DIY and Raised Garden Bed Ideas

Last week, I shared my raised vegetable beds and tomato trellis with you. Today I am sharing my DIY and Raised Garden Bed Ideas.

TI had so much fun making these raised garden beds. I have had these for years and every year they host my vegetable and flower gardens. I highly suggest you make your own because these are affordable and are built to last a very long time.

Raised Garden Bed Ideas

Raised vegetable beds offer several benefits over traditional in-ground gardening. Here are some of the benefits of building raised garden beds:

1. Improved Soil Drainage: Raised beds allow excess water to drain quickly, preventing waterlogging and soil compaction. This improved drainage can help plants grow healthier roots and prevent diseases caused by waterlogged soil. It’s one of the reasons they are perfect for growing tomatoes.
2. Better Soil Quality: Raised beds allow you to add high-quality soil and compost, resulting in a nutrient-rich growing medium that is ideal for vegetable plants. The soil in raised beds is often looser and more fertile than the compacted soil found in traditional in-ground gardens, which is great for growing herbs and vegetables.
3. Increased Growing Space: Raised garden beds make it easy to maximize the growing space in your garden. By using vertical gardening techniques or planting in tightly spaced rows, you can grow more vegetables in a smaller area.
4. Easier Maintenance: Raised beds can be easier to maintain than traditional gardens. They can be designed to a height that is comfortable for you to work at, which reduces the need to bend over or kneel. I love being able to sit on the edge of the beds when I garden. Additionally, raised beds are less prone to weed growth and can be easily mulched to suppress any weeds that do grow.

What You Need to Make a Raised Garden Bed

Many raised beds are made from cedar but I used Douglas Fir as it was a lot less expensive and just as good. Do not use pressure-treated lumber as the chemicals can leak into your garden.

Measurements for Cutting

These amounts are to make one raised, 4′ x 8′ bed.

• Two 2”x12”x8’ (cut down to four 2” x 12” x 4”) for short sides of box
• Four 2”x12”x8’ for long sides of box
• Three 2” x 6” x 8’ for top rails
• Eight 2’ x 4” x 8’ (cut down to 16″ lengths) for corners
• One large box of 3 ½” long self-tapping deck screws
• Landscape Fabric or weed barrier cloth
• Two16″ metal reinforcement straps
• Vegetable garden soil, such as Amend, Glee, manure, or topsoil
• 3” of small rocks for drainage

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How to Make a Raised Garden Bed

 When I decided I wanted to build a few raised vegetable beds I knew the best location was on the long concrete driveway in our backyard. The driveway has never been used for our cars and the building in the back is our Carriage House which was originally for the horses and carriages.

The first thing you need to do is decide on a location for your raised vegetable beds. Consider a location that’s level and has the right amount of sunlight. Most vegetable gardens need at least four hours of sunlight per day.

In terms of bed size, 4 feet is a standard width. Lumber is often cut in 4-foot increments, and you also want to be able to access the garden without stepping into the bed. Length isn’t as important. Plots are often 4 feet wide by 8 feet long or 4 feet wide by 12 feet long. My beds measured eight feet by four feet.

The depth of the bed can vary. Six inches is a minimum. Plants need at least a 6- to 12-inch rooting zone, so 12 inches is ideal. Mine are 24” tall. I am so tall that I didn’t want to bend down too far to do my gardening!

Step By Step: 

STEP  #1 

Once you have selected your area, if it’s on loose dirt, break up and loosen the soil with a garden fork so that it’s not compacted. Go about 6 to 8 inches deep. For improved rooting, some gardeners like to remove the top layer (about a spade’s depth), dig down another layer, and then return the top layer and mix the soil layers together.

 STEP  #2

Cut all of your boards for the desired size of your vegetable bed. Pre-drill the holes for the deck screws in the center of each end of the board.s

STEP  #3

Attach the 2” x 12’ boards to the end pieces first, then attach the sides together.

STEP  #4

Once assembled, attach metal reinforcement brackets on the inside of the beds.

Line the bottom with landscape fabric and secure it with a staple gun. Fill the bed with 3″ of loose rock to ensure proper drainage.

STEP  #5

Fill the beds with a mix of topsoil, compost, and other organic material, such as manure, to give your plants a nutrient-rich environment. You can also use AMEND which is a nutrient-rich organic garden soil.

STEP  #6

Plant your vegetable beds with your favorite vegetables.

Almost any crop can be grown in a raised bed. Vegetables are most common, but fruit and flowers can be planted, too.

In case you were not aware, Amazon delivers live plants. I have been ordering my tomato and herb plants from Amazon and it is so easy. The plants arrive healthy and I just pop them into my raised beds and it saves me a trip to the nursery and a mess in my car!

Within weeks or months, your raised beds will be quite plentiful!

By the way, I would encourage you to get some help with this project. Grab your partner, husband (if he’s handy), older children, or a handyman!

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