DIG ONLINE: Ready, Set, Grow with a Raised Bed

If you are thinking about gardening in the low desert you should consider a raised bed garden. You can go with containers, in ground, raised beds or a combination of the three. Each has its place but often the best route is a raised bed. garden This session will explore why this may be the best approach for you. Remember, the type of garden is only one of many considerations – maybe the most important thing is to get started?

Learning Objectives – This session will explore these questions:

• How do I go about picking a location for a garden and what do I need to keep in mind?

• What are the construction considerations with different raised bed frames? What are some common options we see?

• What are the different ways to set up an irrigation system that is a good fit for a raised bed garden in a landscape?

• How can I get my kids excited about gardening?

• Besides water what are other plant requirements that are important to having a successful garden? Maybe we should say how do we measure success?

• What are some of the common pests that you are probably going to have to deal with in the garden?

Speaker: Don Sutton

Don is a graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an undergraduate degree in biology. His gardening experience started early. He was the official weed picker for his great uncle on a two-acre garden in Hullet, Wyoming. Don has worked with 5 schools in the valley to establish or maintain their gardens and a handful of community gardens.. Additionally, he has been a speaker at the Maricopa Home and Garden shows for a few years and also teaches classes on setting up irrigation for gardeners.