Spring for all summer residents and gardeners begins the same way: dig up all the land, divide it into beds, make a neat earthen roller for each. Then wait until the soil warms up, plant the plants and start fighting the weeds that occupy the entire territory, including the paths. But improvements can be made that will help you get more crops at less cost (labor, in the first place).
The beds help us a lot when growing vegetables in greenhouses and vegetable gardens. The fencing of the bed (side) does not allow the vegetative soil to crumble and maintain the necessary shape of the bed.
And with the correct arrangement, they also increase the yield.
Sizes of garden beds
The width of the beds
First, about the width of the beds. If there is an approach to the bed from two sides, then its width can be from 70 to 100 cm. Making a bed less than 70 cm is economically unprofitable, because the narrower the bed, the higher the cost of arranging 1 sq. m beds. It is impractical to arrange beds wider than 100 cm, because it is inconvenient to process the middle of the bed (stretch far). The beds, which can only be approached from one side, should have a width of 50-60 cm. A correctly selected bed width will contribute to better cultivation of the land, weeding, and, accordingly, an increase in yield.
Width of aisles between beds
The passages between the beds should allow the tools to move freely along them and to plow them with trimmers. The minimum is about 45 cm. The width of the aisles depends on the height of the beds. The minimum width is permissible for a bed height of up to 20 cm. With higher bed sides, the aisles should be 50 cm or more. After all, we constantly walk between the beds with buckets and watering cans, and in a narrow aisle between high beds, we will have to raise buckets over the sides and carry them with outstretched arms. Correctly selected width of aisles between the beds will contribute to better processing of them, which, in turn, will lead to higher yields.
Height of the beds
The most common height of the beds is about 15-20 cm. It would be great, of course, to have beds with a height of 70-80 cm and handle them while standing, but this will require a lot of labor. But a very real height of 30-40 cm will allow you to take care of plants, sitting on a stool or, for example, on a folding stool, which can be very important for older gardeners. Such high beds are usually arranged with a heating bottom layer. In addition to the opportunity to prepare a kind of nutritious "cake" in such a bed, which is extremely useful for plants, high beds are easier to process, which will also lead to higher yields.
The length of the beds
The length of the beds can be very different. It is determined by the configuration of the site, its relief and other reasons. Most often, the length of the beds is from 4 to 8 meters. It is better if the bed is oriented from south to north, then the sunlight will more evenly illuminate the plants.
Longitudinal slope of the beds
It will be ideal if there is no slope of the bed in the transverse and longitudinal directions. In any case, we should strive for this. Permissible slope 2-3 cm by 1 meter. If the slope is higher, the water will flow down the slope during irrigation, and the plants in the lower part of the garden will receive more moisture. But this is not always possible due to the relief of the site. Then we place the beds across the slope of the terrain and plan the site with terraces.
Garden fence material
The materials for the sides must be strong, since the sides are subjected to heavy loads. Materials must be resistant to water, sun, frost, bacteria, mold and insects. They should serve for a long time and are not very expensive. A variety of materials are used, but we will consider the most common - wooden planks and flat slate.
Wood
Naturally, the most common material for making the sides of the beds is wood. A board with a section of 40x200 mm or 50x200 mm is perfect for this purpose. The main, but very significant drawback of such beds is fragility. If the boards are used without applying a protective layer, then they will last no more than three years. And if you use plank stripes in an area with elevated level humidity, then the decay process proceeds even faster. Changing the sides of the beds so often is an unaffordable luxury. You can, of course, treat the boards with an antiseptic, which will slightly increase their service life, but this "chemical filling" will inevitably get into the soil and, accordingly, into your plants. So it's worth thinking ten times - and whether you are ready to eat this very "protection". In addition, ants tend to grow and live in the wooden planks used to fence the garden beds, a real curse for any gardener ...
Flat slate
An alternative to wooden beds is slate. For the manufacture of the sides of the beds, it is best to use flat slate with a thickness of 8 mm. The main advantage of this material is durability. It is not afraid of exposure to water, cold, insects, microorganisms and will serve you all your life. Another indisputable advantage is accessibility. It should also be noted that the cost flat slate low, so the purchase of special strips for the beds will not hit your budget.
Garden strips
In order to get even paths and neat beds, gardeners today use special strips made of flat slate. Moreover, they have an attractive appearance. Thus, an area with beds of such strips will become much more well-groomed and functional. Depending on the length of the beds, you can choose the optimal strip size.
The strips are available in a length of 2.4 m and a width of 39 cm, as well as a length of 1.57 m and a width of 30 cm. They, as well as metal profiles for fastening, along the length they can be cut into the size of the beds at the points of sale.
NS When using strips with a width of 30 cm, the support struts are installed, respectively, after 1.57 m.This distance is sufficient to create solid construction, especially since Bottom part the side is buried in the ground, which gives it additional rigidity. Generally, bA large mass of earth expands and tries to squeeze the sides of the beds from any material - be it wood, slate or even metal.If, while digging the earth, you stand on the garden bed, then the pressure will increase even more. Therefore, when using flat slate strips 39 cm wide, you need to put an additional support stand in the middle of the strip, that is, through1.2 m. Naturally, the creation of such high beds should be justified, in a large volume of ordinary soil there is not much sense. Such a bed should be "difficult" - with drainage, etc. But we will talk about the features of the device of high beds a little later ...
To increase the rigidity of the slate boards, they are buried several centimeters into the ground, which also leads to the protection of the beds from weed roots. Usually 3-5 cm of depth is enough, but it is clear that along the length of the side, this depth will most often be different, ideally Smooth surface rarely occurs.
For joining the sides along the length, a galvanized profile is best suited - angular, respectively, for corners, and T-shaped for joining strips along the length.
Construction sequence new garden from flat slate.
In general, there are two options for arranging beds of slate strips. The first - we install the profile outside, while the strips can not be attached to the profile, they will be pressed against the ground. The second option - the profile is installed inside, while, of course, the strips must be bolted to the profile. To do this, you have to drill both the profile and the strips. The first method, of course, is less laborious, since you do not have to fiddle with a drill, bolts, and so on. But at the same time, the supporting profile will interfere with free passage along the aisles, although this is not a big problem- just in this case, the distance between the beds should be made wider.
In the second option, you will have to work hard, but the passage will remain free. Although this method also has a drawback - the profiles located inside the garden will interfere with the process of digging up the earth. But, since you still have to dig up the beds much less often than walk between them, and even mow the grass in the passage, the second option may be preferable.
In general, with correct installation the profile can be in the passage if you use strips 39 cm wide and 2.4 m long.In this case, you need to make a passage of at least 60 cm.And you can also cut the strips in half into sections of 1.2 m.Then the need for intermediate support racks disappears.
Although the choice is, of course, yours.
Filling the garden
- To protect against rodents, a metal mesh is laid on the bottom.
- As a lower drainage layer, lay wood waste: chopped branches, bark and so on.
- The next layer is paper waste, which makes it difficult for weeds to germinate.
- A mixture of peat with soil or unripe compost is placed in the middle.
- The top layer is the soil removed before the trench device with the addition of organic fertilizers... If it is not enough, then you will have to supplement the brought ones.
Each layer, except for the last, is sequentially spilled with water and tamped.
Row spacing
The soil between the rows is tamped tightly.
The free space can be concreted, covered with gravel, sawdust or laid terrace board... Or whatever your heart desires. For example, sow lawn grass. In this case, the row spacing should be wide enough for the trimmer to work comfortably.
Benefits of flat slate beds
The benefits of beds made from strips of flat slate are obvious.
Firstly you have a reliable and strong fence your garden, which, due to its physical characteristics, is completely unaffected by natural interventions. Such strips for beds are an indispensable material for the formation of beds and garden paths... Slate does not decay, does not deform and does not allow moisture to pass at all, is durable, waterproof, does not burn, and protects from the effects of rodents. Installation of beds and paths from strips is very simple and allows you to easily and quickly change, and, if necessary, transfer the structure from place to place.
Second advantage is that by raising the ground level in such a bed above usual, you give yourself the opportunity to take care of the bed - to loosen, mulch, plant seedlings without bending your back, and even sitting on a chair.
But, besides this, such high beds have more advantages over the usual:
- the ability to completely control the composition of the soil, adding substances necessary for plant growth;
- good drainage will not allow water to stagnate, regardless of whether the planting site is located in a lowland or on a hill;
- high beds with good layer composts have a soil temperature higher than the surrounding soil; this allows plants in cold areas to feel more comfortable and produce bountiful crops faster; seedlings in heated soil can be planted earlier;
- the high level of the bed excludes walking on it, the ground remains very loose for optimal air exchange;
- climbing plants can not be tied up, planted along the edge of the garden, they hang freely down.
Third, and, perhaps, the main advantage of such beds is that the slate does not allow water to pass through. Therefore, you do not have to worry about your garden in hot and dry weather. At the same time, it was noticed that at the edge of the beds, that is, near the sides made of flat slate, the plants grow better than in the center of the garden. This is because qslate, like any other concrete product, accumulates heat, and at night gives it to your plants. So you are guaranteed an increased harvest.
In addition, using 8mm flat slate compared to 4cm boards gives you a gain of over 6cm in both width and length. It seems a little. But this is in every garden bed! So the additive useful area beds can be very significant and important, especially for owners of small plots.
And, finally, such a bed of flat slate can simply be a decoration of your site. It can be easily painted, for example, in different colors or even paint. But keep in mind that you first need to clean the slate surface from dust with a stiff brush or a brush on a drill. And on the edges of the sides - put on a cut rubber hose, you can also different colors.
Several regular or tall slate beds transform the site into a compact vegetable or berry production facility.
Gardener and gardener with many years of experience Sergey Nikolaevich:
- Before, I was forced to spend a lot of time and effort to dig up the whole vegetable garden, it was a real hard labor. The land brought in for the next year was not enough, but the harvest was still there - only tears. And now - grace, a resort. Sitting on a chair, I work on these wonderful beds for my own pleasure. The land is light, and the harvests are such that I already think to reduce the number of beds, and instead arrange a lawn for grandchildren and flower beds for beauty ...
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To obtain a rich harvest, a properly treated soil and care of grown crops play an important role. Therefore, you should know how to rationally and accurately arrange the beds on summer cottage.
Before you start arranging the garden, you should decide and take into account such parameters as:
- form;
- the size;
- location;
- layout.
In most cases, many gardeners build right-angled beds.
This is not a fundamental condition for growing a rich crop. The beds can be any: rectangular, square, round, trapezoidal, etc. The shape can be selected taking into account the features of the relief.
Unconventional flower beds will make it possible to rationally use the area of the site.
The size of the beds can vary depending on the individual desires of the owner and the landscape. It is important to observe some conditions: they should not be too narrow, wide and deep.
The optimal bed width is 60-100 cm.
Given these parameters, care vegetable crops will be simpler. The length of the bed can be any. If the bed is located along the fence, then its height should not exceed 80 cm.
The distance between the beds should be 40-50 cm.
This size is enough for caring for and picking vegetables.
The beds in the summer cottage are best located from south to north.
In this case, the soil warms up better, and the crops grown receive required amount Sveta. There are times that it is located on a gentle slope. The optimal placement of the beds in this case is transverse to the slope.
If the plot is uneven, then it is best to place the beds on the south side, and on the northern part to arrange garden plantings.
When planning the beds, some features should be taken into account.
Box beds and terraces are the best option when decorating beds on a site with a strong slope. In the northern part of the garden, it is better to place tall plants so that they do not obscure low vegetable crops.
All these features should be taken into account when building beds in a summer cottage.
Basic rules for creating beds
After the shape, size and layout of the beds are determined, you can start creating them.
It is best to create beds on damp and clay soils, in the lowlands, where water can linger after rain. Having decided on the length and width of the beds, you can proceed to the arrangement.
When arranging a garden bed, loosen the ground with a hoe or hoe
First you need to mark the future beds. Then they should be dug up, processed and cleaned of foreign debris. The soil can be treated with a solution copper sulfate... It will protect vegetables from various diseases... Soil with a hoe or hoe. If lumps are present, break them up.
There are several types of beds:
- High bed. It is the most common among gardeners. Such a bed significantly improves the heating of the soil, which provides a high intensity of growing vegetables. To create such a bed, you need to make a frame. The width of such a bed is 150 cm, and the length may vary.
- Hilly bed. Its height is 80-90 cm, and its width is about 200 cm. To avoid the spread of the beds, a small border must be made along the edges.
- Beds according to the Meatlider method. Distinctive feature these beds are a wide track about 90 cm and narrow beds no more than 45-50 cm wide. This method of arranging the garden provides simplicity and ease of maintenance, as well as the absence of the need to dig up the whole.
The first layer of the bed is branches and twigs, which must first be processed. Next, a layer of small wood residues is laid, then plant residues. After that, a layer of peat is laid out. The final top layer may consist of mature compost and fertile soil. All components should be taken in equal quantities.
It is necessary to dig up the ground along the entire length of the bed. Then, using a shovel, pour the earth into the center of the garden bed, and then make a depression of 10-15 cm. After that, you can start installing the sides. They can be constructed from different materials: boards, slate, bricks, etc.
The sides on the bed prevent it from spreading. In addition, such beds are easier to care for.
Simple and affordable way making the sides of the beds - wooden boards. Optimum thickness 4-5 cm. Before installation, it should be treated with an antiseptic to prevent rotting.
After installation, the wooden frame should be sheathed with plastic wrap. This avoids the leakage of water and leaching of soil from the constructed frame. The height of the side should be selected individually. It is important to take into account the depth of the edge in the soil.
How to properly place the beds and fruit trees on your site
The harvest has long been harvested, and it is snowing outside the window. It would seem that it's time to take a break from summer cottages, but the thoughts of many gardeners are already devoted to the future. summer season: what and where to plant, what fertilizers and seeds to buy, how much and what kind of film is needed for greenhouses and hotbeds ...
And it seems that there is nothing difficult here - just place potatoes, cabbage, carrots, beets, onions and garlic, green crops on your hundred square meters, because everything else: trees, shrubs, raspberries and strawberries have long had their legal planting places.
But in practice, everything turns out to be more complicated - you have to compare a lot of different factors in order to accept, sometimes, only one single the right decision... Moreover, for this it is not enough to know which cultures are light-loving and which are shade-tolerant - it is also necessary to take into account the fertility of this or that site, which crops grew here in the past, and preferably, and not only last year, and which crops will grow peacefully and without conflicts.
Therefore, truly enthusiastic gardeners and gardeners have to plan and record in their garden no less painstakingly than accountants do their reporting. For example, my grandfather had a huge ledger with detailed plans garden-vegetable garden for several decades, starting from the 50s. In fact, for so many years, information is not needed - in most cases, it is enough to have data for 3-4 years, but here the truly accounting nature of the grandfather affected.
Everything is simpler for me, since I have a computer at hand, and it is enough for me, on a plan drawn once in the corresponding program, to simply record the year and mark where and what cultures I grew up with. But most probably still have to draw such a plan by hand - in this case, it is wiser to draw a plan once indicating trees, shrubs, greenhouses, greenhouses and permanent ridges, then take a dozen photocopies, and on each one already mark the crops planted in this or that year - it will be so much faster.
How to reconcile all the pros and cons
Even with all the information you need, finding the right solution can be tricky. You start posting, and it seems that almost everything was planned out, but here on the last stage it turns out that, for example, there is a bed for cabbage, on which this same cabbage grew the year before last and at the same time was sick with keel. So, you can't plant her here, and everything starts over. Again, you have to redo the plan, look for a new solution and draw it again.
If you are familiar with a similar situation and every year you bring yourself to a headache by planning and moving crops around the garden again, then try interesting solution, about which I recently read (I don't need it, since I do everything on a computer, but most gardeners, probably, will be very useful). True, to use this approach, you must have rectangular ridges of similar size, and each vegetable must be planted on its own ridge (that is, not in company with others).
In this case, you can plan like this: take last year's site plan (and better plans for 3-4 years) and clear sheet paper. Draw this sheet into identical rectangles and write on them: potatoes, cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, etc., listing everything that you plan to plant. Moreover, if you always occupy two ridges with garlic, then, accordingly, there should be two rectangles with the name "garlic", and so on. Cut the paper into separate rectangles and start on your plan to collect the puzzle called "entertaining garden", placing the ridges-rectangles in the right way in the chosen places of your plan. It is not scary to be mistaken here, tk. it's easy to fix everything by moving the "wrong" rectangle to a new location. Try it, and it will be much easier to replay all the situations in your head and re-draw your plan many times over and over.
What factors need to be considered when planning a vegetable garden?
First, all vegetables love sunny place... Only green crops, which include onion on a feather, and perennial bows such as chives and slimes, partially put up with penumbra. This means that in a small shade of the house, fence, trees and shrubs, you can sow and plant onions and some herbs. Although you will not get a large harvest in this case, you still cannot grow anything else in these places.
The second is the compatibility of vegetables: to whom it is good or, on the contrary, it is bad. Cabbage doesn't live with tomatoes and beans. Cucumber - with potatoes. Tomatoes - with fennel. Potatoes - with tomatoes and pumpkin. Peas and beans are very unpleasant onions and garlic, radish - hyssop. Only now carrots get along with everyone, although from the point of view of protection from carrot flies, it is preferable to sow it in the company with onions. It was about bad neighbors.
And the good ones? Here are other examples. All vegetables of the celery family (carrots, parsnips, parsley, celery) go well with the onion family: onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots. White and black radishes work well for other vegetables. Radish grows very well between rows of bush beans - it becomes very large, tasty and not wormy. Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish and onions do not interfere with potatoes. But each separately, because there are several irreconcilable couples in this group.
Compatible with cabbage, onions, celery, potatoes, dill and lettuce. Tomatoes can be planted alongside greens and cabbages, asparagus and beans. Peas can coexist with carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, corn. Etc.
The third rule is no less important - it must be borne in mind that phytoncides secreted by some plants scare off pests of other crops or prevent some diseases from developing. For example, onion phytoncides scare off carrot flies, and carrot phytoncides scare off onions. Dill protects cucumbers from disease, while onions and garlic protect tomatoes. Planting strong-smelling plants such as celery, thyme, or sage near the cabbage will drown out the smell of the cabbage and make it less attractive to pests. And basil is a good idea to plant near beans for protection from legume weevil, garlic - near roses to protect against aphids, parsley - near asparagus.
When planning, you must also take into account the predecessors, that is, whether a suitable vegetable grew last season in the place where you will plant another in the spring. And here again there are numerous schemes! And the most important thing to learn is that you cannot plant the same culture in the same place. And, in addition, cabbage cannot be placed after any cabbage and beets. Beets - after beets, cabbage and tomatoes. Tomatoes - after all the nightshades and peas.
The fifth thing that has to be taken into account is the long-term alternation of cultures, the prospect for 3-4 years. It's even more complicated here. Agronomy teaches you how to rotate vegetables according to their needs. nutrients, in particular, in organics. Conventionally, in the first year (i.e. on fresh organic matter), cucumber, zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage of medium and late ripening periods, leeks, etc. are grown, that is, those crops for which a lot of organic matter needs to be applied. In the second year, they are replaced by onions, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. The third is the turn of root crops (carrots, beets, radishes, etc.), which have to add a hefty portion of mineral fertilizers.
Garden planning features
With the garden, it is still more difficult, because we plant vegetables every year, and if one year your layout turned out to be unsuccessful, then perhaps the next year everything will turn out to be much better.
We place trees and shrubs in permanent places for a long time, and once planted apple trees will supply you with fruits for the rest of your life. Therefore, when drawing up a garden plan, it is imperative to allocate separate permanent places for each tree species, for vegetables, for flowers, and everything must be correctly calculated in advance where and what will grow in 10-20 years. And there are a lot of rules here too.
The first rule is that each group of crops (fruit trees, berry bushes, vegetable and decorative crops) of a permanent place. A common mistake is the combined arrangement of crops, when vegetables, strawberries, berry bushes are placed among young apple and pear trees. At first, everything turns out well: the trees do not take up much space, there is enough light and nutrition for other plants. But over time, the trees grow, and then the catch crops fall into the shade, their productivity becomes low. Therefore, the first rule of site planning is to allocate a separate permanent place for each crop. Of course, you can temporarily grow berry bushes, strawberries and vegetables among the vigorous tree species, but then, when there is a strong blackout, they will have to be removed and moved somewhere else, which you need to think about in advance.
The second rule is to provide for the possibility of renewing strawberries, berry bushes, cherry and plum trees. Say, strawberries bear fruit well in one place for 2-3 years. In the fourth or, in extreme cases, the fifth year of fruiting, it must be completely eliminated. Therefore, one garden bed is vacated annually so that vegetables can be grown here the next year, and the vegetable bed is planted with strawberries.
Therefore, it is more convenient to refer strawberries not to the garden, but to the garden and to change the strawberry ridges with vegetable ridges. Currant, gooseberry and raspberry bushes can theoretically bear fruit for a very long time in one place, and everything here depends on proper care. It is more profitable (from the point of view of saving your own time) to look after these crops well and regularly prune and spray, then in one place, subject to rejuvenating pruning, they can bear fruit for 10, 15 years or more. And everything will be fine. And if you take care of it badly, then they will not last long, the bushes will weaken from diseases, pests, malnutrition and thickening, and you will have to look for another place for them and start growing and shaping again.
The third rule of planning is respect for the rights of the neighbor. Your trees should not shade much of the adjacent area. The distance from the tree trunk to the border should be at least half of the generally accepted row spacing: for vigorous trees 3.5-4 m, for medium-sized trees - 2.0-2.5 m.In the strip between the trees and the border, you can plant currants, gooseberries, raspberries ... And in no case should you plant tall trees and shrubs 20 cm from the border, which, alas, is not uncommon.
The fourth rule of planning is to reduce the height of the plants as you approach the house. In order for the housing to be dry and light, the lowest plants should be placed near the house - flowers, lawn grass, part of strawberries, vegetables, shrubs, and tall trees should be taken further into the interior of the site.
The fifth rule is taking into account the characteristics of certain plants. From berry bushes in drier, but well-lit places, it is better to plant red currants, gooseberries, and black currants on lower, more humid (but not swampy) places. Raspberries and sea buckthorn are planted separately in specially designated areas of the site, since the former gives many root suckers, and the latter develops long roots that interfere with the growth and development of other plants; strawberries are planted in places where snow lingers well in winter. Growing strawberries between fruit trees undesirable.
Chokeberry and sea buckthorn look good when planted in groups closer to home. Lemongrass and actinidia are planted near the wall of the house so that there is protection from the wind and the possibility of creating reliable vertical supports... Barberry and lilacs are planted away from all other crops (somewhere apart), because their root secretions do not give life to other plants.
The beds are such a simple summer cottage construction, and they also need our close attention. Indeed, not only the yield depends on their location, height, filling and shape. garden crops, but also the appearance of the site where we not only work, but also have a rest. And we, of course, would like to see our summer cottage oasis beautiful and well-groomed.
The beds should be located from north to south: this way the soil warms up better, and vegetables receive more sun. If your site is located on a gentle slope, build beds across it, and if the slope is already very steep, organize terraces (also across) and build boxes-beds there. This will prevent the soil from being washed out by flood waters and rains. Details of the implementation of the idea in life will tell the material.
Raised bed
To get early and more bountiful harvest(and just for beauty) it makes sense to do it.
To do this, in the place you have chosen, dig a hole 40 cm deep, and put the selected soil aside for now. Choose the length of the pit arbitrarily, but make the width 1-1.2 m, so that later it would be convenient for you to care for the plants. Along the perimeter of the pit, install a frame made of stones, bricks, logs or other material at a height of 40-50 cm.Close it from the inside plastic wrap, and at the bottom of the pit put a net from steel wire(this will protect the crop from harmful ones).
Fill in the first layer with long-decomposing organic material: board trimmings, shavings, fabric ( not synthetics!), branches, paper, cardboard and so on. Fill the garden with these "goodies" by about 1/3, sprinkle it a little with earth and spill it well with water. Next, fill the bed to the top with soil mixed with manure, compost, mineral fertilizers and sprinkle with water again. That's all the wisdom. Just keep in mind that next year the earth will settle by 15-20 cm and the top layer will need to be updated, so prepare the fertile land in advance.
Also see the material about raised or high beds:
How to arrange the beds in a small area
If you have small area, but I want to organize as many beds as possible, in addition to the usual arrangement, use any horizontal surfaces and suspended structures.
You can combine the recreation area with decoratively decorated beds using multi-tiered, spiral structures and other options.
When arranging the garden, do not forget that its surface should be strictly horizontal: in order to avoid the accumulation of moisture in an elevated place and waterlogging - in an underestimated one.
Read also about a small garden plot:
Features of tillage in the beds
The land in the beds is usually dug up twice (in spring and), adding the necessary mineral and. When digging in the fall, it is better to leave the earth blocky in order to keep as much moisture as possible in the beds. In addition, with such digging, the larvae and eggs of soil pests almost completely freeze out. Can be replaced autumn digging: cover the soil with a thick layer of peat, sawdust, rotted compost, etc. In the spring, remove the not rotted layer with a rake and dig up the ground. Digging on a shovel bayonet for a garden with vegetables or flowers is quite enough. And if the soil on your site is light and crumbly, spring digging can be replaced by loosening.How to make beautiful bumpers for garden beds
Of course, not all summer residents are concerned beautiful design sides for the beds. Many use dividing paths, some simply knock down the boards with a square or perimeter, and install these structures on a horizontal surface. But we want to arrange everything beautifully, right? Therefore, I present to you several photos, where you can clearly see how you can beautifully decorate the sides of the beds with simple improvised or purchased material.Here are used ready-made plastic bumpers purchased in the store. 
The sides of these beds are lined with white bricks. 
Here the sides are lined with paving stones. 
This bed is decorated with colored slate bumpers.
On these raised beds, the bumpers are made of ordinary plastic boxes... There are doubts about their strength, but, undoubtedly, the beds look original)) 
To decorate the sides of the bed, you can use any available material: boards, large stones, bricks, cut pieces of slate, vine,
When thinking about how best to arrange a summer cottage decoration, many people forget that the beds on the site in this matter are no less important than other aspects. It is from correct design beds depends on how attractive and well-groomed the site will be and whether it can please you with its appearance... To create a suitable composition, it is necessary to take into account a number of important factors, each of which has a special meaning. Among them are the shape of the beds, their height, location and much more. Only by giving this issue all your attention, you can achieve the desired result, which will delight for many years.
Create a shape and size for the garden
The formation of beds in the country, first of all, requires determining the shape. In this matter, everything depends solely on your imagination, since this is your site and only you can decide which particular beds can surround it. These can be classic stripes, round flower beds or some special shapes that together create a single composition. It is not at all necessary to adhere to strict forms, dividing the area with squares and rectangles.
On the contrary, using irregular shapes allows more efficient use of free space. For example, you can follow the features of the relief, or even create a shape that repeats an object. The main thing here is not to overdo it, since too much pile-up of curly beds on the site will create a clutter effect and, rather, will cause negative emotions.
If we talk in more detail about the size of the beds created, then there are also no restrictions here. However, it is important to understand that a garden bed is not only a decoration of a site, but also a functional piece of land on which something grows. The plant will need to be looked after, which means that you should be able to reach anywhere without applying special efforts... That is why the size of the beds in the garden, as a rule, does not exceed one meter in width. Also, do not forget about the paths, which should be below the beds and provide free access to any site.
Organization of beds: what features should be considered
Despite the complete freedom of action, the organization of beds on a site implies taking into account a number of rules, thanks to which you can significantly facilitate the process of both the formation of these sites and their further use. These rules include the following points:
It is best to arrange the beds from north to south, since in this case the soil will warm up better, which will have a beneficial effect on the condition of the plants, which will not experience discomfort.
Special attention should be paid to situations when the site is located on a gentle slope. In this case, many are worried about the question of how to arrange the beds as efficiently as possible? The best solution will become the location across the slope.
If the slope is too steep, special terraces, also located across, will help you. This way you can protect the soil from being washed away during floods and rains.
Regardless of the shape you choose, do not forget that the bed must be strictly horizontal. In this case, you can avoid the accumulation of excess moisture in any particular place and protect your plants from unnecessary problems.
Owners of small plots should not be upset that they do not have the ability to place the desired number of beds. There is a simple solution to this problem, because you can do multilevel structures and use various tricks. For example, a suspended structure, designed in a recreation area, will not only allow you to get an additional bed, but also give the site additional attractiveness.
Everyone can adhere to the basic rules. At the same time, you can avoid unnecessary difficulties and create those beds on your site that will satisfy all available characteristics.
Non-standard conditions: how to avoid mistakes
In addition to classic situations, you can always face the need to arrange a garden bed in a low-lying area. How to enter a similar situation? Design options for the beds in the country exist in huge amount and such an important question was not overlooked. Low-lying areas, as a rule, are characterized by increased dampness, therefore, when designing them, you need to follow the following rules:
The beds should be compact. It is best to make small areas measuring one meter by one meter and no more than 30 centimeters high. This way you can get a functional flower bed and at the same time protect the soil, which will warm up better and get rid of melting snow faster. In addition, it will be possible to plant crops a couple of weeks earlier than the generally accepted date.
The very process of creating such a bed requires a minimum of effort, since it is enough to create a square of the desired shape from the boards, lay it on a flat horizontal surface and cover it with earth, to which the necessary fertilizers have been added. Further, it all depends on your imagination. For example, you can decorate the resulting borders beautifully to make the garden bed more attractive.
In addition to low-lying areas, raised beds deserve attention - these are beds located at a certain elevation and have bumpers that prevent spillage.
They become more and more popular every year. Such popularity is due not only to undoubted aesthetic advantages, but also to practicality, because with the help of a raised bed, you can get a ripe crop earlier.
If you want to build a similar structure on your own site, then Special attention you need to pay attention to the question of what the beds are made in the country and what is the principle of operation. There are several main stages:
- At the chosen place, you need to dig a hole about 40 centimeters deep and set the earth aside.
- In the matter of the size of the beds, it is better to be guided by standard principles and not to make the width more than a meter, since otherwise you risk not reaching all the plants placed here.
- Along the perimeter of the resulting pit, a frame is installed at the height you need up to 50 centimeters. Bricks, beams, stones or anything else can be used as the material for the frame.
- The frame is closed from the inside with a film, and the bottom of the pit is covered with a wire mesh, which will protect you from the appearance of rodents.
- After the mesh is laid, fill the hole with a long-decomposing material, such as wood shavings, fabrics, or paper, about one-third backfill the hole. Sprinkle this layer with earth and pour thoroughly. In this case, synthetics cannot be used, since then you will not be able to achieve the expected effect.
- Fill the remaining space with soil mixed with all the necessary fertilizers, be it special minerals, compost or manure.
- It is also worth leaving the fertile soil in reserve, since after a year the land in such a bed will shrink a little and the top layer will require renewal.