Spring garden planning

Start with raised beds
• Beds raised at least 15 cm higher than paths are easier to plant, weed, irrigate and harvest.
• Soil in raised beds dries and warms up faster in the spring, so you can get plants off to an earlier start.
• The soil doesn't get compacted.
• Raised beds are great for small gardens since they're planted intensively in blocks, thereby eliminating wasted space between rows.
• Intensive planting means there's less opportunity for weeds to get a foothold.
• Raised beds have improved drainage, an important consideration in a poorly drained yard.

Raised-bed primer
• A raised bed can be any length, but the width should be about 2 m for easy access from both sides.
• Construct the beds in a sunny part of the garden; mark dimensions with stakes and twine. Frame the beds with wood (cedar is the most durable) or use one of the new raised-bed kits made of recycled plastic. (Framed beds are more space-efficient thanmounded beds in which soil tapers gradually.)
• Use a digging fork or spade to turn over and break up soil within the frame; remove topsoil from the paths and use it to raise the bed. If beds are very large, get additional soil from a garden centre or landscape supplier; to increase soil fertility, add compost or well-rotted manure. Make sure everything is well mixed.
• Make paths 60 cm wide if you'll be using a wheelbarrow; for a traditional look, pave them with old bricks or concrete pavers, or cover with an 8 to 10 cm layer of gravel, straw or wood chips to keep shoes from getting muddy on wet days.
• Raised beds dry out quickly. Check often during dry spells; water if necessary.
• Cultivate beds yearly, adding more humus (compost or manure) to replenish nutrients and help retain moisture, but keep paths permanently uncultivated.