What is the best garden type for you?

Selecting the best garden type for you is your biggest hurdle, but we are here to help make the choice easy.  While this is an important decision to the success or detriment of your garden, remember that any choice you make is not permanent.  It takes work, but a garden can always be changed.

Four Garden Types

You need to think about whether you’d like to do in-ground gardening (till or no-till), raised garden beds, or garden beds that are completely lifted off the ground.  We will also take a quick look at container gardens.

Things to Think About 

There is no right or wrong answer, this is a learning experience but you can make an educated decision by asking yourself a few questions. 

• What type of soil is on your property?
  • Is it a lot of rock or clay that might make gardening hard? 
  • Do you live in the desert where the ground is extremely compact? 
• What is your physical capability? 
  • Can you put in the work to till an in-ground garden? 
  • Do you have trouble bending over?  Is a raised bed garden still too close to the ground? 
• What type of critters do you have to battle in the garden? 
  • Do you have animals that will dig up from the ground to eat your harvest?

The In-Ground Garden

An in-ground garden is a way to save money by purchasing much less soil and not having the need for a border to construct a garden bed.  This is a great option if you have really good soil to grow in and no critter issues.  

Note that this can be a physically intensive garden type if you decide to till your garden every season.  It also requires a lot of bending over to plant, weed, and harvest your crops.  If this option interests you, but you want less work, a no-till style in-ground garden should be considered.

The Raised Bed Garden

If you feel your soil is not very workable, you may want to start out with raised garden beds for ease of putting your focus on learning how to grow.  It’s not that it is impossible to grow in-ground, it may just be very difficult and that could be a frustrating journey that may discourage you from growing.  

When talking about this type of garden, people can fear the cost of materials for raised beds.  The fact is, raised bed gardens can be made cheap or even for free.  My first raised bed gardens were constructed from logs I hauled away for a neighbor.  I didn’t pay anything for them, I just had to remove them from his property.  Others have made raised garden beds from heat treated pallets where their only purchase was a box of nails or screws.

So while you can purchase nice wood and/or galvanized steel, this is not necessary to start piecing together this type of garden. You can always upgrade further down the line when you have a bigger budget.

The Elevated Raised Bed Garden

Maybe you aren’t as agile as you once were, raised garden beds may be too low to the ground.  You might want to consider raised garden beds that are on frames, lifting them higher so you don’t have to bend over so far.  These are also a good option for people dealing with ground digging animals because the bottom is protected. 

This option does require obtaining wood which can be pricey, but this may be a necessity based on your physical capability.  The good news is, you can find discounts on rough cut wood from your local hardware stores.  Check the smaller companies who are family owned. 

The Container Garden

You might find you want to start out small to see if you enjoy gardening or maybe have limited space.  A container garden is a great solution for small-scale gardening.   

The beauty of this being your starting point is you can move pots around as you learn where the sun falls on your property.  

When first starting out, I recommend finding a local nursery to purchase from.  Pots are likely to be cheaper and they may have a bulk option for you.  Looking around on sites like Craigslist or Offer Up may also result in not only some money-saving finds but unique ones.  Have fun with your containers and express your design tastes through them.  

Need to save even more space?  Start thinking vertically and take a look at GreenStalk growing towers.  I am not affiliated or sponsored by them in any way, I just believe in their product.  They are family owned and their products are made here in the USA.

Note that container gardens need more day-to-day maintenance than the other options as they tend to dry out quickly.  Setting a daily to every other day watering schedule will help ensure success.   

Final Thoughts on The Best Garden Type 

Remember, there isn’t a wrong answer when selecting your type of garden.  Whatever option you choose is about your personal preference and needs.  No two gardens are going to look alike and that is ok.  It is also ok for your garden to change and morph over time.  You might even employ multiple growing styles.  Whatever you do, build the garden of your dreams that fits your lifestyle and physical capability.