Here are some raised beds basics in an infographic for those looking for a simpler gardening method. Raised beds have been used forever but became in style again in the early eighties when Mel Bartholomew popularized the square foot gardening method in raised beds by writing the book Square Foot Gardening and hosting a television show on PBS, The Discovery Channel and then The Learning Channel for eight years.
Eartheasy.com breaks down the benefits of using the raised beds for your backyard garden.
[quote_box_center]
Raised garden beds, also called garden boxes, are great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers. They keep pathway weeds from your garden soil, prevent soil compaction, provide good drainage and serve as a barrier to pests such as slugs and snails. The sides of the beds keep your valuable garden soil from being eroded or washed away during heavy rains. In many regions, gardeners are able to plant earlier in the season because the soil is warmer and better drained when it is above ground level.
By raising the soil level, raised garden beds also reduce back strain when bending over to tend the bed. This is especially helpful to older gardeners or people with bad backs. And if the beds are built well, the gardener can sit on the edge of the bed while weeding, and for some gardeners this is the biggest benefit of all.
http://eartheasy.com/grow_raised_beds.htm#a
[/quote_box_center]
So take a look and see if raised beds would be a benefit to you in your gardening endeavors.
