Meet Tara Nolan, Raised Bed Revolutionary

Tara Nolan knows how to raise the profile of a traditional vegetable garden into something special.

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Tara Nolan is a garden writer and editor program who lives in Dundas , Ontario . Her writing has appeared in theToronto Star , one of Canada ’s national newspapers , as well as inReader ’s DigestandCanadian Living , and on websites like Design*Sponge . She ’s a co - founding father ofSavvy Gardeningand was the award - winning editor program ofCanadian Gardeningmagazine ’s internet site for six age .

Her first gardening book , Raised Bed Revolution(Cool Springs Press , 2016 ) covers everything bring up - bed relate , from construction to DIY estimation for make raised planting spaces that overrun with vegetable , herbs and pollinator - pull in peak .

The ledger features multiple projects for spaces both big and small with step - by - step exposure , instructions , and expert illustrations . There are dozens of inspirational exposure , as well as gardening tips .

“ There are so many benefit to planting inraised beds , from accessibility to relish an before and later planting time of year , ” she write . “ An Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet explain that over three years , a raise bed raise 1.24 pounds of edibles per square foot , which is more than double the yield of what is grow in a conventional garden . ”

Tara accept clip from her writing and gardening schedule to respond a few questions about getting started with raised bed garden :

Raised bed gardening has been around a long metre - why the renew interest ?

“ I reckon raised bed horticulture is a relevant entrance level for masses , especially those who do n’t see themselves as traditional gardener . Raised bed allow people to garden in spaces both big and small , provided they have that necessary six to eight hours of sunshine a day . Furthermore , eatable garden are no longer relegated to a two-dimensional expanse of backyard . You see more and more raise beds in front and side yards , schoolyards and vacant properties . At some of my talking , the audience is a mix of people , from veteran unripe thumb to aged citizenry who wish the appeal of raised beds because of their accessibility , and young couples who are wanting to plant their first garden . ”

What are the top 3 estimate to keep in judgment about garden in raised bed ?

“ One matter I wish I had done with my first beds was add some variety of bet to the center to keep the beds more unvarying . Over time , the woods is still good and they ’ve maintained their configuration for the most part , but in the substance of the longest card , they have shifted a little .

Another affair nurseryman will want to think about if they have one raise bed and bound space is to train plants , like squash and cucumbers , to grow upwards , like on a squash arch or trellis .

Lastly , you may want to forefend place recurrent edibles , like asparagus , in your raised layer , since over sentence , you may have to replace the beds and it will be unvoiced to move plant once they ’re well established . ”

What ’s an object lesson of a new type of material for evoke veggie bed garden ?

There are some bully textile raised bed on the market made from recycled materials that can withstand the elements ( like Woolly Pocket and Les Urbainculteurs ) . cloth aerates the roots of your victual boost level-headed growing . The best part is you could empty them in the free fall , close up them up and store them for wintertime .

Can raised beds help save water over traditional vegetable bed ?

There are a few ways that raised beds can help economise water supply . They do promote better drainage and aeration as the soil remains wanton and friable when it ’s not being take the air on . Planting edibles close together will also keep the dirt coolheaded and economize moisture as will a calorie-free bed of mulch , such as straw . Installing an irrigation system will help you save water as the emitters placed along the hosepipe will pitch the urine at once to the roots of the plant life and you lose less weewee to evaporation .

What ’s your favorite grunge for using in a raised vegetable bed ?

When I was filling all my raised beds last summer , I consecrate the good threefold commixture I could find out from a local supplier and top - dressed it with organic compost . I advocate the beneficial that you may afford .

Anything else you ’d like to add ?

“ I consider a bring up bed can instantly transmute a garden space . It neatens up the sphere , but many also become part of the landscape . There are so many options available these days , from blade raised beds that age to a lovely patina to bloodline tanks . ”

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Raised Bed Revolution, by Canadian author Tara Nolan, lives up to its tagline with dozens of creative ideas to “Build it, Fill it, Plant it…Garden Anywhere!“Photo/Illustration: Cool Springs Press

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