Thanksgiving and your Raised Garden Bed

By Victoria Fuller

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American (and worldwide Thanksgiving-loving) readers! Today we wanted to share some tips and tricks on how owning a Cedar Planters raised garden bed or planter box can truly make this holiday as special and as delicious can be! 

Wherever you live in the world, chances are there is *something* you can grow year-round in your raised garden bed! Keeping this in mind we wanted to shed some light on some of the most popular components of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner you could actually grow yourself at home, just imagine the satisfaction! Obviously it might (definitely) be a bit late to start planning growing your Thanksgiving dinner yourself for this year seeing as it’s dinnertime in around 2 hours from when this blog post is published, but without further ado, here are four of the components that we are confident you could grow next year and some tips on how to do so:

Sweet Potatoes (for use in casseroles, pies, etc.)

Would Thanksgiving be complete without a marshmallow-based casserole? We think not! Here is a link to an incredible Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole that is certain to become a staple from here on out!

And growing your own Sweet Potatoes couldn’t be simpler! We would recommend devoting an entire raised garden bed or planter box to these delicious starchy fellows as they can develop some pretty spacious root systems.

1. Wait until 4 weeks after the last frost
2. Plant your sweet potato seeds or seedlings (sprouted sweet potatoes) around 6 inches deep and 12 inches apart in well-drained, light, sandy loam soil (a Cedar Planters raised garden bed would be perfect as it provides the ideal soil depth and our built-in drainage system)
3. Make sure your Sweet Potatoes get full sun Water 1 inch per week but slightly less right before harvesting
4. Harvest 85-120 days after planting (you will know it’s time to harvest when the ends of the vines begin to turn yellow

Rosemary (to add flavour to your Turkey)

This fragrant herb is incredibly easy to grow and adds a delicious pop of flavour to a plethora of dishes! We recommend devoting an entire planter box or raised garden bed for your herbs as they do tend to spread out! Here are our tips for growing your own Rosemary:

1. Start planting after the soil is nice and warm and the last frost has passed
2. Rosemary grows best from bought plants or seedlings, but if you want to start them from seed it is best to start the growing process indoors in the Spring
3. Plant your seedlings 1-2” deep and 3-6” apart to give them space to thrive Rosemary prefers a dry root system (once again: perfect with the built-in drainage system of our raised garden beds) so don’t give them more than 1” of water per week
4. You will know when your Rosemary is ready to harvest as the flowers blooming are the perfect indication for this, this tends to happen after around 100 days and is known to be when the leaves of the plant are at their most aromatic and flavorful!

Green Beans (The ultimate side dish)

These delicious vegetables are have so many health benefits (perfect for balancing out the sweet potato marshmallow casserole!) and are delicious baked in olive oil with some salt and pepper, boiled, air fried, or used as an ingredient in a plethora of recipes! Here are our tips for growing the perfect side dish yourself:

1. Start planting your seeds when the soil reaches an average temperature of over 20 degrees celsius (70F) and there is absolutely no threat of further frosts
2. Plant your seeds around 6-8” deep
3. Make sure your Green Beans are in a position to get as much sun as possible (preferably 8+ hours per day) and are planted in a well-drained soil
4. You will know that your Green Beans are ready to harvest after 50-60 days when the beans feel firm (not squishy at all!)

Broccoli (for the perfect Gratin)

This nutritious vegetable has become a Thanksgiving staple thanks to how easy it is to incorporate into so many different popular Thanksgiving dishes. Here is a link to a delicious Broccoli & Cauliflower Gratin that will have all of your guests begging for the recipe! To grow your own delicious Broccoli simply follow these simple steps:

1. Start by planting your seeds at the beginning of Spring or end of Summer, Broccoli is a cool-season crop so this way you will be able to harvest before things start getting too hot
2. Make sure you choose an area that gets full sun (at least 8 hours per day)
3. Plant your seeds ½” deep with at least 18” in between each seed (these delicious vegetables like to spread out)
4. Water your Broccoli with about 1-2” of water per week
5. You will know it’s time to harvest when the main head of your Broccoli measures 3-6” across, this usually happens after around 90 days but make sure to keep your eye on it so that your crop doesn’t go to waste!

A raised garden bed is the perfect option for growing any of these delicious ingredients as well as a plethora of other herbs, vegetables, flowers, and shrubs! Having your own private grocery store is truly as simple as ordering a Cedar Planters raised garden bed…just saying! We would love to hear about your favourite recipes and Thanksgiving traditions! Let us know down below!