Everyone who has a piece of land or a private house thinks about how to improve the territory and make your estate beautiful. Many quite successfully achieve this goal through ornamental plants, flowers, garden trees and landscape design elements. But our garden can and should be beautiful too - we have selected 100 photos of country gardens that will help you make sure of this.
The style and size of your garden may be completely different, but this does not prevent it from being one of the most beautiful places in the country.
Country garden photo. Unusual shape of the beds
Garden beds do not have to be boring and monotonous. See how beautiful the gardens are in these photos thanks to the shape of the beds.
They can be given a wide variety of configurations.
And decorative bumpers and borders can liven up the look of your garden like nothing else.
They can be made from any material at hand, including old planks, metal, brick, or stones.
The fence of the beds in the form of wattle is very beautiful. In order to prevent soil from spilling out of the box, agrofibre is placed under the sides on the inside.
A beautiful vegetable garden. Photo how to combine plants
However, it is not enough to simply decorate the beds themselves beautifully. To completely transform the garden, you need to work on their contents.
Much of what grows in your garden is beautiful in itself. Why not take advantage of this?
How can you diversify your garden? 
Let's look at these photos of how you can plant plants, taking into account their appearance, so that plant combinations create interesting compositions.
Moreover, you can combine not only useful crops with each other. Nobody forbade planting flowers and ornamental plants right in the cabbage patch.
And it is not at all necessary to plant everything in even parallel rows. Try to remember other shapes from school geometry.
Or create creative chaos, the harmony of which is not explained by the severity of forms and lines.
Imagine! But keep in mind the basic principles of compatibility and crop rotation.
When planting tall plants, also remember that they can create shade for their short neighbors.
Vegetable garden: photos of comfortable beds in the country
If all this seems excessive and unnecessary to you, then here is the simplest way to put things in order in the garden and give it a neat look. 
Raise the beds just a little and spread agrofibre in the aisles between the beds - it will prevent weeds from growing, and you do not have to spend energy on weeding paths. Even these minimal measures can transform a traditional vegetable garden beyond recognition. 
Such beds do not need to be dug. For planting, dig holes or trenches, and plant, covering the bed with mulch from straw or mowed grass. The size of the bed must be such that it can be processed from both sides.
How to handle wooden fences for garden beds.
The question often arises of how to process the boards for the beds so that they serve longer. These boards should not be treated with chemicals that can harm you and your plants. Therefore, neither ordinary drying oil, nor waste engine oil, nor conventional wood preservatives will work here. Natural drying oil is environmentally friendly, but expensive.
For the same reasons, avoid making the sides of the beds out of slate, plastic or rubber. Some grades of these materials emit toxic substances. And to determine whether the slate that you are planning for the garden is harmful or not, in our opinion, it is impossible even for a professional chemist.
The most economical option for processing wooden garden fences FOR MONEY.
On the inside, the board is generously treated with copper sulfate (you can directly dip it into it), and on the outside, it is enough to whitewash with lime. This option can last up to 15 years.
The most economical option for wooden garden fences ON TIME.
Decking is quite expensive, but contains all the necessary protection against decay. It will serve as a garden fence for decades.
But as the practice of summer residents shows, even used boards, taken for the bed box without any processing, calmly serve 5-6 years.
A beautiful garden for every taste.
As an alternative to a regular vegetable garden, you can plant your garden just like you would plant flowers - in beautiful, rounded shapes next to a gazebo or seating area.
The most beautiful thing in any garden is the plants themselves. Healthy, fresh, aromatic. If you are planting a vegetable garden as a decorative flower bed, make sure that it does not gape with bare voids after harvesting early vegetables and herbs.
If the garden is small, then you can spend money on beautiful fences for high beds.
Combining vegetables with ornamental plants, you will be surprised yourself how unexpectedly exquisite the leaves and fruits of vegetable crops are.
A beautiful vegetable garden, just like flowers, can be grown in a container and decorated with them on the terrace.
You can join the ranks of the owners of beautiful gardens, even if you do not have a summer cottage. Perhaps, root vegetables such as carrots are not practical to grow on the balcony, but everyone can grow greens and special potted varieties of tomatoes and peppers.
It is not necessary to experiment with the design of the garden for the entire plot - try making this year a small kitchen garden near the house in the form of a flower bed. One of your practical steps will give you more information and conclusions than 100 photos of beautiful gardens.
A beautiful vegetable garden is not empty fun. It still brings healthy vitamins, energizes your health, and helps you save on food. Your vegetable garden can become the subject of your special pride if it has its own unique design and modern practicality. But, this is your garden, and you decide how much you are willing to work in the determination to make it beautiful, as in these photos.
Any labor expended on the garden will undoubtedly pay off with a good harvest. But there is more desire to look after a beautiful garden, do you agree?
Many gardeners have heard about this new method of agricultural technology, and some have seen with their own eyes the amazing results of its introduction into the garden. What are smart beds, and how to make them on the site with your own hands?
Smart beds are an agrotechnical method based on the principles of organic farming. In addition to high yields without the use of chemical fertilizers, neat structures will add significant aesthetics to your garden.
The traditional method of cultivating the land, based on digging up a vegetable garden and completely removing weeds, leads to depletion of the soil and its drying out with a complete loss of beneficial microorganisms.
The essence of the popular agrotechnical method is the absence of annual digging of land, during which its natural balance is disturbed. Layers of nutrient soil, compost and mulch provide the planted crops with moisture, nutrition and warmth, so necessary for the plants to develop and abundant fruiting. Even on the "poorest" soil (sand and clay) with such an organization, you can achieve maximum fertility. Weeds on smart beds practically do not grow thanks to a layer of mulch that prevents wind-blown seeds from reaching the ground.
Smart beds save gardeners an enormous amount of time, after a competent organization of the garden space, you do not need to weed, the number of waterings will be significantly reduced, and the introduction of mineral fertilizers is not required at all. Plants, however, getting all the nutrients from the nutritious soil, will give you an unexpectedly generous harvest.
Creating smart beds
The process of building smart beds will not take you much time, the main thing is to immediately prepare all the materials and raw materials necessary for work.
- Choosing a place. Most of the cultivated plants in our gardens are light-loving, so the place for smart beds should be under the sun for at least 6 hours during the day.
- Site preparation. Remove perennials and weeds from the selected area in your garden. Digging up the ground is not necessary, as well as removing the grass.
- Space planning. Mark the prepared area and install the sides of future smart beds. The width of the boards (that is, the height of the walls) depends on the type you choose.
- Drainage. The first layer is poured onto the ground with raw materials that do not retain moisture - wood chips, straw, shavings, dry leaves, bark, algae. It will take quite a lot of material to organize a 10-centimeter pillow.
- Fertilizers. In the second layer, fertilizer suitable for the crop that will grow here is poured into the smart bed. As a universal remedy, you can use the compost available on the site.
- Layering. Next, a moisture-proof layer is again laid out on the smart bed, fertilizer is on top, the cycle can be repeated 1-2 more times.
- Upper layer. The bed layering is completed with a 10 cm layer of fertile soil.
- Watering. The beds are spilled abundantly with warm water and left for several days. During this time, the layers will stand and seem to be saturated with each other.
- Landing. Seeds are sown or seedlings are planted in the topsoil on the smart bed. The earth is spilled abundantly again.
- Mulching. To conserve moisture in the smart planting beds and to avoid weeds, the soil is mulched using available raw materials - sawdust, small chips and bark, straw, peat or seedless cut grass. You can also use geotextiles or film; holes must be made in the canvases through which plants will germinate.
This agrotechnical method is sometimes referred to as "puff garden" or "lasagne". It got this name because of the alternation of natural drainage-compostable and nutrient layers. An experienced gardener demonstrated the visual process of creating smart beds in the following video:
In order for the created smart beds to bring the maximum result for your garden, follow important recommendations when organizing them:
- the beds should be horizontal so that the incoming moisture does not leak out of them;
- distribute crops correctly, thermophilic tomatoes, eggplants and cucumbers should grow on the southern side of the site, greens on the northern side;
- do not make smart beds too large, otherwise it will be inconvenient for you to work with them, a width of 45 cm is enough.
Types of smart beds
During the development of the agrotechnical method, a lot of varieties of smart beds have appeared. Consider the most popular and common options among our gardeners.
In-depth
The easiest way to create a smart garden bed, which does not require construction skills and expensive materials, is to deepen the layers directly into the ground. Mark a site for planting crops and dig a hole 2 bayonets deep in the selected area.
Fill the hole with several layers of moisture-proof raw materials and fertilizers, then top off the smart garden bed with a 10-centimeter (4-inch) cushion of fertile soil. After planting crops, the soil must be mulched.
The advantages of this type of smart bed are the simplicity and ease of organization - you can make them on virgin soil, on a finished lawn or on poor soil. The advanced version allows, in a short time, without serious and expensive agrotechnical solutions, to provide cultivated plants with the conditions they need: food, moisture and heat.
Raised
The height of the raised beds is 10-20 cm above the ground. They look very neat and can be of any shape. This option is created according to the general principle:
- a place for a smart garden is outlined;
- soil is removed to a depth of 30-40 cm;
- the sides are organized from wooden boards or any available material;
- layers of straw and compost are laid out alternately;
- the last layer is a 10 cm cushion of fertile soil.
Raised smart beds in practice turn out to be not entirely comfortable, they are quite low, and when working with them, the back is under a heavy load. However, experienced gardeners, accustomed to dealing with a classic vegetable garden, are no strangers to such difficulties, and they will not have to "mess" with the soil, since weeds are not expected.
High
Initially, tall smart beds were created in areas with heavy rain and swampiness. Their multilayer structure ensures optimal drainage - excess moisture freely goes to lower levels. Subsequently, high beds fell in love with all gardeners because of the convenience of work. At the level of 30 to 80 cm, it is much more comfortable to manipulate crops, mulch and loosen, and the supply of nutrients in the soil will be more than enough for several years.
- Find and clear a spot for the garden bed.
- Make a box of a suitable height from available materials (planks, bricks, metal sheets or plastic plates).
- Install a fine metal mesh on the bottom - this measure is necessary to prevent rodents from accessing ripening root crops and warm soil.
- To exclude the germination of weeds, geotextiles can be laid out on top. But such a complete isolation of the bed will not allow earthworms to get into the soil, and it is they who must carry out the composting process.
- Then a 10-centimeter drainage layer of crushed stone, expanded clay or broken brick is laid out.
- The standard "climbing" of the smart bed is laid out on the drainage, culminating in a 10-centimeter layer of fertile soil.
When sowing seeds in such a bed, you need to wait until the sprouts get stronger - until this time, it is recommended to keep the frame covered with a film or geotextile to prevent weed seeds from entering the soil. When the plants are ready for growing outdoors, the soil is mulched with a thick layer of at least 10 cm.
Warm
Warm smart beds may well compete with the greenhouse. They are able to provide a bountiful harvest of absolutely all crops, especially those that require "hot" conditions for development and fruiting.
The frame of such a bed completely repeats a high-type box, the differences lie in the filling. The composition of the layers will be as follows:
- Sawdust, doused with boiling water and soaked in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate - 15 cm.
- Organic matter (fallen leaves, manure and bird droppings) - 15 cm.
- Rapidly decaying organic matter (compost and grass cuttings) - 10 cm.
- Fertile soil mixed with mineral fertilizers - 20 cm
The service life of a warm bed is limited to 4 years. By the end of the fourth season, all organic matter will rot and stop emitting heat, but you can use the made box and the soil in it to grow other crops that do not require greenhouse conditions for growth.
Smart beds are a proven agricultural method. They will significantly reduce your labor costs when carrying out garden work and provide you with a plentiful high-quality harvest without the use of harmful stimulants.
To make life easier for the gardener, increase the productivity of crops and turn worries about the harvest into relaxation, "smart" beds for the most advanced gardeners will help. Lazy bed technology keeps seedlings from going to waste and allows crops to meet your expectations.
Do you want your garden to become your pride? Read our article on how to do it.
With the right approach, a vegetable garden can become not just a place for growing vegetables, but also turn into a stylish object of landscape design. Experts in this area have developed many recommendations in this regard.
How to arrange beautiful beds for the lazy, the beds are tall and smart - this is what a gardener needs to know.
- When planning the device of the garden, pay attention to the fertility and illumination of the place for the beds.
- Prioritize the quality of the beds, not the quantity. A few neat beds will look much better than a large garden overgrown with weeds.
- Use tiered structures to save space.
- Framing the sides will help improve the yield and give the beds an aesthetic appearance. For this purpose, stone, paving stones, colored slate, and plastic fences are perfect.
- The optimal width of paths between the beds is 70 cm.
- To ensure that the plants do not overshadow each other, arrange them from north to south on a flat area, in an area with a slope - perpendicular to it. At the same time, the southern slope is preferable for vegetable crops, and the northern one for garden crops.
- Don't be limited to rectangular shapes. The beds can be made arched or in the form of various geometric shapes, arranged in groups or create a single composition.
Summer residents grow many crops that have similar cultivation characteristics or, conversely, contradict each other.
Garden materials
By zoning the plot with the help of beds, you can separate incompatible plant species or combine those that are characterized by the same care system.
The principles of the device of lazy beds
The main principle of the new approach to gardening is that you can dig and weed the soil only during preparation and planting, otherwise it will dry out quickly and will not be able to provide crops with moisture. Only superficial loosening is allowed.
A lazy garden bed is a completely new approach to gardening, which will allow the seedlings to grow on their own and will give several times more harvest.
You need to start preparing the beds in advance. Collect straw, sawdust or cones, and cover the surface with them so that it is difficult for weeds to germinate in this area. This procedure is called soil mulching. It is thanks to her that the beds will no longer have to weed.
The rule says that you cannot dig and weed the ground, except for its preparation and the planting itself.
Progressive summer residents have long appreciated the charm of an automatic irrigation system that allows them to save their time without harming the harvest. With the push of a button, you can start watering and keep your beds lush and green with little effort on your part.
Even though it is possible to remove weeds and fluff the soil with constant weeding, sooner or later it will dry out and will not be able to provide sufficient moisture for crops.
Do-it-yourself lazy garden bed
Homemade fences are an easy way to build the foundation for your garden bed.
- Determine the desired height of the sides.
- Connect the boards with a screwdriver, remove the clamps.
- Turn the garden over, set it in place. Make sure that the light here is sufficient for the germination of seedlings.
- Bury the corner beams 12-15 cm into the ground.
- Adjust the bumpers with a builder's level. This is necessary for the irrigation system to function properly.
- Install plastic tubes from the inside so that the walls do not collapse from the weather.
- Level the area, cover it with a mole net.
- Back up soil.
- Secure the irrigation system.
- Plant seedlings.
- Install an awning if necessary.
In this approach, the very preparation for the future planting is very important - it is advisable to do this in the fall.
High beds
Poor climate and low yields will become forgotten problems for you thanks to the high design of the beds. Their creation is quite laborious, but the result will pleasantly surprise you.
Even if this is a very time-consuming process at first - the construction of the frame itself and watering the beds, but it is she who will allow you to forget about the bad climate and low yields.
The advantages of such beds.
- Good soil heating due to the proximity of the sun. They can be planted in April.
- The lower net will protect the crop from moles and rodents.
- A frame about 1.5 m wide will provide convenience for watering, since it will be possible to approach it from both sides.
- By dividing it into two parts, you can easily organize a greenhouse. do it yourself.
- Harvest in high beds appears earlier than on regular ones.
A high bed is always under the rays of the sun, which contributes to the warming up of the earth layer, so it can be planted in April without fear of freezing.
However, one drawback of this design can be distinguished - the need for frequent watering due to the fact that moisture quickly goes down.
The most popular materials for making high beds are:
- Aluminum barrels;
- Stone;
- Brick;
- Logs.
It is worth noting that it is the high beds that give the earliest harvest, first of salads, and then of fastidious vegetables.
They are made in the form of ridges or trapezoids. They are created for one season, since under the snow in winter they noticeably settle. They are mainly used for melons and gourds - cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini. Sometimes potatoes are planted in them.
Smart beds
The main principle in smart beds remains the same as in lazy ones, but the emphasis is on fertilization. The quantity of the crop and how carefully it will be necessary to care for it directly depends on their quality.
Smart beds only need to be dug once. They do not need weeding - mulch will prevent weeds from growing.
The soil in them is a compost consisting of straw, leaves and sawdust containing nutrients. A thin layer of soil is laid on top of it, and after a couple of weeks the garden can be planted.
Warm beds
The principle of building warm beds is based on the layering and location of fresh manure in their lower layers. In winter, the main processes start, and by spring it begins to decompose. Rotting, the manure emits heat, and the bed becomes ready for planting early.
Many gardeners have been convinced more than once that high-quality fertilizer gives a large harvest that does not require much effort from its owner.
This method is suitable for radishes, cucumbers and other shallow-rooted crops.
Do-it-yourself warm garden bed
Having previously sampled the soil by 40-50 cm, we lay the layers in the following sequence.
Such a bed does not use ordinary soil as soil, but compost, which is based on straw, leaves and sawdust, which as a result gives even more useful substances for future plants.
- Large timber
- Small wood
- Earth
- Organic - waste
- Earth again
- Organic - waste
- Sprinkle with EM-Bokashi, spill with EM-A
- Humus
- Mulch (5-8 cm)
The term of operation of such a bed is 6-8 years.
Unusual solutions
The garden does not have to be boring, because there is easily a place for imagination and originality.
Hanging beds
You can create unusual beds that will give the garden an original look and save the space of the site, you can do it yourself ... They can be made from bags or plastic pipes cut in half. Plant strawberries, herbs, or small vegetables in them.
Your site will be filled with meaning and you can personalize it.
Another advantage of this design is that you can plant seedlings in them in advance, and take them outside when it gets warmer.
Vertical beds
Another way to save space is with vertical multi-tiered beds. Wooden boards, boxes and plastic pipes will be excellent materials for creating such structures. do it yourself.
The arrangement and shape of the beds - depending on your imagination and the convenience of walking around them.
Garden beds from scrap materials
The most familiar things can be adapted to containers for planting vegetables:
- Baskets;
- Boxes;
- Watering cans;
- Old chest of drawers;
- Dishes;
- Car tires;
- Unnecessary boots and shoes;
- Wooden barrels;
- Bath;
- Bike.
Framing the beds is not only a guarantee of a good harvest.
You can even build a flower bed with a pair of old jeans. And by decorating tires, you can create the most unexpected compositions in the form of animals, flowers and heroes of your favorite cartoons.
DIY multi-tiered bed
Make a classic square three-tier garden bed do it yourself pretty simple. Pre-outline its location and draw up a plan on paper, taking into account the characteristics of the planned vegetables, the number of tiers, the size and relief of the site.
Combining certain crops on the same bed will create an amazing plant design.
- Level and mark the surface.
- Treat the boards with an antiseptic impregnation.
- Fit the sides with a height of at least 15 cm, observing right angles. Remember that the next levels will be lower in height. Therefore, it is better to choose the height with a margin.
- Connect the boards into shields using bars with sides of 50 cm.
- Lay plastic or metal mesh on the ground, backfill with drainage, then soil, and then compost.
- The second level is placed on top. It should occupy 2/3 of the bottom tier. Layers are stacked similarly to the previous one.
- The third level is made even smaller: it takes 1/3 of the first tier.
- At the final stage, paint the outer walls of the bed with wood paint.
The composition can consist not only of vegetables, but also of herbs and flowers. Certain plant species are able to provide vegetable crops with protection from pests and diseases.
The spaces between the beds can be filled with pebbles or separated by small paths.
| Task | Solution |
| Pick up inventory | Don't skimp on tools. Cheap inventory will quickly deteriorate and you will need to buy a new one. Therefore, it is better to choose quality items right away. |
| Organize storage |
|
| Combine cultures effectively | Play with contrasts and shapes. Combine climbing plants with oversized zucchini and watermelons, or use the same crops but different colors. |
| Create paths between the beds | Lay them out with pebbles, concrete tiles, lawn grass, or wood cuts. |
| Process wooden fences | The most economical way: use copper sulfate on the inside, lime on the outside.
Most durable: decking. |
| Create a spectacular garden design | Choose a consistent style. Perfect for the garden: Mediterranean, Japanese, country. Find matching curbs, garden patterns, and garden figurines. |
Garden decor
Decorative elements are something without which it is impossible to imagine a stylish garden. A small mill, a figurine of a garden gnome or a figurine in the shape of an animal, like an accidentally forgotten watering can or a wheel from a cart - all these little things will complement the design of your site, and it will sparkle with fresh colors.
The design of the beds can be very diverse, it all depends on the imagination.
Nobody forbids combining vegetables with garden plants. Flower beds, arches, trellises and "huts" entwined with curly flowers will perfectly fit here.
To diversify the appearance of the plantings, you can add flowers, for example, marigolds, to vegetables.
Uniform style
We bring to your attention the most popular solutions for the design of a vegetable garden in a general style.
Choose plants that are contrasting in shape and color, do not be afraid to experiment!
| Style | Colors | Materials (edit) | Peculiarities |
| Mediterranean | Pastel shades, terracotta, ocher | Natural stone, paving slabs, wood flooring, brick |
|
| Country | Variegated natural shades | Natural wood, stone, willow twig |
|
| Japanese | Green palette | Small crushed stone, pebbles, boulders |
|
| French | Delicate natural colors | Almost any: wood, stone, brick, slate, concrete |
|
A stylish garden with a unique design will become the pride of any summer resident, and smart technologies, high beds and the right choice of soil will help increase yields and save energy and money spent on maintenance.
VIDEO: Beautiful beds - a beautiful garden with your own hands!
50 design options for a vegetable garden with beds:
You will be surprised at your past doubts - whether to make high beds in the country ... Your back will be grateful to you - you just bend over slightly to care for the garden bed. Your knees will thank you - you can just sit on the edge of the garden and do your garden. Your plants will thank you - no more competition from weeds or nearby fruit trees. Your land will be grateful to you - you do not trample it and ennoble it with humus. Your tall-bed garden can look beautiful, comfortable, and reward you generously.
How to make tall beds with your own hands.
1. First, we must mark the place for the beds. The usual bed width is 1.2 m, the length can be any. We mark the rectangles of the required size on the ground with sand.
2. We collect high beds. The high bed has no bottom and consists of posts with grooves on all four sides and boards with corresponding grooves. You can buy ready-made garden fences or make them yourself. For fences, it is better to take hardwood, because Conifers give off a resin that can unnecessarily affect the composition of the soil. We check the horizontal position of the garden box with a level.
3. We lengthen the high beds. Because the design of our beds is modular, we can lengthen our bed on either side with one more module.
4. How to protect a high bed from rodents. Even if you have not come across moles and other underground garden pests in your summer cottage, it is better to provide for the protection of your garden right now than to unsuccessfully fight this rodent later. At the bottom of each box we put a metal mesh so that it goes slightly over the edges of the fences.
5. How to protect the soil on a high bed from leaching into the main soil. To do this, we use ordinary packing cardboard in two layers so that it covers the entire bottom of our garden box. If there are not enough whole pieces, we use cardboard scraps - we fasten them with a stapler to the main piece so that the cardboard at the bottom of the box does not move when the soil is poured.
6. The soil for tall beds should be light, crumbly and fluffy. You can easily check its quality by poking your finger into the ground - if it goes down to the third joint, this is the norm. Peat or compost can be added to improve the composition of the soil. We put the soil in the garden box, check its horizontal level, water it to compact it a little. During the season, we will need to add some soil.
7. Irrigation system for high beds. It is planned to fix a garden hose with irrigation nozzles along the contour of the high beds: we need 90 and 180 degree dividers.
8. Trellis for high beds. Because the ground in a high bed is loose, then it will not be possible to install the trellis in it, therefore we fix the trellis made of pvc pipes into the ground next to the garden box. Pull nets for climbing plants, cucumbers and beans, onto the trellises. For tomatoes, we install light supports from a steel bar.
What you need to know when arranging a high bed.
1. Try to protect high beds from strong wind and heat by creating partial shade for them with trellises of flowers or tall shrubs.
2. The long side of the bed should face south - this way the plants will be evenly lit, otherwise taller plants will shade others.
3. The density of planting on a high bed is twice that on a regular bed. This is how plants fight weeds and create a humid microclimate for foliage.
4. High beds with bumpers will allow older people or people with a problem back to take care of the garden.
5. High bed - warm bed. Such a bed warms up faster in spring and if you make a mini greenhouse on its basis, it will surprise you with an early and generous harvest.
6. Divide the long, tall bed with cross-braces into square segments to reduce soil pressure on the sidewalls of the bed.
Fences for high beds.
1. Most often, wooden fences are used for understandable beds. There are several points here - do not use boo wood, especially sleepers, which may contain harmful chemicals. Do not treat fresh wood with protective products if you are not sure of their complete environmental friendliness.
2. A wattle fence as a fence for a high garden bed. For all its environmental friendliness, such a fence has three significant drawbacks - the soil in the garden bed dries quickly from the wind, proper thermal insulation of the bed is not provided, the soil can spill out through the cracks. Everything is fixable - use a layer of double cardboard around the inner perimeter of the fence. Environmentally friendly, the air gap between the sheets serves as thermal insulation, the earth no longer spills out.
3. As a fence for a high bed, you can use a metal profile, including from an old roof or fence.
5. You can make fences for a high bed with your own hands from brick or concrete. This is a very good option, but you need to take into account that concrete within 2-3 years will affect the acidity of the soil in the garden.
6. The best fences for high beds are plastic. They do not emit anything of their own into the soil, excellent thermal insulation, long service life and the ability to set any shape of the bed, in contrast to standard rectangles of beds with wooden fences.
7. Fences for a high bed made of scrap materials. You can make the sides of the beds from bottles laid like bricks on concrete mortar.
Why do we need high beds.
High beds allow you to increase the area for the garden because uncomfortable slopes or poor or weedy soil can be used. Tall beds allow you to control weeds and soil erosion in an environmentally friendly way.
Such beds warm up faster and give an earlier harvest. They allow more economical use of moisture for irrigation.
Various types of high beds.
In addition to the traditional high beds with high sides, there are several types of high beds.
1. High circular bed. Consists of a round frame with a path to the center of the garden bed. This form of a high bed is also called a "keyhole".
Branches, roots, paper, compost are placed at the bottom of the bed. In the middle of the garden there is a tunnel for fresh organic waste and water.
This design of the bed provides the necessary moisture and constant soil enrichment.
2. High bed without fences. When arranging such a bed, the trunks of trees (not conifers), branches, roots, snags are laid in the first layer into the ground at a shallow depth; the second layer - this removed sod from the place where you make a bed, laid with grass down; the third layer 20-30 cm of the main soil mixed with humus.
For irrigation of bulk high beds, an irrigation irrigation system is used when water comes from a ditch between the beds - a good option for vegetable gardens flooded in spring, or you can use the drip irrigation option when water enters the garden from mini terraces.
The paths between the beds are covered with straw or large sawdust. Never step on the ground in a tall bed, as this will make it more compact and make it more difficult for plants to get moisture and nutrients.
Tall beds of this type can be used not only for a vegetable garden, but also for growing shrubs and fruit trees, if you have problematic soil for them at your summer cottage. The service life of such a bed (until the first tree layer with the trunks completely decays) is 20-25 years - this period will be enough for any fruit tree.
Do not spare the space for paths between high beds - so you can always call in there with a garden wheelbarrow, both for harvesting and with a new portion of humus. Have pity on your back - use a wheelbarrow.
If your tall beds are near fruit trees, you may need to install a root barrier before breaking out the beds - dig a trench, cut the root when approaching the beds, install a metal sheet in the trench that will prevent the root from growing in that direction, and cover the trench with soil.
Learn more about tall beds through your own experiences. There are many interesting finds, experiments and new discoveries in this topic for every gardener.
And we have prepared for you a video with 100 inspiring examples of the use of tall beds in the country.
This article discusses beds for the lazy: photos of the easiest structures to make for those who want to get a neat garden with a minimum of effort, the most common materials and technologies for creating structures based on them. The reader will learn how to combine vegetable crops on the same bed and prepare the soil for planting cucumbers. The article contains practical recommendations for novice summer residents.
Designing the correct beds in the garden will be the solution to many problems and will open up new opportunities for the owner of a summer cottage:
- protection against soil erosion in the garden when a large amount of precipitation falls or watering plants. The sides of the bed will keep the nutrient soil in place, preventing it from being washed out onto the paths. In addition, the very passages between the structures will remain clean, no dirty puddles and drips;
- the possibility of forming a basis for the creation of a temporary greenhouse for the spring. By installing high sides as fences, inside the structure, you can organize a multi-layer bed, which can be used as a greenhouse. To do this, it is enough to install special arcs and stretch the film. The result is a neat greenhouse house;
- improving the appearance of the garden due to orderly and even plantings with a beautiful frame;
- creating boundaries that prevent the spread of weeds.
Making beds from boards and other materials with your own hands allows you to clearly limit the planting area, thanks to which weeds and harmful plants do not have the opportunity to spread widely. If the garden fence is dug to a great depth, the level of protection increases and perennial weeds that are unable to overcome this obstacle can no longer penetrate into the garden.
Note! With the help of beds with well-buried fences, the spread of plants such as reeds and creeping wheatgrass is effectively blocked. Their root system is capable of covering long distances underground if unrestricted.
Photos of interesting designs of beds, recommendations for their creation. Tips for designing an unusual landscape design on the site.
The best place is an area where the sun is present throughout the day. It is allowed to install beds where shadow is present in the morning or afternoon. If the proposed construction zone is darkened throughout the day, you should not use this place for arranging a vegetable garden.
How best to make beds in the garden: choosing the optimal design
The choice of the design of the beds is carried out at an early stage of planning, when a place for the garden has already been selected.
Each type of garden bed has certain advantages:
- raised or are the most efficient structures that are best suited for growing vegetables. Building materials for their creation are not very expensive, and the soil does not need to be dug up. The width and height of the structures determines how much effort and time it will take to build them. Most often, summer residents prefer wooden beds made of boards. On the network you can find photos of bulk beds with your own hands, such structures do not have a fence. They are also classified as raised structures;
- container beds - will be beneficial in cases where the space of the site is limited. Small, large and medium-sized pots are suitable for organizing such beds. Garlic, pepper, lettuce and herbs feel especially good in containers. Mobility is another advantage of container beds, which, if desired, can be rearranged to any place;
- open field beds are the oldest method of growing crops that are planted directly into the ground. In such conditions, it is more difficult to get a good harvest, therefore, the technology of joint planting of vegetables in the garden is often used.
Helpful advice! If it is planned to plant crops in the open field, it is recommended to determine the quality of the soil, fertilize it and check the compatibility of vegetables in the garden according to the table.
How to make beds of boards with your own hands: useful tips
Most often, raised beds are made of wood. This material, in comparison with others, is considered the most practical and environmentally friendly. Such designs look very aesthetically pleasing in the photo. Do-it-yourself board beds have other advantages:
- simple maintenance system, assuming easy weeding, harvesting and watering of plants;
- the possibility of growing vegetables even where the soil is completely unsuitable for these purposes. A frame is made on the basis of the boards, which is subsequently filled with fertile soil purchased in the store, so there is no reference to the quality of the earth and its composition. Thanks to this, plants can be grown even in areas with a rocky surface;
- box structures allow you to keep the soil inside the garden bed. In addition, the presence of the sides simplifies the process of installing arcs to form a greenhouse. Fixing these elements to the fence is much easier than digging them into the soil;
- even without knowing how to properly make the beds in the garden, any summer resident will cope with the manufacture of wooden structures-boxes. The boards are easy to process, and expensive tools are not required for the construction and assembly of the frame;
- there is no likelihood that plants planted near the sides will get burned in the summer heat. Wood, unlike metal, is not prone to overheating.
Note! The environmental friendliness of the material allows you not to worry about harmful substances getting into the soil. Wood is much safer than asbestos-cement sheets (slate). An exception is planks treated with chemicals to double the life of the material.
Making practical beds from boards: how to make the right choice of material
Summer residents most often create wooden structures based on blanks that they find on the farm. For the manufacture of beds can be used timber, round timber, slab, lining.
When it comes to purchasing boards in a store, you should pay special attention to the type of wood from which they are made:
- an ash or oak board will last a very long time. Although the cost of such products is quite high;
- the most favorable in terms of price and in terms of processing remains pine. But this type of wood is highly susceptible to rotting, being in the ground, therefore, its service life is short. Due to impregnations and antiseptic agents, the life of a pine tree can be extended for a couple of years;
- boards made of cedar and larch wood are considered the most suitable material for making boxes. Larch has a natural resin impregnation, due to which the product will retain its novelty for many years without the use of additional impregnations. Cedar wood is characterized by a lower resin content, but it is not inferior to larch in terms of durability and at the same time has an affordable price;
- Acacia-based boards feel good in the ground. It is worth noting that this type of wood is distinguished by its strength and solid structure, so the process of processing it will be more difficult. To work with acacia, you need a powerful electric tool.
Helpful advice! It is not recommended to save on the quality of the material. Bad wood boards are subject to rapid decay. After a few years, holes will appear on the fences of the garden bed, through which fertile soil will be washed out during rains and watering plants.
Making beds from boards with your own hands: photos, sizes of structures
The box-beds are rectangular in shape and are made of boards. The simplest design does not require special knowledge and skills, so any novice summer resident will cope with its manufacture. The main thing is to correctly calculate the dimensions of the boxes.
- height- many summer residents strive to create the highest possible bumpers. However, this approach is erroneous if the construction of a warm garden bed for cucumbers or other types of crops is not expected, where the height of fences up to 0.7 m is welcomed. The technology for manufacturing such structures requires laying a multi-layer insulation. For ordinary beds, such high fences are not required, it is enough to limit yourself to 0.15-0.2 m. The excessive height of the sides is also unprofitable in economical terms, because their construction will require a lot of boards. In addition, wood lends itself to deformation changes under the influence of moisture, so there is a risk that over time, high fences will swell and lose their attractive shape;
- width- experienced summer residents recommend choosing a width equal to half the height of a person who will take care of the beds. Most often, this parameter is in the range of 0.9-1.2 m, because in the process of work a person should be able to reach the middle of the structure from the side of the side fence;
- length- this parameter is practically unlimited. Although excessively long structures reduce the level of stiffness of the side rails, it is therefore recommended to choose a length within the range of 4-6 m.
Helpful advice! When choosing the dimensional parameters for wooden beds, it should be taken into account that between them it is necessary to organize passages with a width of 0.4-0.6 m.Only after that, the layout of structures on the site is considered.
Creating mixed plantings of vegetables in the garden: photo examples and optimal schemes
The method of combining crops is very effective in practice if the companion plants are selected successfully. Therefore, the owners of the plots calculate according to a special table of the neighborhood of vegetables in the beds before planting. Some types of vegetables depress each other, others can improve the growth and development of neighbors, provide them with protection from pests.
The correct neighborhood of vegetables in the beds: compatibility table
Many summer residents note that due to the proximity of beans as a compaction for the garden bed where potatoes are grown, the number of the Colorado potato beetle is significantly reduced. Marigolds effectively protect cabbage from white butterfly. Despite this, a certain balance should be adhered to. After all, an excessive amount of marigolds in the garden can drown out the growth of cabbage.
Table of vegetable neighbors in the garden, creating a successful tandem:
| Vegetable name | Plants for a successful combination |
| strawberry | beans, spinach, marigolds, garlic, salad |
| kohlrabi | cucumber, lettuce, onion, beet |
| peas | carrots, corn, cucumber, calendula, eggplant |
| onion | tomato, celery, beetroot, savory, carrot |
| beans | potato, cucumber, tomato, strawberry, eggplant |
| cucumber | radish, pepper, peas, cabbage, beans |
| carrot | lettuce, onion, sage, tomato, peas |
| salad | strawberry, cucumber, carrot, radish |
| pepper | salad, cucumber, beans |
| a tomato | calendula, basil, beans, nasturtium, parsley |
Poor compatibility of planting vegetables in the garden is characterized by the following pairs of plants:
- cabbage and strawberries;
- onions and beans;
- carrots and celery, dill, parsley;
- cucumbers and potatoes.
Helpful advice! In addition to the main crops, it is recommended to plant spicy and ornamental herbs on the garden bed. Thus, the garden will not only be beautiful, but also useful.
Examples of mixed planting of vegetables in the garden: popular schemes
A good example of the compatibility of vegetables in the garden is the combination of onions and carrots. As an independent crop, onions are capable of producing about 2.5 kg of yield from 1 m² of the garden. Carrots in the same area give about 6 kg of yield. When these crops are grown together, 9 kg of vegetables can be obtained from 1 m². These plants create protective barriers for each other from pests, so the efficiency of the used area increases.
Of course, when planning a joint cultivation of crops in the garden, you need to group the plants taking into account their height so that neither of them blocks the light for the other. This is necessary because vegetables can not only have different heights, but also grow at different rates. It is desirable that the seals that are planted additionally be lower in height than the main vegetables. The principle of the multi-tiered neighborhood of vegetables in the beds allows you to create favorable conditions for the root system of crops, and also contributes to the rational use of solar energy.
High yields are harvested from the beds where beets and late cabbage are planted. To do this, on an area of 0.8x0.8 m, beets (9 plants) and cabbage (4 bushes) should be planted, not forgetting to fertilize the holes with a glass of compost and a handful of eggshells (pre-grind).
To get an excellent result when planting beans and tomatoes, it is recommended to place the plants in a row with a step of 0.3 m. Along the row with bush beans, set so that each plant is at the dropper. Tomatoes are planted in the central part of the garden. As a result, the bean and tomato bushes should be staggered.
Helpful advice! It is better to cut the stalks of tomatoes for the winter, and as low as possible. And the beans, on the contrary, are recommended to be left intact.
Table of crop rotation of vegetables in the beds by crop groups
The crop rotation of the plants can also affect the yield of the beds. If the annual change of crops grown in the same bed is carried out in the correct order, the vegetable garden will produce good yields.
Benefits of correct crop rotation:
- the likelihood of soil fatigue on the site is excluded, since the same vegetable takes the same set of nutrients from the soil every year and does it from the same depth;
- the spread of diseases and pests that affect plants of the same family is prevented;
- it becomes possible to use fertilizers rationally.
The most primitive way of organizing crop rotation in the garden involves planting plants from different families on the same area every year. The easiest way to divide cultures into four groups is:
- Leafy Crops - These include various types of kale, green onions, lettuce, and spinach.
- Fruit vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, pumpkin.
- Legumes - beans, chickpeas, peas.
- Root crops - potatoes, beets, radishes, carrots.
Table of the simplest crop rotation in the garden:
| The order of disembarkation by year | Recommended crops for planting | |||
| 1st bed | 2nd bed | 3rd bed | 4th bed | |
| 1 year | fruit | roots | legumes | leafy |
| 2 year | roots | legumes | leafy | fruit |
| 3 year | legumes | leafy | fruit | roots |
Arrangement of beds for cucumbers in the open field: photos and recommendations
For growing cucumbers outdoors, the beds are usually prepared in the fall. This should be done before the onset of rains and drops in temperature. The planting zone must be carefully dug up and saturated with organic fertilizers. Cucumbers like a fertile light soil that has a good level of air and water permeability. If the soil on the site is heavy, sawdust, peat or sand can be added to the soil to facilitate loosening.
Helpful advice! To get a rich harvest, it is recommended to add a tablespoon of superphosphate and a glass of ash per 1 m² of area. Dolomite flour can be used instead of ash.
The process of preparing a garden bed for cucumbers in the spring includes a soil disinfection procedure. For this, the place of the future garden is spilled with potassium permanganate. The solution must be hot and strong. In addition, soil fertility can be increased by introducing chicken manure or manure. This procedure is carried out locally, that is, the fertilizer is placed directly into a trench or hole. After that, the bed is covered with a small layer of soil, where the seeds are then planted.
How to make a garden for cucumbers: agricultural secrets
To get a rich harvest of cucumbers from the garden, you must adhere to the basic rules:
- There should be no irrigation canals, streams and flowing water bodies near the beds.
- If the planting zone does not have protection, it is better to place the garden in a quiet place where there are no drafts.
- Procedures such as watering and loosening the soil should be done on a regular basis. Otherwise, a hard crust will form on the surface, and the bed will dry out very much.
- Open field cucumbers need to be fed much more often than indoor planting.
- During harvesting, it is not recommended to change the position of the plant's lashes or turn them over.
- Weeding plants in open beds should be done more often than indoors.
- It is recommended to cover the entire surface of the bed with a black film.
Cucumbers need a rich biological composition of the soil. Therefore, it is recommended to fertilize the land with organic matter, for example, grass, humus, branches, rotted manure, food waste. In the process of their decomposition, not only does the fertility of the soil increase, but also heat is released, which warms the soil. So that the high temperature does not damage the root system of cucumbers, experienced summer residents are advised to carry out abundant watering.
Interesting fact! Sometimes the decomposition of organic fertilizers occurs so actively that the soil in the garden warms up to 80 ° C. Under the influence of such a high temperature, many pests, viruses and pathogenic fungi contained in the earth die. As a result, natural soil sterilization occurs.
There are several ways to grow cucumbers outdoors. For these purposes, you can form a long ridge-bed, hole, dig a ditch, or build a high structure.
How to make cucumber beds with a bookmark in the garden
To form a bed with a bookmark, you will need to dig a trench. The depth of the ditch should be equal to two shovels. Then branches are laid across and sawdust is poured. The next layer consists of straw and garden waste. You can add autumn leaves, cardboard or newspaper, compost. The thickness of the fertilizer layer should be within 5-7 cm. The bookmark is filled with warm water and covered with a mixture of compost and earth.
A bed with a bookmark can effectively serve for 5 years. In the second year of operation, it is not necessary to add compost to the top layer, because during the decomposition of organic components, the bed itself will develop nutrients.
Advantages of a bed for growing cucumbers with a bookmark:
- convenient watering system;
- stagnation of water is excluded;
- in the spring there is no need to dig up the soil, it is enough to loosen the soil.
Plants can be planted on such a nutrient base much earlier than it is customary to do in ordinary beds. It is not recommended to use beds with a bookmark in low-lying areas and areas where water stagnates.
Warm surface beds for cucumbers in the open field
This type of warm beds for growing cucumbers is built on the surface of the prepared soil. This technology will be the best option for areas that are located in the lowlands. In order to enhance the heating process, the bed is covered with a film. As a result, a greenhouse effect is formed, which has a positive effect on the growth of cucumbers and their yield.
Surface beds also include structures in the form of boxes made of bricks, slate or boards. The bottom of these containers is covered with sand, then wood waste. Next comes the layer of organic waste and straw. After placing each component, the contents are carefully compacted and filled with liquid manure. Finally, the bed is covered with a mixture of soil and soil.
Helpful advice! As organic waste, skins of vegetables and fruits, fallen leaves, eggshells (crushed into powder) can be used.
Planting of cucumbers is carried out in two rows. Plants are placed along the edges of the bed-box, which ensures a sufficient level of illumination. If it is planned to plant cucumbers in early spring, the structures can be converted into greenhouses. To do this, you need to install plastic arcs and stretch plastic wrap over them. Thus, heating is intensified and it becomes possible to get an early harvest. Moreover, the result is completely independent of weather conditions.
Raised beds for cucumbers in the open field
Warm beds with a raised structure are used when the site is located in a region with a cold and humid climate. Due to this, the soil is fully warmed up, which makes it possible to achieve a harvest in the early stages. If the groundwater is too close to the garden, the bed rises high, due to which the plantings do not get wet on the soil oversaturated with moisture. Stone fruit trees are planted in a similar way, whose roots are greatly affected by groundwater.
Various materials are used as borders for these structures. The most popular of these are slate and timber. In rare cases, metal is used. This type of bed can be installed even in the middle of a lawn. If you make a frame in the form of paving stones or tiles, a raised vegetable garden with cucumbers will become a worthy decoration of the suburban area.
As an alternative solution, you can build a fill mound on the territory that does not have a fence. You can take any length for such a bed, the optimal width parameter is 1 m.Do not raise the decorative garden to a height of more than 1 m. The air that remains in the voids formed between the elements of large organic matter provides good ventilation and contributes to the rapid heating of the soil.
To speed up the process of decomposition of fertilizers, the soil is spilled with a solution saturated with special bacteria. The procedure is carried out twice a year. The first time the soil is watered with bacteria in the spring. Wait at least a week before planting plants after treating the garden. The second soil spill is done in the fall after the crop has been harvested. When the soil has already been treated with the composition, it should be loosened so that the soil is saturated with oxygen, and the preparation itself is evenly distributed.