Jasmine flowers are known for their sweet, exotic fragrance and delicate white petals These flowers are highly symbolic in Indian culture and commonly used in weddings, religious ceremonies, and other celebrations. If you’re looking to purchase fresh jasmine flowers for a special occasion or just to brighten up your home, it’s nice to know you can find these gorgeous blooms right in your local area.
Gardening is an enjoyable hobby that allows you to grow beautiful plants and tasty fruits and vegetables. However, traditional gardening requires a lot of back-breaking work. An easier alternative is to use a raised garden bed. Raised beds make gardening accessible and can fit well in small spaces. Natural wood is an eco-friendly and stylish material choice. This article will explore the benefits of using a natural wood small elevated bed for your garden.
Why Choose an Elevated Garden Bed
Elevated garden beds provide a host of advantages over traditional in-ground gardening:
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Elevated beds reduce back strain since there is no need to bend over to tend to plants, This makes gardening more comfortable and accessible
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The beds can be placed on top of existing soil, grass or concrete. There is no need to till the ground underneath. This is perfect for small yards.
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Drainage and aeration are improved due to the spacing between the bed and ground. Roots will not get waterlogged.
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It is easier to control the quality of the soil in a contained raised bed. You can fill it with high-quality planting mix.
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The bed edges help retain soil and prevent erosion. Less soil is lost to wind and rain.
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Raised beds warm up quicker in spring allowing for an earlier start to the growing season.
Opt for a Small Size Bed
A small elevated bed is ideal for many situations:
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Urban gardens with limited space
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Balconies and patios for container gardening
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Gardeners with mobility issues who want an accessible design
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Beginner gardeners who want to start small
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Households that only need a small produce harvest
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Supplementary planting area in addition to in-ground beds
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Herb gardens and flower beds
Small raised beds range from 3-4 feet in width and can be any desired length. The narrow width allows you to easily reach into the bed for planting, weeding and harvesting without stepping on the soil. Choose a size that fits your space and gardening needs.
Select Natural Wood for Sustainability
Natural wood is a renewable and environmentally-friendly choice for an elevated bed frame. Common types of wood used include cedar, redwood and pine.
Benefits of a natural wood frame include:
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Biodegradable and compostable at end of life
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Does not leach chemicals into the soil
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Naturally rot-resistant avoiding the need for chemical treatments
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Aesthetically pleasing with natural variations in color and grain
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Can be painted or stained for customized appearance
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Usually lightweight for easy moving and repositioning
Look for natural wood that has been sustainably sourced with eco-friendly practices. Avoid wood from old construction as it may contain hazardous chemicals.
Easy DIY Assembly
A natural wood small raised bed is an approachable DIY project for many homeowners. Kits come with pre-cut wood planks that just need basic assembly using provided hardware and instructions.
If you are building your own bed from scratch, construction is straightforward:
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Cut four equal length planks for the sides
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Cut two equal length planks for the ends
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Use corner brackets and screws to fasten the boards together at 90 degree angles
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Use wood glue for extra strength if desired
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Line the inside of the bed with landscape fabric to prevent soil from leaking
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Level the area where the bed will be placed and set it down
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Fill with high quality gardening soil and start planting
No fancy tools are required. Basic carpentry skills are helpful but you can certainly learn by doing. Get the whole family involved in constructing and using your raised bed.
Grow Flowers, Herbs and Vegetables
One of the joys of having a raised bed is that you can customize the planting mix and grow a variety of plants in the optimal soil. Here are some possibilities:
Flowers – Fill the bed with high quality potting mix amended with compost. Grow annuals like petunias, zinnias, and snapdragons from seed or transplant nursery starts. Perennial flowers like lavender, coneflowers and salvia will come back each year.
Herbs – Most culinary herbs like thyme, sage, oregano, dill and parsley thrive in raised beds. Be sure to keep them well watered. Having herbs within arm’s reach makes cooking with garden-fresh flavors easy.
Vegetables – Enjoy homegrown tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, carrots, onions and more. Square foot gardening techniques allow you to maximize yields in limited space. Use grids, cages and trellises for vertical growing.
Mixed Plantings – Get creative and intersperse flowers and herbs within your veggie bed for diversity. The flowers will attract pollinators which benefits the vegetable plants.
Raised Bed Gardening Tips
Here are some top tips for success with your natural wood small elevated bed:
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Amend soil annually with compost to replenish nutrients
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Use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to conserve water
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Apply organic mulch around plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds
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Incorporate trellises and grids for attractive vertical growing
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Rotate plant families each year to prevent disease build up
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Cover beds with fabric row covers to protect from pests
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Extend the growing season by using cold frames or hoop houses
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Try interplanting herbs and flowers with vegetables for diversity
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If your bed will be permanent, put it on casters to make it mobile
With a bit of planning and care, your small raised bed can produce bumper crops of flowers and produce for years to come. The natural wood construction will weather gracefully while fitting any backyard aesthetic. Elevate your gardening experience with a raised bed that makes growing effortless.
The Significance of Jasmine in Indian Culture
In India, jasmine flowers (also known as ‘chameli’ or ‘mallige’) have tremendous cultural importance. They are considered sacred flowers in Hinduism and are often used to adorn deities in temples. Jasmine garlands and loose flowers are ubiquitous at Indian weddings – the bride and groom exchange and wear jasmine garlands during the ceremony. The flowers represent purity, fertility and auspiciousness for the couple’s new beginning. After religious ceremonies, festivals and celebrations, devotees will shower jasmine petals on the deities’ statues or idols as an offering.
The sweet scent of jasmine is also believed to have healing and calming properties in Ayurvedic medicine. Indians will often string the flowers together to make fragrant jasmine garlands to wear in their hair. So you can see why having access to fresh jasmine is so integral for Indian diaspora communities abroad. With the proper care the blooms can stay fresh for up to a week after purchase.
Where to Buy Jasmine Flowers Locally
Luckily, with the availability of imports, it’s relatively easy to find authentic, high-quality Indian jasmine flowers in most major US metros. Here are some tips on finding fresh jasmine near you:
- Search for Indian grocery stores or flower shops in your city Brick-and-mortar Indian markets and florists will often stock fresh jasmine flown in several times a week from India. The blooms are cared for properly and you can inspect quality and fragrance
- Look for online sellers that ship nationwide. Many vendors specializing in Indian flowers now offer nationwide shipping on fresh jasmine. Options like Jasmine Flowers 2 Go or Jasmine for SoCal allow you to order jasmine to be delivered directly to your door.
- Ask friends for local recommendations. Talk to Indian friends, neighbors or colleagues about where they source jasmine flowers. People are usually happy to share supplier information.
- Search local listings on Google Maps. Using search terms like “Indian flowers” or “jasmine flowers near me” can help surface florists and specialty stores in your area.
- Check for local farmers markets or nurseries. Some urban farms or specialty nurseries may grow jasmine plants and sell cut flowers. Bonus – locally grown flowers are fresher.
- Look for temples or cultural centers. Hindu or Indian cultural centers, temples, mosques and churches may sell jasmine flowers for offerings or ceremonies.
I Put together the “Expert Gardener” Raised Garden Bed!!
FAQ
What is the best wood for raised garden beds?
The Best Types of Wood for Raised Beds It’s best to use untreated wood to build your raised garden beds, preferably a type of wood that won’t decay quickly, such as cedar, redwood, or hemlock. Both the type of wood that you might find for sale and its affordability will vary based on where you live.
Why not to use raised garden beds?
The cons of raised beds
Use rot-resistant wood if you go with boards and figure even those eventually will have to be replaced. The soil mix also can be a significant, albeit one-time, expense. Raised beds need water more often since the soil is more exposed to air and dries quicker.
Why not use treated wood for raised garden beds?
It is generally not recommended to use pressure-treated wood in a vegetable garden due to the chemicals used in the treatment process, which can leach into the soil and potentially contaminate crops. Consider using untreated wood or alternatives like composite materials for raised beds.
Do you put anything in the bottom of a raised garden bed?
Bottom Layer: Gravel Your first line of defense against soil erosion is filling the bottom of the raised bed with about six inches of gravel. This helps with drainage and prevents the soil from washing away in a heavy rain. It also reduces the chance of garden crops coming into contact with the pavement.