New business owner Jonathan Drageland had an idea; he wanted to make it easier for Long Island families to eat healthy, local, organic produce and not go broke in the process. Yet, as a gardener, he knew it is often hard. Drageland thought, “What if I took the hard part and did it for the homeowner?” The result, his brand new company, Next Door Gardens.
Drageland builds raised beds and custom-elevated beds from non-treated wood, fills them with soil and organic compost, and thus leaves the homeowner with a bed that is ready to plant! This way the homeowner (or renter) can begin growing his or her own produce. Raised beds seem to be the rage these days, with many companies offering to send mail-order kits to create your own. The problem
is it leaves the consumer with the responsibility of putting it together and then having to fill with yards and yards of soil.
It is a lot work building the raised garden, and then add the job of hoisting tons of soil and compost and turning the soil over to create the ideal balance, many people just don’t have the desire to do that. Enter Next Door Gardens.
“I noticed the other day that strawberries were $2.99 a bunch, but the organic strawberries were $5.99,” says Drageland. Organic produce is expensive. With just one of these raised beds, you can support some of your produce needs for an entire season. Drageland holds a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology, with college elective certificates in soil sciences and soil chemistry, and is a personal garden enthusiast and family man. Drageland brings knowledge and commitment to helping the Long Island resident eat healthily as well as share in some eco-responsibility. Next Door Gardens’ raised and elevated beds can be made to order and fit the needs of the individual gardener, and can include many a la carte items, including decorative metal corners, hoop houses, castors, soaker hoses, and much more. This spring/summer is a great time to experience a raised or elevated bed, save money on your produce bills, and experience the fun of produce shopping right out your door.
Source: Jonathan Drageland, owner of Next Door Gardens. Call 516-474-3020 to begin your pursuit to healthy living and learn more about its elevated gardens, starting at just $250. See ad on page 37.
