If you’re living in an apartment or have limited outdoor space, you might feel like growing your own food chock-a-block full of nutrients in your own vegetable garden is just a dream. But with raised beds, you can transform your small urban garden, balcony, or rooftop into a thriving oasis.
The Benefits of Raised Beds
Raised garden beds offer you a practical solution for maximizing growing potential whether you have a small urban garden, balcony, or rooftop space. Who doesn’t like the idea of stepping outside to pick fresh lettuce, veggies, carrots, peas, tomatoes and herbs (or anything else you can think of)?
Let’s dive in and explore the benefits and the growing potential of raised bed gardening.
1. Maximizing Space
Are you low on space? Well, raised beds allow you (even if you’re new to gardening) to make the most of limited areas. It’s a practical way to plant densely and utilise vertical space, so you can fit more plants in a small space, creating a lush, productive garden oasis.
2. Improved Soil Quality (Better Than In-Ground Gardening)
One big benefit is that with raised beds you get the ability to control the quality of your soil. This is partly because the spaces are concentrated and it’s easier to manage and afford good quality soil. As an urban gardener, you can fill your garden beds with nutrient-rich soil to promote healthier crops. You see, unlike with inground gardening, where soil condition can vary greatly, raised beds help you ensure you create and maintain a consistent and enriched growing environment.
You can fill your planter boxes with many different things, not just soil and plants! Entirely filling a deep box with topsoil is not necessary. You really only need to work with 30cm or about 12 inches of top soil in which your plants will grow. You could line the bottom with a mound of organic matter, such as wood and compost, to create rich, well-draining soil. Which brings me to drainage…
3. Better Drainage
Raised beds provide you with superior water runoff compared to traditional in-ground gardens. This means that even if your garden area is prone to heavy rainfall or flooding, raised beds help prevent waterlogged soil and root rot, ensuring your plants thrive.
4. Reduced Weeds
Not many gardeners love weeding because it can be such a daunting task. It’s reassuring to know that raised beds are easier to manage and can be filled with weed-free soil. You can start off from the get-go with zero undesirable plants and significantly reduce the number of invasive plants that compete with your plants… which means better harvests and more food. You can even control pests better too.
5. Extended Growing Season
Raised beds tend to warm up faster in the spring and retain heat longer in autumn (fall). Which means you get to extend your growing season in just about any climate. Which means you can start planting earlier and enjoy a longer harvest.
6. Accessibility… No More Knee Pain
You can build your raised garden beds to the perfect height and reduce the need to kneel or bend down. Gardening becomes instantlhy more accessible for anyone with physical limitations. It’s particularly great for elderly folk or anyone with mobility issues. You’ll just have to get your squatting practice in another way. 🙂
7. Environmental Benefits
When you choose raised beds, it could be because you’re low on space or just want to concentrate and confine part of a larger area that you want to focus on! You’re not just enhancing your garden or balcony; you’re also benefiting the urban environment. It’s a great way to reduce land compression, promote biodiversity, and create a vibrant ecosystem right in your home. And when you boost plant photosynthesis, your garden becomes more than just a source of food; it transforms into a lush green space that supports local wildlife and enriches your community.
If it’s a balcony vegetable garden, you might just find you not only attract insects (critters like butterflies too) but birds and other local wildlife.
8. Aesthetic Appeal
Raised garden beds can be a stylish and visually appealing way to enhance the look of your balconies, patios, or backyards. Your boxes or beds will only be limited by your imagination, space and budget. They can be made from timber sleepers, pine, redwood, cedar or other even recycled timber, corrugated iron, or masonry (concrete blocks or brick). You can mount trellis in or around them, and other growing frames for climbing plants. You can set up systems to shade from harsh sunlight in the very hot months. You can set up systems to filter sun or protect from wind, insects of larger critters.
There are so many off-the-shelf products to choose from (online or in garden centres or DIY stores). You can also use pots. There are known brands such as those from Birdie and you can get all sorts of growing vessels at places like Bunnings and Mitre 10. There are beds that have automatic irrigation or watering systems. You can find round, square, rectangular or bespoke beds of many shapes and sizes to fit your specific space. You can have your landscape gardener build you your own to match the aesthetics of your house and existing landscaping.
9. Mental Benefits
There’s nothing like growing your own produce. It’s fulfilling and rewarding. It’s great for your mental wellbeing and keeps you young in mind and body! Do you need any more reasons?
Raised Garden Beds Have Many Benefits for Your Balcony or Small Garden
We’re coming to the close of this little article. So, if you want a practical bit of advice, I would definitely recommend planning carefully. I would work out how involved you want to be and what time you have to attend to your garden. In times when I am busy, I really wished my raised planter beds were self-watering so I could guarantee healthier plants with less effort… It’s on my wish list for sure. Decide how you would like the watering to be carried out. By hand? By automatic system on a timer? By periodic watering in a wicking bed?
Having limited space is no longer a reason not to grow food in small spaces. Raised beds give you wonderful possibilities and a multitude of benefits. From improved soil composition to better drainage and accessibility, you too can create a productive and beautiful garden. Whether you’re growing vegetables, herbs, or flowers, raised garden beds can help you thrive in limited space.
