Poor Soil in Your Garden? Build a Raised Bed!

If the garden area in your backyard contains poor soil, such as construction "fill", building a raised garden bed may be right for you. The basic idea of a raised bed is that instead of battling poor soil conditions, you build it above ground on top of your native soil. It gives you absolute control over the soil texture and ingredients.You can choose a variety of materials to construct your raised bed. Wood is a popular choice, but you can use concrete blocks, natural stone or even brick. The ultra-simple, most inexpensive material to use is to just place bales of hay or straw into whatever configuration you desire, then fill it with good soil and compost before planting. This solution will give you only a year or two of use because the hay or straw will decompose. But if you're still developing a garden plan, it could be the way to go.After filling you bed with soil and potting soil, you can plant anything from herbs, vegetables to prize-winning roses!