fall. They are able to grow anywhere, from containers to ground cover. Deadheading late in the summer will allow for further blooming in the fall!

17. Dianthus

The dianthus is a very pleasing addition in a garden and accents a lot of other plants in the flower bed. They grow in both full sun or part shade and love warm weather. Just water regularly during dry spells.

Top Annuals

18. Lantana

Lantanas are amazing annuals that like it scorching hot. Lantanas prefer moist, well-draining soil but can withstand drought conditions. This perennial is common around vegetable gardens that need pollination, as Lantanas are irresistible to butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds.

19. Zinnia

These heat-loving flowers bloom frequently and easily. Zinnias are a hot-climate plant, therefore thriving is the agonizing heat of summer days. They’re one of the easiest flowers to look after and come in a variety of colors!

Direct seed immediately after the last spring frost, or start indoors 2-4 weeks before.

20. Marigolds

Marigolds do best in full sun with plenty of air flow. They are able to work through dry conditions and repel a variety of unwanted pests. This pop of orange or yellow can withstand very hot summers. Marigolds come in short, medium, and tall heights, so pay attention to which one you’re buying when you purchase them.

21. Cosmos

If you want a taller flower with a nice texture that can beat the heat, Cosmos are the prime choice. They come in a great deal of different colours and grow very quickly! Cosmos are also one of the most versatile cut flowers you can grow, since they can be used for both their foliage and flowers.

22. Sunflower

Just like the name indicates, Sunflowers are devoted to the ball of fire in the sky. They can stand the heat and still grow extremely tall.

23. Amaranth

These ever-lasting flowers that can survive in various conditions, including intense summer heat. If you’re growing them as cut flowers, my favourites are Love Lies Bleeding (pictured) and Hot Biscuits.

24. Celosia

Celosia are very interesting and unique looking flowers, that come in both brain and spike varieties. These annuals can live happily in the heat and will always get a second glance from passersby at your garden.

25. Periwinkle

Periwinkles are one of the most heat tolerant annuals. They can survive in the heat and blooms all summer long. Periwinkles are awesome as a ground cover, because they can grow in both shade and sun.

26. Petunia

A staple of the container flower garden, petunias can be grown as border flowers in a flower bed too. You can find them in almost every imaginable colour (even black!!), so there will be something to work with the look you’re going for.

27. Portulaca

Portulaca reminds me a little bit of a cactus, and it’s one of my go-to solutions to adding colour to an extremely hot area. They are easily found in any garden centre and come in a wide array of colours.

Do you have a suggestion for a good heat tolerant flower? Let me know in the comments!

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How to Build Beautiful Raised Beds for Square Foot Gardening

April 6, 2020

If you only have a small gardening space to work with, like an urban backyard, creating a raised bed garden is the best and easiest way to get started growing a garden. Raised beds have many benefits–there’s less bending, weeds are easier to manage, and they can look really pretty!

While there are many ways to create a raised bed for your square foot garden, I love the flexibility that creating your own DIY version with wood offers you. You can stain yours a natural colour, or go with something fun like the turquoise blue I went with.

What is the best Wood to Use for Raised Beds?

If you decide to use treated wood, make sure to use wood treated later than 2003. Anything earlier uses harmful chemicals that will leach into your soil, adding toxins to your vegetables.

The most natural and long-lasting option is Cedar, but where I live, cedar is extremely expensive.

We chose to go with regular, untreated 2×6’s to create our boxes to cut down on costs.

In the pictures for this post, we made 6 raised beds all at the same time. The supplies listed are for making one raised bed in a with 3′ by 5′ dimensions. If you’d like to make different sizes, adjust the amount of materials you need accordingly.

Supplies

4 — 8 foot 2x6s
2 inch screws or nails
1 8 foot Fence post
4 caps (optional)
Wood Stain (optional)
Landscape fabric or cardboard
Mulch
Soil
Saw (or cut all boards at the hardware store if there is a cutting station).

Directions

Step One: Select the wood you need, picking as straight of pieces as possible, with little to no blemishes.

Step Two: Cut the 4 2x6s into the lengths you need for your bed. We chose 3×5 beds because there is no waste when you cut, it’s easier to reach around, and just made more sense in our landscape. You could easily make 4×4 beds with no waste as well. For 3×5 beds, you would cut a 3 foot piece off of each 2×6 and instantly have your 3 foot pieces and 5 foot pieces.

Then cut 4 two foot pieces from your fence posts.

Step Three: These pieces can sometimes be purchased, or you can make your own by cutting 3/4 inches into the wood multiple times and chiselling out the pieces.

Step Four: Slide the pieces into corner pieces. Nail or screw to secure if desired.

Step Five (Optional): Secure the fancy caps to the 4 corners.

Step Six: Stain the outside and tops of the wood if you are using regular wood. You can skip this step if you use cedar or pressure treated wood. Remember to only use pressure treated wood made after 2003.

Step Seven: Place the beds where you want them, and lay down cardboard or landscape fabric to help prevent future weeds. Make sure any weed barrier you use for the outside also comes underneath the bed too. This will prevent annoying weeds along the sides of your bed.

Step Eight: Add soil in the beds and mulch over the weed barriers.

Step Nine: Enjoy the results of your hard work!

How to Grow Vegetables in Raised Beds

Before you click away from this page, here’s a few resources for growing vegetables in your new raised beds. While you can grow anything in a raised bed that you would in a traditional garden, its best if you use the square foot gardening method to make the most of the space you have.

Brand new to square foot gardening? Read this post on how to get started.

Need some ideas on what to plant? Here’s 4 free templates:

Get 4 Free Square Foot Gardening Templates

Start your square foot garden the easy way!

You'll get 4 4x4 plans for

Salad Garden
Beginner's Garden
Salsa Garden
Kid's Garden

Plus a short 3 day email course of how to get started with square foot gardening.

Want to see some real-life examples? Here’s how I created my front yard raised beds, other creative small space solutions around my neighbourhood, and how one couple changed an unused side yard into a raised bed garden.

And finally, if you really want to up your small space gardening game, you’ll want to grab a copy of Small Garden, Big Harvest. It’s everything you need to maximize every available inch of growing space you have available. Grow enough produce to have something fresh from the garden every week, and feel more at peace knowing you’re contributing to your food security in some small way.

Click here to find out more

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