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This is something we're going to try this summer. We already grow many vegetables in raised beds and these are fabulous. They keep the garden neat, they maximize our space, and they look great. But this summer, we simply won't have time to dig many new beds yet we plan to expand our veggie gardens and our perennial flower nursery beds. After all of last year's construction we have lots and lots of scrap lumber. We recycle just about everything so we're glad to find a gardening use for newspaper. We can get hay but right now we have no idea what "Lucerne" hay is. If anyone knows, please email us. We can get a load of organic fertilizer from farming friends and our Waste Watch Program offers compost.  What You Do |
 | Decide where you want your new bed. You can make it over an existing garden bed, your lawn, just about anywhere that is sunny and has good drainage. |
| Choose the size of the bed. Don't go too wild when you're starting out. Our existing raised beds are around 4' x 6' so we'll probably make our new beds a similar size. |
| If the ground is uneven you can level it off by raking on a layer of coarse mulch such as twigs or leaves. |
| Make the edges of your bed. You can use almost anything. We'll be using our scrap lumber, mostly 2"x6" planks. With our other beds we've used angle irons to join the corners. We also drive small wooden stakes along the edges, every foot or so, to keep the planks from bulging. This seems to work well. |
| Now put down a thick layer of well-soaked plain, not glossy or coloured newspaper. Cover the area completely and use several layers. This will kill off weeds and grass. |
| Put down "pads" of Lucerne hay. When you cut open a bale you'll see that the hay falls away in pads. Leave no gaps. |
| Now add a layer of organic fertilizer, your choice. |
| Cover that with a thick layer of straw. |
| Top the whole bed off with a thick layer of compost. |
| Water everything very well and let it settle for a day or so. |
| Plant your veggie seedlings. |
| Say hello to your garden spade the next time you see it and apologize for not taking it outside for its usual heavy-duty workout. Explain that there are many good things about early semi-retirement. |
| Remember to add more compost and/or mulch as the plants grow. This helps prevent weeds from taking root and it retains moisture. |
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