55+ Living Guide Spring/Summer 2017 55++LG+Spring+17+Spreads | Page 28

My property was blessed or
shall we say cursed, with much
hard pan and rock. After years
of rock picking and broken
tines on my rototiller, I have
resorted to raised bed garden-
ing. A raised bed is essentially
a large planting box. It truly is
the ultimate problem solver. It
offers perfect drainage, protec-
tion from pests and the ease of
access to the crops! It can turn a
rock pile into a backyard farm.
The Internet is abounding with
ideas, but sometimes the best
beds are the ones you make
yourself. Yes, it is a DIY project,
so don’t bite off more than you
can chew. A couple of large beds
with re-planting in mind can
provide your family with an
endless supply of fresh greens
and other veggies.
When you construct your beds
look for optimum sunshine and fill each with a nutrient
rich soil. Do not forget that weeds will find their way
in, as in any garden, but with a little daily diligence and
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I mean little, your efforts will
be rewarded many times over.
The raised bed will allow you to
grow more flavorful, nutritious
and fresher produce than can be
found in your local grocery. It is
easier, more fun and produces a
more flavorful harvest for your
cooking. I would suggest grow-
ing a few plants of each of the
vegetables and herbs that you use
most frequently. I love Cilantro
and I let it go to seed and harvest
my own Coriander. Once you
start using Coriander you’ll ask
yourself how did I ever get along
without it!
Although various fertilizers
and mineral nutrients (Agricul-
tural lime, rock phosphate,
greensand,) should be added
periodically to the organic

garden, by far the most useful
substance for building and maintaining a healthy, well
balanced soil is organic matter. You can add organic mat-
ter to your soil in many ways, such as compost, shredded