Page 10 2026 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April 2026 container. Bonnie Plants recommends starting at the edge with small plants, such as cilantro and onions. Move inward with medium-sized plants like jalapeno and bell peppers. Reserve the most space for tomatoes or tomatillos and remember these plants will need a cage or trellis for support. For this method, they recommend a 4-foot-by-4-foot space. The Old Farmer’s Almanac also provides several tips for the best plants to grow in your raised beds; you can avoid blocking the sun to shorter plants by planting taller plants on the north side of the beds. Tomatoes and peppers would need to be planted on the north side of the garden. If you are gardening near a fence, you can grow cucumbers on a fence or cattle panel. Some varieties of summer squash and zucchini are more compact and do not require upright support. Beans make a great option to grow in raised beds. You should also consider depth when planting root crops such as carrots. You can get a double crop if you plant radishes in early spring and then again in late summer, as they have short growing seasons. Leafy greens are also successful in raised beds, and if the beds are high enough, they can protect your crop from bunnies. The almanac also provides recommendations for growing fruits in raised beds. While many fruits are perennials, they can still be grown in raised beds; among them are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. They also offer recommendations to help fill your spice cabinet. Herbs such as oregano and thyme are well-suited to a raised bed. Many of the herbs are perennials, such as lavender, cilantro, and dill. They warn that mint is known to spread throughout the beds, but parsley and basil do not. For a splash of color in your garden and to encourage pollinators, dwarf sunflowers, zinnias, and strawflowers are recommended. Some flowers, like dahlias, require deeper beds, but bulbs can be a viable option. The bulbs will bloom in the spring, and then you can plant annuals for summer blooms.
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