Low-cost and low-effort doesn't necessarily equal bad results, at least not in the beginner gardener category.
As it turns out, nature doesn't need much to obtain a foothold and flourish.
Popular TikToker Nelly (@peanutswirls) demonstrates this by using a variation of "lasagna" gardening, a layered approach that utilizes whatever is on hand.
"This is amazing, Nelly. Thank you," one of many inspired commenters said.
@peanutswirls Beginner Gardener Series · Episode 1 How to fill a raised bed (properly) 🌱 ✨ Want Episode 2? Let me know what beginner topic you'd love next! Here's how I actually layer every raised bed—whether it's for veg, flowers, or herbs. This method is budget-friendly, compost-smart, and gives your plants the best start possible. 📍Save this if you're starting your first raised bed. 🪵 Layers include: cardboard, grass trimmings, on-the-go compost, Bokashi scraps, and fresh compost on top. 🌹Planted a climbing rose + dahlias in this one—can't wait to show you how it turns out. #beginnergardener #ukgarden #gardeningtips #howtofillaraisedgardenbed #containergardening #gardenersoftiktok #cottagecore #howtogarden #gardentok ♬ A Day in My Life - Raya
The scoop
Nelly uses a personal version of lasagna gardening, also known as hugelkultur (a technique with ancient origins), by layering the garden bed with low-cost or free materials such as cardboard, rotting wood, twigs, grass clippings, leaves, and a top-off layer of compost.
It builds an impressive garden bed without the need for multiple expensive bags of potting mix. There's no science to it — just pile in whatever organic material is on hand, embracing a strategy only with the cardboard as a weed suppression layer.
How it's helping
Everything Nelly places in the garden bed will decompose over time, some slower than others, releasing nutrients while providing structure for long-term planting.
By the time everything decomposes, the soil will be extremely healthy, matching the growth cycle of the plants and their changing, increasing needs. It's smart and simple and, as the clip indicates, easy to put together.
It's hard to argue with methods that successfully build healthy soil over time in a sustainable, practical way without breaking the bank, not to mention the positives of a nutrient-rich environment loaded with microbes.
It doesn't require a specific methodology either. Lasagna gardening is nothing if not malleable; DIY gardeners can produce similar results using a variety of layers.
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The cardboard, however, is an essential tool, avoiding the use of landscaping fabrics and unhealthy chemical weed killers. It's simplistic gardening at its finest, without excess tools, resources, and the steep cost of bagged soil.
Speaking of health, numerous studies confirm the mental and physical benefits of gardening. For example, one implores health professionals to encourage gardening for their patients.
What everyone's saying
"Saving this for my future beds," one user said.
Another asked for more videos: "Do you have a video on the bucket compost concept, please?"
Like lasagna gardening, solid advice has its own way of growing.
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