Talked to a landscaper and now I see my raised beds totally different

Last Saturday I was out back pulling weeds and my neighbor's landscaper, Rick, walked over while waiting for her to get home. He looked at my 4 raised beds and said 'you built these for you, not for the plants'. Turns out I spaced them all 2 feet apart with no thought about reaching the middle or letting a wheelbarrow through. He showed me how he spaces his at 4 feet wide max with 3 foot paths. Now I'm rethinking my whole layout before I rebuild next spring. Has anyone else ripped up beds after realizing the spacing was the real problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

margareto261mo ago

@linda_dixon49 might be onto something, but I'm not ready to tear up my beds over one guy's opinion. My first beds were 2 feet apart and I managed fine for two summers. The tomatoes didn't care. My back did a little, but that's what kneeling pads are for. Rick probably spaces his for show, not because plants demand a wheelbarrow lane. I'll adjust the paths when I rebuild, but I'm not losing sleep over it.

nancyj111mo ago

Didnt @linda_dixon49 hit the nail on the head? I ripped mine up after one season, total game changer for my back.

linda_dixon491mo ago

Read somewhere that most gardeners ditch their first layout within three years because of this exact problem. Rick sounds like he knows his stuff, 3 foot paths make a huge difference when you're hauling compost.