Raised Beds:
Grow More, Weed Less!
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Thinking about building raised beds for your garden? You’re in great company! Raised beds are one of the most rewarding ways to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and they offer a host of benefits for both new and experienced gardeners. Let’s dig into why you’d want raised beds, what you can grow in them, and how to set yours up for success.
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Superior Soil and Healthier Harvests
If your yard has heavy clay, rocky ground, or poor drainage, a raised bed lets you bypass those challenges entirely. You can start fresh with nutrient-rich soil, which means healthier, more productive plants and bigger harvests. Plus, you can easily add compost each year to keep your garden thriving season after season.
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Maximized Space and Easier Maintenance
With raised beds, you can plant more intensively-meaning more veggies, herbs, or flowers in less space. The beds are easier to access, so there’s less bending and stooping, making gardening more comfortable. Raised beds also help keep weeds and pests at bay, and their neat, tidy appearance can turn any yard into a magazine-worthy garden.
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What Can You Grow in Raised Beds?
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Raised beds are perfect for:
Vegetables: Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, carrots, radishes, beans, peas, and more.
Herbs: Basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and all your kitchen favorites.
Flowers: Edible blooms like nasturtiums, pollinator-friendly zinnias, or colorful annuals for beauty and beneficial insects.
Small fruits: Strawberries, bush blueberries, & more!
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How to Build and Fill Your Raised Beds
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1. Choose Your Spot and Build Your Frame
Pick a sunny location-most vegetables and flowers need at least 6 hours of sun. Build your bed from rot-resistant untreated wood, retaining wall blocks, or metal. A common size is 4'x8' and 1-2' deep, but you can customize to fit your space.
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2. Fill Your Raised Bed
We stock a ready-made bulk blend of topsoil and compost, perfect for raised beds. This mix provides the ideal balance of nutrients, drainage, and structure for strong root growth and bountiful harvests.
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Lasagna Gardening (Layered Method)
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If you're interested in a more hands-on approach to soil building, you can try the "lasagna" method of building a raised bed. Here's how:
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- If voles are a problem in your area, lay down 1/8" hardware cloth underneath the raised bed frame to keep them out of the bed.
- Next, put down several sheets of newspaper or a layer of cardboard on top of the grass or soil to smother weeds.
- You’ll need both “brown” (carbon-rich) and “green” (nitrogen-rich) materials to make the "lasagna" layers.
- Brown materials: Straw (our straw bales are perfect!), shredded paper, untreated sawdust, etc.
- Note that dried leaves are not recommended, as they tend to introduce pillbugs, which can become a significant garden pest in humid conditions.
- Green materials: Fresh grass clippings, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, garden trimmings.
- Make a 4-8" thick layer of brown materials, followed by a 2-4" layer of green materials, and continue to alternate, aiming for twice as much brown as green. Build up the bed to about 18–24 inches high-it will settle as it decomposes.
- Moisten each layer as you go, so the whole bed is damp but not soggy.
- Cap the bed with a 6" layer of quality soil for planting, followed by a straw mulch to keep the bed moist and suppress weeds.
This method creates a nutrient-rich soil that breaks down naturally, encouraging earthworms, feeding your plants and improving soil structure year after year. Add new layers each fall to build up the bed, and you'll be all set to garden again come spring!
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Once your bed is filled, it’s time for the fun part: planting! Whether you’re dreaming of juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, or a rainbow of flowers, we have all the plants you need to fill your raised beds and get growing.
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Whatever you're growing this season, we’re passionate about helping you succeed. Our premium soil blend is formulated for healthy, vigorous plants. Need straw bales for lasagna gardening? We’ve got you covered! And, of course, our greenhouse is brimming with a broad selection of vegetable starts, herbs, and flowers, many grown right here in our own greenhouses.
Stop by or give us a call-we’re always here to share advice, answer your questions, and help you create the raised bed garden of your dreams. Let’s grow something beautiful together!
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Perfect Garden Gifts for Mom’s Special Day
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Show Mom how much she means with a gift that grows - literally! At Hoerr Nursery, we know gardening is about more than plants; it’s about the memories made and the bonds formed when families spend time together outdoors. Many of us discovered our love for gardening because a parent or grandparent first put a trowel in our hands, and those moments of digging, planting, and nurturing life side by side are some of our most treasured family memories.
This Mother’s Day, celebrate those moments by giving a gift that keeps your family’s garden story growing. Every plant we carry is chosen for its quality and ability to thrive in Central Illinois gardens. Choose from our hand-selected garden gifts, eye-catching hanging basket combos, or a gift card so Mom can pick her own favorites. You can purchase gift cards in-store or online at hoerrnursery.com/gift-cards.
Let’s celebrate the mothers who helped us grow! Stop in and let us help you find that perfect, meaningful gift.
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Mark your calendar for May 4th and come say hello! We can’t wait to see you at Hoerr Nursery’s first Sunday open of the season. We'll be here from 10am-4pm at both the garden center and Stone Market for all four Sundays in May. Let’s make your garden amazing together! 🌸
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