Raised Garden Beds

2019 - Volume #43, Issue #2, Page #28

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Raised Garden Beds

“I’m 80, and weeding the garden is difficult on my back so I set up some raised beds,” says Bernie Coulthurst of Amherst, Wis.
    So far he has built 3 raised beds. They are all different, because instead of going to the lumber yard to buy materials, he used whatever he had on hand.
    The bases of his first 2 beds are made from steel doors.
    “I fiberglassed the metal doors so they wouldn’t rust and will last a long time,” Coulthurst says. He stacked concrete blocks under one door to get the right height and made the bed walls out of old 2 by 8s (which he also coated with fiberglass).
    The first year, 2016, he planted strawberries in the bed, so he added a pvc railing to hold netting to keep birds out.
    “The crop was outstanding, but the strawberries froze out over winter,” Coulthurst says. Now, he plants crops like beets and radishes in it.
    His second bed is similar and also has a steel door base on stacked pavers he took up from a patio area he no longer uses.
    For drainage, Coulthurst cut V openings on the bottom of the wood walls of both beds.
    For the third raised bed, Coulthurst used old real estate sign frames as the base for used aluminum sheeting he had on hand. The sheeting already had holes for drainage. Steel strips bolted on the sides of the frame legs add support to the raised bed. At 12 in. deep, Coulthurst plans to grow peas and carrots in it this summer.
    Raised beds require extra watering, and so this year he plans to lay soaker hoses in each of the beds to hook up to a garden hose.
    “It’s easier to weed and easier to harvest, from the raised beds,” Coulthurst says, though he still grows vegetables like squash, pumpkins and tomatoes on fabric mesh on the ground. He always has plenty of vegetables to share with his family and with friends he and his wife square dance with on Thursdays.
    Coulthurst is pleased with how well the beds turned out, and his wife also appreciates gardening with them, he says.
    “I just enjoy making something out of nothing,” he concludes.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bernie Coulthurst, 4852 Co. Rd. K, Amherst, Wis. 54406 (ph 715 824-3245; berniec1938@wi-net.com).

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Raised Garden Beds FARM HOME Food “I’m 80 and weeding the garden is difficult on my back so I set up some raised beds ” says Bernie Coulthurst of Amherst Wis So far he has built 3 raised beds They are all different because instead of going to the lumber yard to buy materials he used whatever he had on hand The bases of his first 2 beds are made from steel doors “I fiberglassed the metal doors so they wouldn’t rust and will last a long time ” Coulthurst says He stacked concrete blocks under one door to get the right height and made the bed walls out of old 2 by 8s which he also coated with fiberglass The first year 2016 he planted strawberries in the bed so he added a pvc railing to hold netting to keep birds out “The crop was outstanding but the strawberries froze out over winter ” Coulthurst says Now he plants crops like beets and radishes in it His second bed is similar and also has a steel door base on stacked pavers he took up from a patio area he no longer uses For drainage Coulthurst cut V openings on the bottom of the wood walls of both beds For the third raised bed Coulthurst used old real estate sign frames as the base for used aluminum sheeting he had on hand The sheeting already had holes for drainage Steel strips bolted on the sides of the frame legs add support to the raised bed At 12 in deep Coulthurst plans to grow peas and carrots in it this summer Raised beds require extra watering and so this year he plans to lay soaker hoses in each of the beds to hook up to a garden hose “It’s easier to weed and easier to harvest from the raised beds ” Coulthurst says though he still grows vegetables like squash pumpkins and tomatoes on fabric mesh on the ground He always has plenty of vegetables to share with his family and with friends he and his wife square dance with on Thursdays Coulthurst is pleased with how well the beds turned out and his wife also appreciates gardening with them he says “I just enjoy making something out of nothing ” he concludes Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bernie Coulthurst 4852 Co Rd K Amherst Wis 54406 ph 715 824-3245; berniec1938@wi-net com

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