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July 5, 2010 · 7 Comments

Deck Raised Garden Bed, Year 2

How to

Deck garden today (that’s my brother’s foot in the corner.)

Last summer, I wrote two posts (here and here) on how to build a raised garden bed for a deck, based on the one created by my sister and her husband. They hosted a barbecue on the 4th of July this year, and I got a chance to see how the deck garden is doing in its second year.

The answer: great! They planted different tomatoes this year, opting for slicers rather than cherries, and have plenty of green ones on the two plants growing in the raised bed garden. They also have several beautiful looking basil plants, as well as oregano, parsley, rosemary, and chives. All of this is just outside the door to the kitchen, making it convenient to snip a few herbs for cooking projects. The deck box, which is made of cedar, remains attractive, despite heavy rains this year and its sunny location.

Related posts:

  1. The Deck Garden Today My sister sent me an updated photo of her deck...
  2. A Beautiful Easter and a New Raised Bed What a nice day it was on Easter! The weather...
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Comments

  1. Laura says

    July 5, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    An easy project with tasty results! I love a little patio garden! Especially when it has tomatoes!

  2. timber decking says

    February 10, 2012 at 1:11 am

    It may sound slightly ironic to get your garden ready for the early spring during the winter months, however, by choosing this method, it takes all the pressure off you to get the garden ready in record time.

  3. Naveen says

    April 22, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    Hey Quick question. Did they have to change the soil a year later ? or the old soil worked fine ?

  4. Mary Schier says

    April 24, 2016 at 1:52 pm

    You do not need to change the soil every year. Just add a bit of compost or fertilizer. After a few years, you may want to change out part of the soil each year.

  5. Natalie says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:23 am

    What do you use for compost and do you make your own compost/fertilizer? So glad I found your blog!

  6. Mary Schier says

    September 20, 2016 at 3:56 pm

    Natalie — Thanks for stopping by. I do make my own compost but I also supplement with bagged compost or manure. Our city also has a compost pile, which is free, and I will occasionally pick up compost there.

  7. Natalie says

    September 21, 2016 at 1:26 pm

    Hi Mary! Thanks for your reply. How nice that your city has a compost pile. I live in Kampala, Uganda and I haven’t yet seen bagged compost or manure easily available in the city, hence me wanting to make my own. I think we’re going to try a compost bin on the deck as we use so much fresh stuff and it would also be a great way to recycle it. I left a comment on one of your other posts asking how much water you give each garden box? I am using 5l for 3 boxes similar to what you have. I am so scared of over watering.

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Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

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New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of t New podcast episode and giveaway! Dill is one of those plants that brings in all sorts of beneficial insects, creating a productive, healthy vegetable 🍅 garden. On this week’s Grow it, Minnesota podcast, I talked companion planting with local food advocate and gardener Michelle Bruhn from @forksinthedirt. 

We’re both fans of a new book by @jessicawalliser called Plant Partners that looks at the science behind companion planting. A lot of it boils down to creating healthy soil and a welcoming environment for bugs, bees and pollinators. My review of the book is over on the My Northern Garden blog (link in bio) and I’m giving away a copy of the book. To be eligible for the giveaway, just comment below — do you use companion planting methods? What combinations work in your garden? What flowers do you plant near your veg garden? The winner will be chosen March 10 (US and Canada only)
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Obsessed with this water drop. . . . #houseplants Obsessed with this water drop. 
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In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Fl In normal times, we’d be in our first week in Florida right now, which would mean a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens on our first full day there. Always great art and gardens to see. Then some beach time and plans for our first preseason game. (Twins, Pirates, Orioles, it’s all great.) We were very lucky to get the trip in last year and hope to be in Sarasota again this time next year. Meanwhile I’m indulging in some Insta-nostalgia and feeling grateful for longer days and sunshine here in Minnesota. Which vacations are you remembering fondly these days? 
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#gardentravel #florida #sarasota #publicgardens #marieselbybotanicalgardens #tbt #mngardener #longwinter
New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea— New issue of Northern Gardener and a cup of tea—great way to pass a gloomy late afternoon. This issue is full of ideas for spring from @jenniferrensenbrink @monarchgardensbenjaminvogt @gbrownhudson @seedtofork and more. Stunning cover image from @riedelphoto.  Available March 1 on newsstands or subscribe through @mnhort! 
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Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s Winter ❄️ sowing? Have you tried it? Today’s guest on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast is Michelle Mero Riedel, who introduced me and readers of Northern Gardener to the concept more than a decade ago. It’s been one of  our most popular articles ever. 

In winter sowing, you create mini-greenhouses out of milk jugs and other recyclables. Perennial flowers 💐 can be planted in February and March, while annuals, vegetables and herbs can be set out in April. Mother Nature does most of the work. It’s a budget friendly way to grow lots of plants! 

For more info, check out the podcast or a new blog post over on mynortherngarden.com. Links to all in bio. 
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What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below z What is this? Like day 10 or 12 with temps below zero? Time to ramble back to June when the penstemon was covered in bees and the veronica looked so pretty. June is my second favorite month in the garden (believe it or not, September is number one for me). What’s your favorite month? P.S. only 14 weeks until June! 
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Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was Oh boy, check out the bucket hat and shades. I was digging through some old family photos and came across this one of me circa 1990s, I’d guess, weeding at our first house. I had a lot to learn (like A LOT) about gardening, and little did I know then that I’d be writing about gardening for a living someday. Lots of good thing happen in the garden. 
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#tbt #mygardenstory #mynortherngarden #gardenwriter #weeding #oldphoto #buckethatsareback
Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawit Somebody brought me a bouquet! Thank you, @resawithoutherspoon 
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#flowers #bouquet #flowersmakemehappy #plantsmakepeoplehappy
The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all ab The latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota is all about plants with medicinal uses.  I interview author and herbalist Matthew Alfs about his new book on Edible and Medicinal Wild Plants of the Midwest. We talked about a few of my favorite plants such as wild geraniums and anise hyssop and also about what we call weeds that have other uses. 

It was a fascinating discussion with a real expert. Matthew recommends consulting multiple sources before using any plant medicinally and his book would be a good one to start with. 

Listen to the podcast at growitminnesota.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 
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I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plan I love ❤️ that my local grocery store has plants in the temptation spot near the 10-items or less lane. They’re better for you than chips and just as enticing. I resisted this time but plant impulse buys happen to all of us! 
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Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to Leaving plants up in winter gives you something to look at, but helps pollinators and birds more. As the sun gets stronger in late January, these are a few of my favorites for winter interest. 
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What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In these pandemic times, I’ve been having fun making quilts. Small, easy, no stress quilts. And, these garden themed fabrics on discount through Etsy were irresistible. 

I’m a beginner quilter and learned the craft through YouTube! (My favorite tutorials are the scrap buster quilts from @justgetitdonequilts) This fabric bundle included 21 different half yard prints, so I’ll probably have fabric left over for next winter too. 

How are you keeping sane/busy this winter? 
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