What is included in the Full Service Installation?

Our goal is to set gardens up correctly so they will thrive for our clients. We don’t sell just raised bed planters by themselves or cut corners in the materials or design. That is why, at a minimum, our most basic installation service includes 3 things: 1) ground preparation for a level space without grass and weeds, 2) installation of custom raised beds, and, 3) installation of premium soil. Some experienced gardeners choose to stop there. Clients who take advantage of our Full Service Installation (the most popular choice) enjoy a turnkey product that includes 6 things: 1) ground preparation, 2) custom raised beds, 3) premium soil, 4) a full irrigation set up by our licensed irrigator, 5) trellising, and, 6) a professional planting. Other offerings include composters, fencing, and weather protection. More information on these services is found here.

My landscaper says they can do this. Why should I hire Texas Raised Gardens?

We are not the company for everyone. There are different priorities when it comes to setting up a garden to grow your own food. Our clients prioritize high organic food production, a thoughtful design for low maintenance care, aesthetic styling and longevity, and a time-saving, simple process to make it happen from planning to harvest. If that’s you, consider the fact that this requires many other skill sets than just landscaping work. We are your single point of contact, general contractor and garden coach combined to ensure the installation is successful. Our clients also get continual opportunities for on going support to protect their investment and ensure it thrives, which is not a typical service of a general landscaping company.

How much does a kitchen garden installation cost?

The initial investment in a custom kitchen garden in central Texas with everything included starts around $5,000 for one large turnkey raised bed. Additional raised beds are $2000-5000 each depending on the size and type of materials selected. Additional things to consider would be if you need fencing or special areas for fruit trees, a pollinator garden, etc. If the surface of the ground is not level this will increase the investment to bring it to a level grade. Two key things clients learn at the Home Garden Design Consultation is how to select a location in the yard to get the most out of your investment, and how to determine the size of garden you need. Oftentimes people believe they need more garden space than they actually do in order to meet their kitchen garden lifestyle goals. We recognize the significant investment involved in a turnkey kitchen garden, and for clients who aren’t ready for that, DIY projects can be a great option. We have an easy step by step process for those who want help putting together their DIY garden, which we can discuss during the home garden design consultation.

How much will my kitchen garden produce?

Production quantity is a factor of the type of plants you are growing and the size of your garden. We measure a garden’s size based on the soil surface area you can plant into in square feet. For example, a raised bed that measures 5 feet long and 3 feet wide across the top of the soil surface (planting area) will be 15 square feet. Four of these beds will provide you a 60 square foot garden. We estimate that on average over a 12 month period, you will get roughly 1 single serving harvest of vegetables, fruits and/or herbs for every 1 square foot of planting space per month. So this 60 square foot garden will provide about 2 harvests every single day! Since certain plants provide more yield per square foot, prioritizing what to grow with all the other factors that are important to you is one of the things we assist clients with during the Consultation.

My yard is very shady, what can I grow?

Every garden needs some amount of direct sun, but the answer to this question depends largely on what you hope to grow. Gardens that get at least 2 hours of direct sun year round can grow a beautiful herb garden. If your space gets closer to 4 hours, you can have a successful garden with salad greens, herbs, root vegetables, onions, garlic and more. In order to have the large fruiting plants in the summertime such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash, you will need a space that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun. A few hours of direct sun and a few of dappled shade will work also. One of the things clients learn during the Home Garden Design Consultation is how the sun changes throughout the year and which plants grow in winter versus summer and how available sun might affect what you can grow successfully.

My yard has a steep slope, can I have a garden?

Consistent watering is key to the best growth and health of your plants and one way we accomplish this is by leveling the tops of your garden beds. It can be tricky to determine the best spot in a hilly yard for your garden. Sometimes the slopes can appear level by the naked eye but are not. We are able to grade a slope to level for a garden with a drop up to 8” from the highest to lowest part. A slope of more than 8” from one side to another may require the area to be professionally graded by a landscape architect with potential retaining walls installed to create a level space before tons of gravel (literally - tons), soil and beds are installed. In the vast majority of cases we are able to find a place in most Austin area backyards that is level enough for a garden without having to do all this. This is something you will learn during the Home Garden Design Consultation; where the best garden location is and how much groundwork is needed, if any.

Do you serve other areas of Texas?

We have relationships with fantastic garden consultants in the Dallas, San Antonio and Houston areas who can provide coaching and installation of phenomenal gardens just like ours. Please reach out if you live in these areas and want to grow!