At Glover Nursery we are dedicated to helping you achieve your garden goals. We love to answer your questions and set you up for success with the best  plants and garden supplies. Recently, we’ve received a few questions from you all about raised garden beds: what are they, how do I make one, what are the benefits, and how can I make sure it's successful? We want to answer all of your raised bed questions right now! 

What Is A Raised Garden Bed?

Raised bed gardening is a type of gardening in which the soil is lifted above ground level and enclosed. The structures for raised beds, a platform with four walls or garden boxes, can be constructed out of a variety of materials, some of the most common are wood, rock, or concrete.  They can be made in any size that works for you and your space. From small patio gardens to large backyard spreads, raised beds are a great option. 

The soil in a raised bed is typically enriched with compost. Personally, we suggest Rich and Complete; it is a fabulous blend with all the nutrients needed for your flowers, veggies and herbs.

What Is The History of Raised Garden Beds?

Raised garden beds can be dated back to medieval times when farmers would use walls made of woven limbs and branches - wattle fences - to keep their gardens contained. Fast forward to the 18th century when Parisian gardeners would use horse manure to grow vegetables to sell at the market. In the 1970s this way of gardening was appealing to smaller-scale home gardeners because of the higher yield. 

What Can You Grow In A Raised Garden Bed? 

When it comes to raised garden beds you can grow a wide selection of different plants.  Some of the most common to grow are annual flowers, veggies or herbs. What works best for your setup will depend on how much sunlight the raised bed receives - but more often than not, you will have raised beds in mostly sunny areas.  Some common things to grow in raised beds are Tomatoes, Peppers, Lettuce, Squash or small fruits like Raspberries or Strawberries.  But, in reality, there is no limit to what you can grow.  Maybe you use your raised beds for an amazing floral garden for cutting flowers like Peony, Coneflower, Poppies, Lavender or Foxglove. 

Pro Tip: Use trellises for plants like peas that like to crawl. 

Another useful link: Learn about Setting Your Veggie Beds Up For Success Garden

What Are The Benefits of a Raised Garden Bed?

An elevated garden bed is beneficial for a number of reasons - both for you and your plants. First, raising the garden above ground level makes bending over and working on your garden less of a strain on your body. You can build them as tall as you need - as long as you can fill it with soil.

A raised bed also isolates your plants and helps prevent weeds and pests. The soil will also be more aerated and have better drainage. 

Raised garden beds allow for a longer growing season because they warm up quicker in the spring, and cool down slower in the fall. You can also cover them with plastic stretched over hoops as the weather gets colder and create a little mini greenhouse. 

You may also read: Cost Effective Veggies For Your Garden 

How Can I Create a Raised Garden Bed?

Many people choose to build their raised garden beds themselves with treated  2 x 4s or retainer wall materials. If you are crafty, building raised beds could be a fun weekend project.  There are a few places that provide raised garden bed kits, such as SilverCreek Garden Boxes.  You can also order a kit from Vego Garden for a more modular look that is easy to move and adapt to an area if you want to try a few options out.

Let us know in the comments if you plan to start a raised bed this spring! If you already have one - tell us your favorite thing to grow. If you’d like to join an ever-growing online garden community for both beginners and seasoned gardeners alike, come say hello in our Glover Nursery Gardening Group. The community is always sharing their garden wins and gardening tips.

Other useful links and resources:

Set Your Veggie Beds Up For Success Garden

February Gardening Tips 💡

True Love and

Homegrown Tomatoes

We’ve got to agree with John Denver, there really is nothing like homegrown tomatoes. It’s tomato time here at Glover Nursery which means we have literally hundreds of tomato varieties for you to choose from. 

Tomatoes come in all shapes and sizes and each has a unique flavor. They are fun to grow too! If you need a little help getting started check out this video we have on How to Transplant a Tomato Plant.

Check out these fun facts about tomatoes then come down to our garden center and pick out your favorite varieties for your garden. 

Fun Tomato Facts

1. While we carry dozens of tomato varieties, it doesn’t put a dent how many exist. Worldwide, there are over 10,000 types of tomatoes. We wonder if anyone has tried them all! 
2. The Guinness World Record for largest tomato ever grown is held by Dan Sutherland from Walla Walla, Washington. The tomato weighed in at 10 lbs 12.7ozs which is bigger than most newborn babies! It was of the Domingo variety. Who wants to try and beat his record?
3. While it is officially classified as a fruit, New Jersey named the tomato its official state vegetable but it’s also the official state fruit of Tennessee. Not wanting to choose sides, Arkansas named the South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato as the official state fruit and vegetable. 
4. If you don’t like eating tomatoes, maybe you’d enjoy throwing them. Every year the La Tomatina festival is held in Spain during which participants, all 40,000 or so of them, toss tomatoes at each other in a huge food fight. They usually throw around close to 150,000 tomatoes. There’s a copycat event in Reno, Nevada every year as well, to benefit the American Cancer Society!
5. When you picture a tomato, it's usually red, right? Well that’s not always the case. Tomatoes can come in a variety of different colors like white, purple, or even yellow like the “Yellow Pear” tomato. 

With so many tomatoes to choose from, let one of the experts at Glover Nursery help you with your selection. We love to help you achieve all of your gardening goals. Stop by soon! 

Other useful links and resources:

Cost Effective Veggies For Your Garden

Garden Plant Helleborus: The First Blooms of Spring

Winter felt extra long this year and we are itching for spring. These first few months of the year provide us with a great opportunity to plan ahead to ensure a successful gardening season. Now that March is upon us, we can lay the groundwork for vegetable container gardening.

Many of our customers grow their own vegetables in container gardens, but even if you don’t already, now is the perfect time to start! There are so many benefits to having your own vegetable garden. You can grow your own food, have more nutrient rich veggies, and minimize your environmental impact. Plus, every gardeners favorite reason, it's fun to play in the dirt!

To help you get started we are sharing three great products that will set your vegetable container garden up for success. Check out our list then come down and see us at our garden center in Utah. We have veggie and herb starts available now but come and get them quick because they won’t last long! 

Veggie Container Gardens Love... Osmocote

The small balls, or prills, of Osmocote fertilizer have a polymer coating that is made from resin and vegetable oil. Because of this coating there is a slow release of the nutrients. so that you don’t have to regularly apply fertilizer to your garden. This fertilizer is great plant food for annuals and perennials, as well as houseplants, and can significantly increase your vegetable yield. 

Veggie Container Gardens Love...

Humic Acid

Humic Acid is a really easy tool to apply in your garden to help set the soil up for success. It plays a key role in transporting the nutrients in the soil to your plants, can improve soil structure, and help to hold water. When you are starting your plants as seedlings or adding new plants to your landscape, a small amount of humic acid can do wonders. Humic Acid can be applied in a liquid form by adding it to your watering can or in a granular form as a soil amendment. 

If you want to learn more about the benefits of adding Humic Acid to your container gardens, read up on our blog, Diamonds for Your Soil.

Veggie Container Gardens Love...

Harvest Blend Supreme

The key to a successful garden is helping out your soil so that it can do all the heavy lifting of growing your veggies. It just needs a little assistance sometimes in the form of  weeding or added nutrients. Harvest Blend Supreme is a premium soil amendment packed with your growing vegetable plants’ favorite foods. Harvest Blend Supreme is particularly great for vegetable and flower beds and is available at our plant nursery in Utah. 

It’s time to get growing! For more vegetable container gardening help, check out our library of videos full of tips and tricks from the garden experts here at Glover Nursery. 

Other useful links and resources:

Last Chance for A Vegetable Garden

You CAN have a lush green yard in Utah!