• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Garden design
  • Container gardening
  • Food to grow
  • Gardens to visit
  • Events for gardeners
Garden Making

Garden Making

Inspiring ideas and information for great home gardens

Home » Creative ways to use raised beds

Creative ways to use raised beds

By Garden Making Filed Under: Books

Raised Bed Revolution: Build it, Fill it, Plant it … Garden Anywhere! A new book by Tara Nolan.
Raised Bed Revolution: Build it, Fill it, Plant it … Garden Anywhere! by Tara Nolan.

In her new book Raised Bed Revolution: Build it, Fill it, Plant it … Garden Anywhere! Tara Nolan explains the basics and benefits of gardening with raised beds. Tara suggests creative ways to use raised beds, and demonstrates how gardeners can:

  • Expand the growing season: Soil in raised beds thaws much quicker than soil in ground gardens, allowing gardeners to get a head start on planting in the spring.
  • Control unwanted guests: If your raised bed is high enough, smaller unwanted guests like rabbits and ground hogs won’t be able to climb in and eat your plants.
  • Make crop rotation and companion planting easier: Using a journal and raised beds, you can track where you planted specific crops each year, and avoid planting them in the same location. This makes it easy to rotate crops and improve soil fertility.
  • Provide accessibility: Raised beds offer solutions to individuals who love gardening, but may have trouble kneeling or bending down to ground level.
  • Increase yield: According to recent studies, a raised bed has the ability to produce more than double the yield of a typical garden.
  • Overcome bad soil: If you have soil in your garden that is hard packed or sandy, just place a raised bed garden on top of it. Raised bed gardens allow you to insert your own soil mix and compost.
  • Allow for easy drainage: Unlike conventional gardens that can hold water for long periods of time, raised bed gardens can be created to improve drainage capabilities. Including non-compacted soil and drainage holes will keep your plants from getting too saturated.
  • Reduce weeds: Implementing landscape fabric in your raised beds can prevent many weeds from creeping up into your raised gardens.

Raised bed gardening is becoming a popular gardening strategy for many reasons. Gardeners who have limited outdoor space can still enjoy gardening by using this method. A raised bed garden can be made in a small backyard, a balcony, or even a paved driveway.

This is the first book for Tara Nolan, a Dundas, Ontario-based garden writer with a sizeable collection of raised beds. She is a co-founder of SavvyGardening.com, does work for the Canadian Garden Council and volunteers at the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington/Hamilton.

This is the first book for Tara Nolan, a Dundas, Ontario-based garden writer with a sizeable collection of raised beds. She is a co-founder of SavvyGardening.com, does work for the Canadian Garden Council and volunteers at the Royal Botanical Garden in Burlington/Hamilton.

Buy the book

Order Raised Bed Revolution from ChaptersIndigo.ca

Order Raised Bed Revolution from Amazon.ca

Order Raised Bed Revolution from BookShop.org (only in U.S.; supports independent book sellers)

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share this article

Published: June 28, 2016 | Updated: May 14, 2020

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda Boyko says

    July 9, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    As I get older the idea of raised garden beds becomes increasingly attractive. This book would be a handy one to have
    Keeping my fingers crossed.

    Reply
  2. Sharlene Desjardins says

    July 6, 2016 at 9:15 pm

    I have 7 raised beds but am always looking for new and innovative ideas. I think the book would be a great read. Also saw Tara give a presentation in person, think it was the first time and she did a great job. Would go see her again.

    Reply
  3. Georgina Rodrigues says

    July 1, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    I have trouble with my knees am68 years old and love my garden, have some vegetables in raised boxed beds and it is greats
    , weeds are nil, easier to water and can orate crops every year, love it, would love the book for new ideas

    Reply
    • S Simmons says

      July 3, 2016 at 8:07 am

      I have difficult knees also so this year I invested in a Tower for growing all kinds of flowers, lettuce and vegies. It comes from Quebec and is very good. Quick delivery. It turns for sun, we used vegetable soil. Centre takes compost and red wigglies. Bought it on line.

      Reply
      • Sharlene Desjardins says

        July 6, 2016 at 9:17 pm

        Could you please tell me the name of this and where it was purchased please? I would love to look this up and see what it is all about. Sounds interesting.
        Thanks

        Reply
        • Michael Fox says

          July 7, 2016 at 8:04 am

          The book can be ordered online from its publisher’s website: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781591866503/Raised-Bed-Revolution.html?direct=1. It also is available or can be obtained at many bookstores in Canada and the U.S.

          Reply
  4. Darcy Manness says

    July 1, 2016 at 8:48 pm

    Looks like a helpful book for gardeners. I have one small raised bed for vegetables
    and some flowers.

    Reply
  5. John Craw says

    July 1, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    The Community Garden in Innisfil loves raised beds. Our veggies think they are fantastic and mature more quickly because the plots are warmer and drain faster. They don’t like wet feet.

    Reply
  6. Olivia Morris says

    June 30, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    Pinned this, shared toGoogle + and Stumbled, I think that my days digging in the dirt, down on the ground are just about over. Raised beds are the way I will go and hubby is just starting to understand that this is my new alternative……

    Reply
  7. Paul Gilbert says

    June 30, 2016 at 9:42 am

    Looks like a fascinating book and would be a great addition to my library of garden books.

    Reply
  8. Ingrid Janssen says

    June 30, 2016 at 9:21 am

    I have a large country garden and always thought that raised beds were better for smaller town gardens, but I am now a convert. We have built the first 2 of what I hope will be 6 raised beds for the vegetable garden for this summer.

    Reply
  9. Joan Airey says

    June 30, 2016 at 8:27 am

    Would love to have the book for more raised bed ideas.

    Reply
  10. C. McMillan says

    June 29, 2016 at 11:13 am

    Great ideas! Would love the book.

    Reply
  11. Jennifer says

    June 29, 2016 at 10:50 am

    We have totally embraced raised beds here but I could use the help of your book…I think I’ve over planted a bit this year and need to thin things out a bit! Always looking for ways to improve and change. That’s the beauty of gardening isn’t it? Constant evolution and learning!

    Reply
  12. Kelly Osmond says

    June 29, 2016 at 10:49 am

    Love this book, would love to have my own copy.

    Reply
  13. Sharon McCune says

    June 29, 2016 at 10:45 am

    Already have a few raised beds and always looking for new and different ideas. Would love ideas to make it look less utilitarian.

    Reply
  14. Alba Warren says

    June 29, 2016 at 9:22 am

    We have Clay dirt lots of amendments have been made over the years, We are now looking to have less garden more container or above gardens. this would be a great read so we don’t make mistakes.

    Reply
  15. Paul Mora says

    June 28, 2016 at 9:32 pm

    Cool book! Would love to use it to help me with the containers I have and give me new ideas.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Garden Making website

explore

  • Books for gardeners
  • Containers in your garden
  • Events for gardeners
  • Food to grow
  • Garden design
  • Gardens to visit
  • Growing from seed
  • How to
  • Plant ideas
  • Prizes for readers
  • Tips for gardeners

Members

  • Member login
  • Register for free membership
  • Manage your email preferences
  • Add your event listing
  • View events you’ve submitted
  • Backup form to submit event

Events for gardeners

May 17
7:30 am - 9:00 pm

Marie Decker on rose bushes

Organizer: Ancaster Horticultural Society
905-304-3708
May 17
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

How to Grow Tomatoes: From Seeds to Salsa with Master Gardener Judith Cox

Organizer: Stittsville Goulbourn Horticultural Society
May 18
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Colleen Cirillo on Invasive Plants

Organizer: Flamborough Horticultural Society
(905) 689-6722
May 18
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Claudette Sims speaks on Jumping Worms

Organizer: Winona Horticultural Society
9056433073
May 19
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

All About Daylilies

Organizer: Trenton Horticultural Society
613-962-6025
View Calendar

Get email updates

Join 9,700 gardeners who get our email updates. We do not share emails.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Copyright © 2022 Inspiring Media Inc. | GARDEN MAKING is a registered trademark | About | Service | Terms of use | Privacy policy