Raised Garden Bed Challenge

Gardeners, Scouts, and Earthy People… CEED is issuing the “Raised Garden Bed Challenge” this spring! 

We have approval from the Town to go ahead and get started with our gardening projects in raised garden beds.  But we need YOUR HELP…it’s too much for us to do all at once but it’s easy if everyone does one.  Soooo…we are asking garden groups, families and friends, Scout Troops, school clubs, and individuals to build a raised bed! We have spaces for 20 raised beds 4ft wide x 8ft long, and heights ranging 8”-24” (18-24” is considered handicap accessible).  Corner support posts need to be 4ft high so we can add netting for deer if needed, or trellis for climbing vines.

Here are the steps:

1. Assemble your team and schedule a visit to CEED to pick out your plot.

2. The crux of the challenge is to repurpose building materials that are sitting around not being used…turn your lumber pile or stack of bricks into a unique raised garden bed here at CEED. Come up with a plan of action, assemble your materials and schedule your day to build with CEED. Remember to make a name plate to mount on it with all member names. 

• NOTE: If you need plans for building a wooden raised garden bed with materials list, please just ask!  Or come up with your own unique design using any building materials.
• Untreated Cedar is safe for the environment and any food grown in it.  Any treated lumber is fine for growing flowers, gourds and such, but not suitable for growing food crops.
• Adding a weed barrier fabric to the base and sides is a good idea but not required.
• If you bought everything new (instead of repurposing materials) we estimate the cost of a raised bed to be $60-80.

3. Build it anytime in March, April, or May! Have fun with it. Fill it with organic compost. We are still trying to figure it out, but we MIGHT have way to get a large load of compost delivered here for all to use. If you cannot get compost, please still build the raised bed! Don’t let that be a sticking point, please.

4. Pick a planting theme:

• Vegetable & Herb Garden,
• Eric’s Purple Garden (Eric already has seeds for it),
• Pollinator Garden,
• Native Grasses & Plants Garden,
• 3 Sisters Garden,
• Gourd Garden,
• Broom Grass Garden
• Edible & Medicinal Garden, Sunflower Garden, or propose a theme of your own (For example, All yellow flower garden).  Most importantly, have fun with it. 

5. Add a sign to let the world know that this was built by YOU! If you’re stumped, we have wood and a wood-burning pen to create a unique sign of your own!

6. Sit back and ENJOY!

CEED gardeners can take it from here OR you and your team are welcome to take care of it too.  Additionally, whatever we grow in your bed we would be happy to share with your team.  We are also planning to use these garden beds for teaching programs such as broom-making, foraging, making medicine from plants, gourd bird houses, and Eric’s specialty…a purple dinner grown from the Purple Garden!!  Something we can ALL attend and enjoy! 

Sign up your team for a garden bed (or two!) TODAY by calling CEED at 631.803.6780 or email info@CEEDLI.org with “Raised Bed Challenge” in the subject line.