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The Solution to an Unused Side Yard: Graham & Sarah’s Urban Garden

June 30, 2017

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If you’ve ever had the privilege to live on a corner lot, you know the struggle.  What do you do with that small piece of land that’s facing the street but isn’t your backyard?

You could fence it in, but no one will ever play there and no one wants to be relegated to the dark corner of the yard to “relax.”

You could just leave it be, but all of that grass seems like a waste of real estate.  It’s also a waste of your time to mow, especially if you have an electric lawn mower!!

My friends Graham and Sarah have come up with a fantastic solution: grow a raised bed vegetable garden.

Corner lots are wonderful, but they come with the dreaded narrow side yard.  If yours has full sun, you can easily turn it into a low maintenance raised bed vegetable garden.  Here's how Sarah and Graham did it in their landscaping makeover. #sideyard #landscaping #ideas #garden #makeover

Today we’re going on a tour of their yard and talking about the project, the best parts, and what they wish they’d done differently.

Urban Gardening = Great Solution for Busy Families

Graham and Sarah live on a large corner lot with no trees, although the neighbours have some that cast shade.  While they definitely have the space for a traditional garden, they also have two full-time careers and two small children under the age of 4.

The first raised garden beds

They built a set of three raised beds in their backyard when they first moved into their house 4 years ago.  These beds are still holding up well, although they may need some extra screws for re-inforcement in the next year or two.

Graham wishes he could have made his boxes from cedar, but in Saskatchewan the price is cost-prohibitive.

Last year they started planting squash in the south facing flower bed of their house.  The squash grew well, but the vine went everywhere and made cutting the grass difficult.

Related: Here’s why you should start Square Food Gardening

Corner lots are wonderful, but they come with the dreaded narrow side yard.  If yours has full sun, you can easily turn it into a low maintenance raised bed vegetable garden.  Here's how Sarah and Graham did it in their landscaping makeover. #sideyard #landscaping #ideas #garden #makeover

This year over the course of 3 weekends, Graham built the newest addition to their urban garden.  He also rigged up an irrigation system for easier watering.

Related: 6 Truths New Gardeners Need to Know

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This year they’ve planted squash, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, peppers, carrots, and various greens.  The boys love to visit the garden every day to see how the plants are doing.

An experiment in growing quinoa. I’m excited to see how much they will get from their plants.

Raised Bed Gardening Regrets

While Graham and Sarah are very happy with their urban garden, there are a few things they wish they could have done differently.  “Now that we’ve finished the side yard with rubber barriers and stones, I wish we would have spent more money and finished the boxes in our backyard the same way.” lamented Graham.

Related: Real-life Solutions for your Small Space Garden

The wood chips and landscaping fabric were an economical solution, but weeds did creep through eventually.  They’ve found that the wood chips need adding to every 3 years or so.

It would also be nice to use cedar, but the cost is three times the price of other wood and it only lasts twice as long.  (Please know that the cost of cedar will vary wildly depending on the area in which you live.)

Related: Progress in the Backyard and Beginning of Urban Gardening

Raised beds are awesome in a side yard if. . .

  • You never use your side yard and are bothered by wasted space.
  • You like to garden, but don’t want to spend all your summer weeding.
  • You don’t have a lot of space, but still want to garden
  • You think your neighbours will keep their hands to themselves come harvest time. . . or you don’t mind if your produce gets swiped by passerby.
  • You are short on time, but still want to garden a little bit.
  • They get a minimum of 6 hours of full sun a day.
  • Your neighbourhood bylaws allow gardens anywhere other than your backyard.  Be sure to check the rules, especially if you live in a newer suburb!!

Plan the Perfect Garden

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Corner lots are wonderful, but they come with the dreaded narrow side yard.  If yours has full sun, you can easily turn it into a low maintenance raised bed vegetable garden.  Here's how Sarah and Graham did it in their landscaping makeover. #sideyard #landscaping #ideas #garden #makeover

Do you have raised beds?  I’d love to hear any tips and tricks you’ve learned along the way.  What do you do with your side yard?

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Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

18 Comments
Filed Under: DIY, Gardening, Makeover, Outdoor Life Tagged: corner lot, DIY, Garden, Gardening, side yard, urban gardening

About Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

Comments

  1. Kelsey says

    July 1, 2017 at 10:28 am

    What a great side project! I love urban gardens, they're a great way to save on organic groceries if you grow veggies. And you know where they came from! Best of luck with it!
    Reply
  2. Sarah says

    July 4, 2017 at 6:53 am

    My husband and I planted our first garden this year! We're excited for harvest time to come!! Can't wait to much on some cucumbers!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 6:57 am

      That's so exciting!
      Reply
  3. beth tucker says

    July 4, 2017 at 7:41 am

    This was a great post for me because I am NOT at all a gardener, but wish I liked it more! This has inspired me to maybe give it another try!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:25 pm

      Good luck with your garden! Let me know if you have any questions!
      Reply
  4. Anne | Like the morning sun says

    July 4, 2017 at 8:39 am

    Wow! I only have a tomato plant in my windowsill - I'm not such a great gardener, I'm afraid. This looks like a great solution for a side yard!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      That's okay. It's totally fine to start small and build from there.
      Reply
  5. Kenyatta Harris says

    July 4, 2017 at 9:23 am

    Love this idea. My sideyard doesn't get enough sunshine to make it happen though.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:23 pm

      Oh that's too bad!
      Reply
  6. Cathy McIntosh says

    July 4, 2017 at 10:17 am

    What a wonderful idea! I love the idea of raised container gardening - it would sure save the back pain of bending over to weed in ground-level beds! hahaha! I also appreciate the idea in a side yard because you're right - this is often wasted space. One of my first thoughts was, "oh, but the neighbors will walk by and swipe!" I'm glad you addressed that. With the right attitude from the beginning, it won't become an issue.
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:22 pm

      I have raised beds in my front yard and back alley, so I'll let you know if it becomes an issue. *fingers crossed*
      Reply
  7. Laura says

    July 4, 2017 at 10:55 am

    What a fantastic idea for an otherwise unused space!
    Reply
  8. jackie says

    July 4, 2017 at 11:18 am

    What a great idea! We also did a raised side thing and had a garden it slowly all died. Now I am inspired to try to plant some new plants in it. Great post!
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      Oh no! I'm so sorry your plants died! Glad you're trying again.
      Reply
  9. Stephanie Lane says

    July 4, 2017 at 11:41 am

    I love to garden but this past year the deer clear cut me like a salad bowl days before harvest! The crazy thing is I'm in the middle of a neighborhood........Any idea how to keep deer out?
    Reply
    • Kristen Raney says

      July 4, 2017 at 7:21 pm

      Deer aren't usually a problem in my area, so I don't have any personal experience. Is it possible to put a tall chicken wire fence around your garden? Or maybe plant some deer-resistant plants like peonies around the garden border?
      Reply
  10. Danielle Fairhurst says

    July 4, 2017 at 2:42 pm

    This is such a great idea, looks amazing and looks like you had loads of fun making it! Dani x | www.flourishingfreelancer.com
    Reply
  11. Corey | The Nostalgia Diaries says

    July 4, 2017 at 4:35 pm

    This is perfect - I bet these veggies are going to be so good! Can't wait to see how it all turns out :)
    Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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