Get Growing

Raised bed gardening is an easy way to grow your own food

written and illustrated by bryan satalino for so many city-dwellers, starting a garden is a completely foreign concept not worth investigating. Yet, even a small garden plot can provide fresh, nearly-free produce, a connection with nature and community, and the satisfaction of seeing hard work pay off—all incredibly rewarding experiences. But does the work really have to be “hard,” or the commitment intense, to gain such rewards? Well, not so much. ¶ Many communal garden spaces commonly use a standard 4’ x 8’ raised bed system. While you probably can’t subsist off of it, the plot size is big enough to produce throughout the summer and fall, but is small enough to be manageable and inexpensive to maintain. Choosing crops that are hearty and tolerant can help to allay any fear of killing off your leaves (a little water can go a long way). This guide takes the guesswork out of what to plant and where to plant it—a great beginner’s setup.

Tomatoes

Plant in mid-spring. Harvest in mid-summer to fall. Use tomato cages to support plants as they get heavy with fruit.

Soil

There are raised-bed specific soils and various composts to use for growing your crops. Avoid potting soil.

Basic Tools

Trowels, gardening gloves, and even sun hats can be invaluable tools to bring with you to the garden.

Water

All of these plants like to be watered every day.

Peppers

Plant in mid-spring. Harvest in mid-summer to early fall.

Kale

Plant in early spring. Harvest throughout summer and into late fall.

Cucumbers

Plant in mid-spring. Harvest throughout summer and into late fall. Use a string trellis to support these climbing vines.

Onions

Plant in early spring. Harvest in mid-summer to early fall.

Carrots

Plant in early spring. Harvest in late summer to late fall.

Sunlight

All of the plants in this design love plenty of direct sunlight and won’t thrive in the shade. Make sure your garden gets plenty of southern exposure!

Plot Layout

While most plant starters are small, some get very big. It’s important that the taller and wider plants like tomatoes and peppers shouldn’t be casting shade on the smaller plants and have plenty of room to spread out.