Who says you can’t have an abundant garden in a tiny yard? GardenWeb forum user Ben (bencjedi) shows exactly how he uses buckets, raised block beds, and a livestock panel to grow a gorgeous garden in a very small space. A livestock panel works perfectly as a trellis for plants that like to climb or need support, like tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, and melons. The arched trellis also gives the garden a decorative touch. These galvanized livestock panels can usually be bought for less than $30 at hardware or livestock supply stores, and can often be found even cheaper (or for free) from places like Craigslist.
After anchoring the panel with T-posts, Ben planted cucumbers and peas in the ground along one edge and placed potted tomatoes on the inside of the arch. On the other side, he built a raised bed out of free cinder blocks and bricks obtained from a dump site near his house. He filled the raised bed with a compost and topsoil mix.
Buckets were used as additional planters around the edges of the raised bed and trellis – a great way to add more plants while saving space, without having to dig up more ground.
In these photos, taken a few weeks after planting, the plants are thriving, flowers are blooming, and the vining plants are making their way up the trellis.
By the end of the summer, the plants are growing beautifully and the vines have reached the top of the arch.
Visit the GardenWeb forum to see Ben’s compilation of photos and descriptions of how he constructed and planted this amazing little garden. This is a fairly simple and very inexpensive setup that just about anyone could replicate and grow plenty of delicious, healthy food.
