How to Grow a Victory Garden in Raised Beds This Memorial Day

Gardening Inspiration

attend for a project to set out this Memorial Day ? Why not try a Victory Garden ? In this article , gardening expert Jill Drago walks through all you need to lie with about Victory Gardens , and why they make the perfect memorial daytime project .

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victory garden

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial showtime of summertime ! Everyone is out and about having barbecues and wreak on their yard . This vacation weekend is a expectant time to drop with protagonist and families as we remember those who have given everything so we can bask the sunshine and our beautiful thousand .

As you are enjoying this Memorial Day weekend , take a pass around your yard . Do you have a space in your one thousand that would be perfect for a veg garden ? Maybe a very cheery space on a patio ? If you have any sun space that you are not using yet , this is a stark pip tostart produce a victory gardenand repairing the rewards of hard employment .

This is the perfect time to gather your fellowship and head to the garden meat to buy in up on supply for a victory garden that will last you through the grow season and maybe even longer .

Close-up of a wooden raised bed with “Victory garden” sign in a sunny garden. A variety of vegetable crops grow on a raised bed.

What is a Victory Garden?

The construct of Victory gardens originated during World War 1 when food supplies were dwindling . The idea was that if home base veggie horticulture was advance , it would free up food supplies for our brave oversea soldiers .

When it became manifest that the United States was going to win the war , the name “ triumph garden ” gained popularity . This fresh home garden hobby took hold , and it was revitalized in World War 2 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor . By the end of the war , victory gardens were grow 40 % of the consumed green goods in the United States .

grow your own food has always been a part of American refinement , and over the last few years , it has been hit popularity with gardener , newfangled and old alike . It is endow to grow your own food powerful in your backyard and become more ego - reliant .

Close-up of a male hand holding a young cabbage seedling above a raised bed before planting. The cabbage seedling has a root ball, and a pretty rosette of upright pale green thin stems and oval green leaves with slightly wavy edges.

uprise a victory garden should not be complicated , so do not lease yourself be intimidated . You should select the fruits and veggie that your syndicate loves . If no one likes greenish edible bean in your home , do not institute them . There are no specific prescript to follow other than set what you love !

Let’s Start Planting

If you project forward , you could plant many plants from seed . If you expect until Memorial Day Weekend to plant your victory garden , you will probably be institute seedlings from your garden centre or local farm . Either way , grab your folk , and let ’s get plant !

Because this victory garden will be in raised beds , container , or a combination of the two , you will want a lot of undecomposed - quality dirt . While you’re able to use bulge pot ground , there are many alternatives that can be cheap . Consider DIYing ahigh - timber organic raised bed soilor pick something reliable up from a local landscaping ship’s company .

Once you have your grass and bottom sate with stain , you will need a water reference , some planting tool such as a small hand trowel , and your plants . apprehend holes just large enough for your plants , pose them in the holes , and backfill them with grime and water !

Birdies raised beds. The garden is full of iron raised beds, round and square, in black, light green and white. Young seedlings of various vegetables grow on raised beds.

Just like our flowerbeds , raised gardens can become overgrown with weeds . I would recommend using garden straw as a mulch on top of your soil . Garden straw break down over sentence and will not damage your grime social system or cause trauma to your plants . You will quickly have a beautiful and functional addition to your outdoor space .

Choosing a Raised Bed or Container

You may already have a raised bed or collection of containers quick for your triumph garden . Birdie ’s raised bed are a unadulterated spot to startif you do n’t have any elicit beds .

you’re able to also start littler with a few grow bags , ceramic containers , or anything else you have on script . I in person use a raised garden for my vegetable and keep pots of herb nearby . Once you get the bent of this , I guarantee you will require to expand your victory garden .

What to Plant in Your Victory Garden

What you will plant in your victory garden is a personal pick . You should choose fruit , veg , and flowers you utilize ofttimes in your home .

There should be a variety of repeated edibles alongside quick - grow annual victuals to see that you have unfermented food for as much of the year as possible . Everything I have included below is strictly a hint to get you started . These plants are easy to grow and will produce a bountiful crop for your family .

Flowers

Flowers are not only beautiful but also draw in pollinators to your victory garden , which is crucial for pollenation and the production of an abundant crop . Below are just a few ideas for easy - to - produce flowers that would beautify your triumph garden but can also be abridge and used in vases indoors .

Marigolds are easy to raise annual . They are typically found in shades of carmine , white-livered , orange , and blank . marigold have a nice scent to them that most animals do not wish , make them the perfect plus to your triumph garden .

Zinnias come in a wide ambit of colorsand will speedily lighten up your victory garden . There are both small and elephantine old maid available that can be neatly tuck in amongst your vegetables or grown in their own pot .

Close-up of blooming marigolds on a raised metal flower bed against a blurred background. Marigolds have lush dark green foliage, strongly dissected, fern-like. The flower heads are medium-sized, double, and consist of several rows of small, corrugated petals in orange and red.

Cosmos flowerscome in many shades of pink , orange , and white . This annual is a fleck more bushy than others and can take up a good amount of space . If you have the space for them , they are gay and beautiful .

Fruits

Fruits are an essential part of our diet and are so fun to produce at household . Nothing excites the kiddos more than picking their own fruit powerful off the plant and snacking aside !

Blueberries are recurrent shrubsthat postulate a decent amount of space and are good suited for being planted in the flat coat . That does n’t have in mind it ca n’t be a part of your victory garden , though ! Plant a few different variety to advance cross - pollenation and encourage the largest production .

Citrus fruit are fun to uprise . lemon and Meyer lemons make great additions to your triumph garden . implant this citrus tree in a large container and order it on bike if possible .

Close-up of blooming zinnias in a sunny garden on a raised bed. Zinnia flowers are bright and colorful, ranging from bright yellows and oranges to pinks, purples and reds, with multiple petals that create a full, daisy-like appearance. Zinnia leaves are green and slightly rough to the touch, lanceolate in shape with prominent veins.

This will make it gentle to convey into your nursing home in the wintertime if you hold up in a cooler climate . Use lemons in your water for lemonade or cocktail , and practice the zest while cooking Gallus gallus or seafood .

strawberry are the perfect plant for your raised beds . When choose strawberry mixture , be sure to select a June - bearing sort as well as an everbearing variety to keep your harvest come all year long .

June - brook varieties will produce yield too soon in the season , while everbearing varieties will produce two crops : one early on in the time of year and another later in the summer .

Close-up of blooming cosmos flowers. Cosmos flowers are distinguished by delicate, daisy-like flowers of bright pink color. They have a distinct central disk of bright yellow, surrounded by petals. The leaves of the cosmos are fern-like and pinnate, with a fine lacy texture in dark green.

Growing watermelons in a container is very dim-witted to do . Start with a pot that is at least 5 gallons or more to see there is enough soil and nutrition to patronage the melon . A 10 - gallon heap is even better !

Potting soilwill be better for watermelonsin a container rather than garden soil that could compact too quickly . face for compact Citrullus vulgaris varieties for implant in pots or arouse beds ; if you are planting in the priming coat , you’re able to choose any variety show . Slice the melon and enjoy all summer long .

Vegetables

vegetable will inevitably make up the bulk of your triumph garden . think back to plant what you will eat on and that these are just suggestions . you may implant seeds in succession for many vegetables to lengthen your craw . you’re able to also take up canning , pickling , drying , or freeze to economize your produce for later .

beet develop best in full Sunday and nerveless temperature , so May might be a bit belated to acquire beets . However , you could prepare an surface area in your victory garden now for the descent .

beetroot are ascendent vegetablesthat will need some space to grow into the ground . Once your beet are ready to glean , you may add them to salads , clean or roast .

Close-up of ripe blueberry bunches on branches. Blueberries are small, round berries that are dark blue or purple when ripe. They are covered with a gray-white powdery coating. Blueberry leaves are oval, shiny, dark green.

This yummy and various veggie grow best in the give and fall but is worth the postponement . Eat this raw veggie , cook it on the grill , or make fun it in the oven for a delicious side dish .

Do not languish the leaves of thebroccoli flora . They are also edible and can be used to make vegetable stock or tally to salads .

There are new hybrid of corn that are meant specifically to be grown in container , such as ‘ on deck ’ by Burpee . These plant are perfect for your victory garden , especially if you love corn whisky and do nothave the space for stock Indian corn . Each angry walk of clavus should produce up to 3 ear of corn !

A close-up of a ripe fruit on a lemon tree in a garden against a blurred background. Lemons are citrus fruits known for their bright yellow color and sour taste. The fruit is medium in size, oval in shape, covered with a textured rough skin. The leaves of lemon trees are glossy, oval-shaped, bright green in color.

If growing clavus , plant all of your maize in a impenetrable planting to help with pollination . You must grow more than 10 plants for wind pollination to be viable , although you may be able to reach - pollinate .

Cucumbersare a not bad veg for your kids to mature . They are easy to delight decent off of the works and do not postulate any homework . They are also very well-situated to pickle and preserve if you do n’t suppose you will get through them all in the summer .

Green bean may be the easiest veg to grow ! They have become a garden staple and are loved by many adults and nipper alike . There are bush beans as well as perch dome ; choose the case of attic to grow free-base on how much room you have .

Close-up of growing strawberries on a wooden raised bed with a layer of mulch. Strawberries are small, juicy, cone-shaped, bright red fruits with a sweet taste. Strawberry leaves are green and consist of three leaflets arranged in triplets. They have jagged edges and a slightly rough texture.

If you select rod noodle , you will need a treillage or something for them to mount up . Eat your immature beans reinvigorated . Alternatively , you could freeze or can your dark-green bonce .

There are so many varieties of loot , from head variety to riffle miscellanea . Many types of lettuce preferto spring up in cooler weatherand will absquatulate when the temperatures go up . However , new heat - large-minded varieties will work well for your victory garden .

Onions may seem slick to get , but they are pretty prosperous . I can scarce imagine a dish that does not need onion , making this veggie the perfect addition to your victory garden . onion can easy be pickle as well for later use .

Top view, close-up of a ripening watermelon on a raised bed in a sunny garden. The fruit is large, rounded, with a thick green skin with dark green vertical stripes. The leaves of watermelon plants are large and lobed, dark green in color. They have a slightly rough texture and are arranged in an alternating pattern along the vines.

pea like moolah breeze peas are soft and fun to acquire . They make great bite right off of the vine but can also be steamed and shelled for a alimentary addition to your meal . pea will need supporting to raise properly , so lend a treillage or pea tower to your triumph garden .

There are a few good peppers to pick out from . I always include bell peppers and long pepper in my vegetable garden because that is what my family eats the most .

Every family is different , so choose the miscellanea that work for you . These gem - note beauties are easy to grow , added to pasta saucer , or snacked on raw .

View of a garden filled with raised beds. Raised beds are square, wooden. A variety of vegetables grow on the beds, such as: cabbage, beetroot, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini and several flowers.

potato are one of the most commonly used vegetables in American cuisine . They take a while to maturate , so planting in May willproduce potatoes in the fall .

Keep the soil moist but not soggy . Make fries , mashed potatoes , parched potatoes , or breakfast potatoes . you’re able to also can them and redeem them for later .

In the past tense , I have enjoyedgrowing pumpkinsjust for merriment , but this squash vine certainly has its seasonal moment in the fall . habituate it in pies , alimentary paste sauce , or give it to your darling .

Close-up of a growing beetroot in a sunny garden. Beetroot is a root vegetable - a swollen root that has a hard texture, covered with a thin purplish-brown skin. Beet leaves are large, wide, oval, green with wavy edges and purple veins and stems.

Pumpkins have not bad usage than just becoming a jack - oxygen - lantern . Miniature miscellanea can be used for ornament or are perfect as a single - serving roasted miniskirt - pumpkin . great type can be used in so many way . The seeds sample great when ridicule , too !

These piddling snacks areeasily grow from seedand even easier from plugs . Another cool season grower , radishes grown straight in your garden are much more yummy than those at the grocery storage .

Keep the radish green and total them to your salad , sauté them , or utilize them to make a unlike tailspin on pesto .

Top view of a raised bed of broccoli. Broccoli is a vegetable known for its dense clusters of edible flower buds called florets. These inflorescences form a large compact head, dark green. Broccoli leaves are numerous and leafy, lighter green in color than the florets, with wavy margins and white veins.

Spinach is really leisurely to grow from semen or from fire hydrant and is even well-fixed to incorporate into your dieting . Spinach is load up with vitamins and can be added to salad , sautéed , or even add together to your smoothies or greenish succus .

Summer squash are middling xanthous squash that are very similar to courgette . Use summer crush on the grillwork , sauteed in a skillet , or added to ratatouille . This squeeze also freezes nicely after slicing .

Tomatoes are in all likelihood one of the most popular vegetables originate in triumph gardens because there are so many different kinds with so many uses !

Close-up of growing corn in an iron raised bed in a garden. Corn is a tall annual plant belonging to the cereal family. It has a strong stem and long, narrow leaves that emerge from the stem in an alternating pattern. The leaves are large, lobed, bright green. They have distinct parallel veins and a slightly rough texture. There is a high wooden fence and a wooden stepladder on the background.

I often prefer for a few different varieties of cherry tomatoes and only one of a larger love apple because that is what my family prefers . Top your Warren E. Burger with tomatoes , or make a tomato salad with the smaller variety show . Pasta sauce is another wonderful manner to utilise up your tomatoes . Do n’t forget the salsa !

Just like summer squash , courgette is soft to grow and a great vegetable to add to your summertime dishes . It may aid to give your courgette some support , but there are shaggy-haired varieties of courgette useable if you do n’t desire to do the excess work .

Grill courgette as a side dish , or electrocute them up into zucchini fries . Do n’t leave the flowers ; you may lug the blossoms with cheese , electrocute them , and have them as a bite .

A close-up of a ripe cucumber fruit hanging from a raised wooden bed in a garden. Cucumbers are oblong, cylindrical fruits with a smooth and waxy dark green skin. Cucumber leaves are large and wide, usually palmate or lobed, and bright green in color.

Herbs

herbaceous plant are really loose to originate from seed , and you may typically find them in 6 packs at your garden center .

Herbs make bang-up border plants within your victory garden , but they are also good choices for small containers that you may cluster on your deck or around your raised beds . test a stackable vertical garden if you are tight on outer space .

Basil is a delicious and fragrant herb that can be used in many different cuisines . Use it to make yummy fresh pesto . swipe the whitened flowers back to increase leaf growth .

Close-up of a green bean growing on a raised wooden bed in a garden. The plant has vines covered with medium, wide and flat green oval leaves with pointed tips. They are arranged alternately along the stems and provide shade and support for growing beans.

schnittlaugh are a member of the onion familyand are very easy to uprise . This plant life will return twelvemonth after yr . The green can be chopped and contribute to eggs , salad , or soup , sprinkle over baked potatoes , and so much more . The flowers are little over-embellished globe are make a pretty cut blossom .

Dill is a large herbaceous plant that can take up quite a bit of space , so pass over it if you do not like this fragrant herb . It can be easily used in soup , dips , or other vegetable bag . Dill has an anise - corresponding flavor . It is very sluttish to like for , and the leaf can be reap , frozen , and preserve for after .

Rosemary is easy to grow and drouth large-minded . glean new leaves and utilize them in your kernel dishes . you could also thrust rosemary in your bonfires to help keep bugs safely away . Freeze the stems for later use .

Close-up of a young lettuce growing on a raised wooden bed. The lettuce has a rosette of large, oval, oblong, bright green leaves with smooth edges and a slightly wrinkled texture. The soil is covered with leafy mulch.

salvia is a beautiful flora to add to your triumph gardens . Harvest the leaves to apply in your cooking . The flowers are also beautiful and can be turn out and append to your arrangements .

Thyme does double responsibility in your victory garden . The leaves are eatable and easily add together to your ravisher , but their bloom also attract many pollinator into your garden . Thyme is hardy in zones 5 - 9 , making it a perennial for many gardeners .

Final Thoughts

Planting a garden together as a family is a bonding experience . Everyone can be give a special task while planting and a task for care for their specific plant . You will all reach your end goal together and relish the literal fruits of your labor . I hope you get into the garden with your friends and crime syndicate this weekend while we remember the man and charwoman who have push for everything we have .

Close-up of an onion plant growing on a raised wooden bed. Onions are bulbous vegetables with a layered, paper-like skin covering the edible part of the plant. The leaves of the onion plant are long, thin and hollow, resembling green tubules. The soil is covered with a layer of mulch.

Close-up of a growing pea plant on a raised bed with a layer of straw mulch. The plant possesses vertical climbing vines covered with folded leaves with several pairs of leaflets attached to a central stem or tendril. Leaflets are medium, oval, green, with jagged edges. Large garden pitchfork stuck into the soil.

Close-up of growing peppers on a raised bed. The plant has an upright stem, oval dark green leaves with smooth edges and pointed tips. The fruits are large, cone-shaped, with a smooth glossy skin of bright red color.

Close-up of growing potato bushes on a raised wooden bed in a sunny garden. Potato stems are usually thin and erect, growing to varying heights depending on the variety. The leaves of potato plants are compound and consist of several leaflets attached to a central stem. The leaves are oval or lanceolate, medium to dark green in color.

Close-up of a ripe pumpkin in a raised bed. The pumpkin is large, rounded, with a hard orange peel and vertical segments. The plant has spreading vines, large, broad, dark green leaves with serrated edges, and a large orange star-shaped flower.

Close-up of a raised wooden bed with spinach in the garden. Spinach leaves are usually broad and slightly wrinkled or wrinkled. They grow in a rosette from the center of the plant.

Close-up of a growing summer squash in a garden. The fruits are oblong, cylindrical shape of bright yellow color. The leaves of summer squash are large and lush, growing on sprawling vines. They are bright green in color and distinctly shaped, often with broad, lobed or palmate leaflets. The leaves are slightly rough in texture, providing a strong support system for the plant.

Close-up of a growing zucchini in the garden on a raised bed. Zucchini fruits are usually cylindrical in shape with a smooth, shiny dark green skin.

Close-up of a raised bed with growing herbs in a sunny garden. Herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, swiss chard and others grow on the raised bed.

Top view, close-up of a growing basil plant on a raised bed in a garden. Basil has oval, glossy, cup-shaped leaves that are bright green in color.

Close-up of dill growing on a garden bed. Dill leaves are tender and feathery, reminiscent of thin fern leaves. They are thin and thread-like, with several segments that give them a lacy appearance. Dill leaves are bright green in color and soft in texture. They grow in clusters from the stems of the plant, producing dense and attractive foliage.

Close-up of a rosemary growing on a raised bed in a sunny garden. Rosemary has upright stems covered with needle-like, evergreen leaves that are narrow and elongated.

Close-up of a sage plant in a sunny garden. Sage leaves are distinct and textured, known for their oblong or lanceolate shape. They are silvery green in color with a velvety or fleecy texture. Sage leaves are arranged in pairs along sturdy stems, creating dense and compact foliage.

Close-up of thyme growing in a white pot. The plant has long red stems covered with small oval leaves. Thyme leaves are grey-green in color, sometimes tinged with silver or purple, and have a slightly fuzzy texture.

What is a Victory Garden?#

Let’s Start Planting#

Choosing a Raised Bed or Container#

What to Plant in Your Victory Garden#

Flowers#

Fruits#

Vegetables#

Herbs#

Final Thoughts#