Starting with your raised bed
Is your Makkelijke Moestuin raised bed ready to use? Then it's time to fill it as quickly as possible. Here are tips and tricks for a flying start.
By now, in How it works, I've shown you what Makkelijke Moestuin is all about and how to use it to grow your own vegetables and herbs the easy way.
You made a plan, found your ideal spot, and took care of the hardware: you placed a raised bed and filled it with Makkelijke Moestuinmix.
Now you're almost ready to get started properly.
You made a plan, found your ideal spot, and took care of the hardware: you placed a raised bed and filled it with Makkelijke Moestuinmix.
Now you're almost ready to get started properly.
Small gardening tools
The only things you still need now are some seeds, a hand trowel and small rake, a bucket, and a small container for watering.
Because Makkelijke Moestuinmix is so loose and airy, you don't need heavy tools. A hand trowel and a small rake are usually enough.
Choose practical tools you like looking at. For years, I was annoyed by a bright orange trowel with a pointed blade that started to rust and damaged my weed barrier fabric. Now I use ours: nicely rounded and made from stainless steel.
The black construction buckets are inexpensive and sturdy, so they last a long time. If you have one or two raised beds, one bucket is plenty. For watering, use a plastic container, empty yogurt cup, or butter tub. Free and easy.
Buy or make plenty of clear plant labels right away, so you never forget what you sowed.
Oh, and before I forget: harvesting is easiest with scissors. I use ordinary household scissors for that.
Choose practical tools you like looking at. For years, I was annoyed by a bright orange trowel with a pointed blade that started to rust and damaged my weed barrier fabric. Now I use ours: nicely rounded and made from stainless steel.
The black construction buckets are inexpensive and sturdy, so they last a long time. If you have one or two raised beds, one bucket is plenty. For watering, use a plastic container, empty yogurt cup, or butter tub. Free and easy.
Buy or make plenty of clear plant labels right away, so you never forget what you sowed.
Oh, and before I forget: harvesting is easiest with scissors. I use ordinary household scissors for that.
Seeds
You can grow almost all vegetables in raised beds. Still, some varieties are more suitable than others. That's mainly about how big they get, how they grow, how quickly they grow, and whether they're easy enough.
For example, I never put ordinary kale in my raised beds, because one plant takes up half a bed. Instead, I go for beautiful dino kale: cavolo nero. It's just as healthy, even tastier, and because the plant grows upward, it fits in one square.
For example, I never put ordinary kale in my raised beds, because one plant takes up half a bed. Instead, I go for beautiful dino kale: cavolo nero. It's just as healthy, even tastier, and because the plant grows upward, it fits in one square.
We've had our own Makkelijke Moestuin seeds for a while now.
They're all vegetables that are really suitable for growing in raised beds: easy, fun, and fast-growing. And every year, we add a few more.
On the seed packets, you'll find exactly the information you need for the Makkelijke Moestuin: how and when to sow, where to put them in your raised bed, how many in one square, and which plant family they belong to.
They're all vegetables that are really suitable for growing in raised beds: easy, fun, and fast-growing. And every year, we add a few more.
On the seed packets, you'll find exactly the information you need for the Makkelijke Moestuin: how and when to sow, where to put them in your raised bed, how many in one square, and which plant family they belong to.
Another big advantage of these seeds is that they're all included in our free app. It guides you step by step from seed to harvest.
And because I don't put ridiculous quantities in one packet - what would you do with 1,000 heads of lettuce? - I can offer them at a very fair price. Especially when you order them in a value pack.
And because I don't put ridiculous quantities in one packet - what would you do with 1,000 heads of lettuce? - I can offer them at a very fair price. Especially when you order them in a value pack.
Of course, the seeds are responsibly sourced, non-GMO, and bee-friendly. That's really important to me.
Choose a few different varieties. Then, when you harvest, you get to enjoy lots of variety. Because with just a few heads of lettuce and some parsley in your raised bed, you'll never get that real vegetable-garden feeling.
Choose a few different varieties. Then, when you harvest, you get to enjoy lots of variety. Because with just a few heads of lettuce and some parsley in your raised bed, you'll never get that real vegetable-garden feeling.
Get off to a good start
Want to be sure you're doing everything right from the very beginning? Then I have one more product that can help: my book and the free Makkelijke Moestuin app.
The book explains the whole Makkelijke Moestuin system clearly and step by step. It's the only book you'll ever need to make a huge success of your little vegetable garden.
Lots of people are really happy with it:
Tina Elise by email:
My father went to horticultural school and always had a large vegetable and ornamental garden, but I learned more from your book than from my father in 40 years! I really can't give a bigger compliment than that.
Lilian on Kiyoh:
Very happy with the book and the app. I'm completely enthusiastic. I love learning from the book and still having support from the app when I need a reminder of how things work.
They often tell me that, looking back, they wish they'd had it from the very beginning.
Lots of people are really happy with it:
Tina Elise by email:
My father went to horticultural school and always had a large vegetable and ornamental garden, but I learned more from your book than from my father in 40 years! I really can't give a bigger compliment than that.
Lilian on Kiyoh:
Very happy with the book and the app. I'm completely enthusiastic. I love learning from the book and still having support from the app when I need a reminder of how things work.
They often tell me that, looking back, they wish they'd had it from the very beginning.
Makkelijke Moestuin app
The Makkelijke Moestuin app makes gardening the MM way easier than ever. We made it especially for this system, and it's available for free in the App Store and on Android.
In the app, you add the raised bed(s) you bought from us - or a bed with the dimensions of your own raised bed - and choose what you want to grow in each square.
From that moment on, the app takes you by the hand. It tells you which vegetables are suitable for that square and explains exactly what to do. Step by step.
Sowing, thinning, caring, harvesting: everything is explained clearly and at the right time. When it's time for the next step, you'll automatically get a notification.
The app works seamlessly with the raised beds, the mix, the information in the book, and the Makkelijke Moestuin seeds.
From that moment on, the app takes you by the hand. It tells you which vegetables are suitable for that square and explains exactly what to do. Step by step.
Sowing, thinning, caring, harvesting: everything is explained clearly and at the right time. When it's time for the next step, you'll automatically get a notification.
The app works seamlessly with the raised beds, the mix, the information in the book, and the Makkelijke Moestuin seeds.
Congratulations - now you know (almost) everything
Now you've gone through everything. If you've done it all, you now have a fantastic Makkelijke Moestuin. Not too bad, right?
I'm sure you'll enjoy vegetable gardening just as much as I do. It genuinely makes me happy. It's so much fun to watch everything grow and bloom. And when I put my own harvest on the table, I'm super proud.
And really: everything tastes so much better than store-bought.
Let's keep in touch
I wish you lots of success with your Makkelijke Moestuin, and I'm really curious to see the result. So let's stay in touch.
Sign up for our emails - if you haven't already. Then we'll keep you posted on what we're working on, what we come across, and what we're doing in our own Makkelijke Moestuinen.
And do you want to meet other Makkelijke Moestuin gardeners? Join the community. It's our own platform: for and by MM gardeners, and it's super friendly.
Sign up for our emails - if you haven't already. Then we'll keep you posted on what we're working on, what we come across, and what we're doing in our own Makkelijke Moestuinen.
And do you want to meet other Makkelijke Moestuin gardeners? Join the community. It's our own platform: for and by MM gardeners, and it's super friendly.
Will you show your own Makkelijke Moestuin there when you're ready? We always love seeing that.
See you soon!
