I will be the first to stand up and tell you that I am, by no means, a gardening expert. We always had a garden when I was a kid, but it wasn't my thing. I wish I had paid closer attention! However, I believe that growing your own food is like printing your own money. For the cost of some seeds, water, and effort, you can feed yourself and your family year-round if you do it just right.
I'm posting this now, because I love raised beds and lasagna gardening, one of the reasons being that you get more food from less space, if properly cared for. And now is the time to start thinking about Spring and getting your soil ready. Here is how to do it. Choose a spot in your yard that receives LOTS of sun. Choose a size for your garden. I keep mine 4-feet wide, so that I can reach the center from either side. This is important, as you will never set foot in the soil of a raised bed. The length is up to you, though I'd encourage you to start small at first.
Now, put down a layer of cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper on the garden spot to kill off any grass and weeds underneath. Wet it down and put rocks or bricks on the edges to hold it down. All Fall and Winter long, add your kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, leaves, and other plant materials on top of the kill layer. Add anything that you would normally put into a compost pile. As the "green" materials pile up, add another layer of cardboard or newspaper, then top that with a compost layer. You see how lasagna gardening got its name? In the Spring, you should have a great spot to start your garden that the worms have already worked over for you!
There are TONS of great books on this type of gardening out there that can do it way more justice than I am able. Two of my favorites are Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza and The Weekend Homesteader by Anna Hess.
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