Our Simple Raised Garden Bed Set Up (A hybrid homestead approach)
We built the raised bed gardens using supplies from Tractor Supply and things we already had on hand. Nothing fancy-just steady and simple. We started calling this our hybrid homestead approach -using what we have, upcycling as much as possible, and only bringing in what truly supports it. 🌿 What We Mean by Hybrid Homestead
We’re not trying to do everything from scratch.
And we aren’t outsourcing everything either. This is somewhere in the middle and fits into both of us working full time and taking care of our home and land.
For us this looks like:
Using what we already have first
Not replacing things just to make it look better
Bringing in what we don’t reasonably have or have time to do (we got what we thought was a late start until Southern gardening wisdom came along)
Spending with intention not impulse
Not perfect. Just steady and on purpose to live a life we love showing up for.
🌿What We Used (and What We Didn’t Overbuy)
Most of this came from things we already had around the house.
What we already had:
Leaves for compost and building the soil
Cardboard
Kitchen scraps
Basic tools
Twigs and natural materials
These are the pieces that don’t cost anything-but matter the most.
🌿What we chose to bring in (on purpose)
We brought in a few things where it made sense-part of what we're calling our hybrid homestead approach
For vertical growth, we added a simple bed with trellis
The two raised beds were built from a cedar raised bed kit
And our seed starters (reusable and had diagrams to remember what and where the veggies are)
(we got most of this at Tractor Supply or the discount store, but I provided similar items for similar price ranges on Amazon)
🌿How We Built It
We kept this part simple and didn't rush it.Cardboard went down first
Then layers of leaves and scraps
Soil added on top
It doesn’t have to be complicated when you stop trying to do it all at once.
🌿What we are planting
We didn't try anything fancy-just what we know we will use.Carrots https://amzn.to/4te6k83, radishes https://amzn.to/4vebrqO and green onions https://amzn.to/4lV0C8E
Butter beans https://amzn.to/3PA2iZi with the various herbs https://amzn.to/4tfSXnJ
Purple hull peas https://amzn.to/3O41Yl3 & a variety of lettuces https://amzn.to/40XIYHR
Honeydew melon https://amzn.to/4uXyuG3
🌿How We’re Handling Pests (without chemicals if possible)
We didn't want to rely on sprays if we didn't have to. So instead, we chose to work with the garden-adding plants that naturally help repel insects.
Marigolds around the edges
Basil tucked in near the vegetables
Mint nearby but contained
Nothing complicated. Just small intentional choices.
🌿Timing Matters (A Southern Reminder)
We've learned the hard way that just because it feels like spring doesn’t mean it’s time to plant yet.
Around here, one still watches the calendar and the signs. That’s one very important thing we learned on this journey.
We were so ready to plant and then a hard frost came again. We hadn’t actually planted yet, thank goodness.
So we set out to learn the old ways. And we found out, it still wasn’t quite time.
The old Southern gardening wisdom says you don’t plant until after Good Friday or after the dogwoods bloom. Both are sacred in Southern culture not for just gardening.
The beds are built. The soil is ready. The plan is in place.
But we’re waiting.
Because it’s not Good Friday yet…and around here that still means something.
So for now, we are letting the beds rest and the soil mature.
Letting the weather settle.
And trusting that starting at the right time matters as much as starting at all.
🌿A Quiet Truth
We didn’t build a perfect garden. We tried to build a sustainable one. And it’s a hybrid one.
That meant:
Using what we already had
Not replacing things just to make it look better
Only spending where it actually made a difference
There’s a quiet kind of freedom in that.
This garden didn’t start with a plan.
It started with a decision to begin.
And that’s enough.
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