Plants Add Happiness

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Brenda and her cherished Big Bertha peppers that she has successfully grown in raised beds for many years.

An Interview with Brenda Kolkman

Brenda has mastered what many of us seek in vegetable gardening, that unique balance of passion, time, commitment and resources to maximize the efforts she puts into planning, planting and caring for her vegetables.

"I've been gardening since I was a kid growing up on a farm in Ohio. I really cannot remember a time when my family or my husband and I didn't grow at least a few vegetables. It's a part of who I am," explains Brenda.

As a full time project manager, Brenda's time to garden is often built around managing software development projects. "I love to garden; however, I'm realistic about what I can do based on the demands on my job. My approach to gardening is to enjoy it and keep it low maintenance," says Brenda who received her Master Gardening Certification in 2001 and her Advanced Master Gardener Certification in 2002.

Using raised beds with watering systems has proven to be the best method of gardening for her and provides a few advantages over planting in rows. Brenda began using raised beds 12 years ago when the soil at her home wasn't the best.

She has three, 4 x 8 foot beds and six 4 x 4 foot beds. All the beds are made from cedar and contain a mixture of peat moss, compost and top soil. Brenda has a compost bin which she uses to amend the soil in the raised beds every year. After planting she runs soaker hoses around the plants and has the hoses on a timer.

"My idea was to make the beds as low maintenance as possible while still providing a great growing environment for the vegetables. Each spring I work compost into the beds, plant and put down the soaker hoses and then enjoy the fresh crop of vegetables that are produced," Brenda states.

Raised beds warm quicker in the spring and by planting in masses instead of rows, there's less weeding to do in the raised beds because the plants shade out the weeds. With the torrential rains that can occur in Michigan, her raised beds also drained better with little to no loss due to saturated soil.

"The raised beds are an advantage for me and the way I like to garden. I have grown tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, beans, lettuces, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash and more in the raised beds and have found that all vegetables seem to do well in them. And I enjoy the freedom the raised, irrigated beds provide so I can do other activities on the weekends," she states. "I still need to watch for pest outbreaks and work to keep the deer away from the vegetables. I find using Deer Off helps ward off the deer."

Brenda's suggestions to new vegetable growers:
•Don't be afraid to try and grow vegetables, some are easier than others, start with vegetables you enjoy eating.

•Start with a small space, beginners do not need to grow many plants or have more than a container on the patio or one raised or in-ground bed to enjoy fresh vegetables.

•Keep your garden close to the house so you see it every day. You are more likely to go out and into the garden if it is close by.

•Pay attention to frost dates and don't be too eager to get the vegetables planted.

•Talk with other gardeners, greenhouse and garden center staff to learn about new varieties, gain tips on how to better grow vegetables and share ideas.

"Gardening can be as intense as you make it. However, I consider myself a good gardener and I enjoy finding ways to make my passion about gardening easier and more enjoyable," Brenda says with enthusiasm.