Let’s Make a Raised Garden Bed!

We live in a neighborhood with a fairly good sized back yard. At the east end of the back yard, I created flower beds along the fence line. When I decided that I should also grow some veggies – you know, for health reasons – I didn’t know where to create the beds. So, I started searching around the net to see what my options were.

After some searching, I decided on raised garden beds. I found a few tutorials on how to make them and they looked pretty simple. Using raised beds also made sense for our yard as our soil is VERY rocky. You can’t dig a hole without coming up with several rocks that range from an inch to several inches in diameter. I have used these rocks to edge along my fence line. Anyway….

As I was researching raised beds, I read that there are many benefits to having your garden planted in one:

• It’s easier on your back and joints
• A raised bed is usually a foot or higher so you can sit on a stool and work rather than on your knees
• A 4 foot width allows you to reach the center of the bed from each side
• Fewer weeds and pests to deal with
• Easier to fertilize
• The loose soil means you’ll have less trouble planting seeds, have better drainage, and a longer growing season
• For those of us who live in shorter growing zones, the raised bed allows the soil to warm up faster which helps your plants grow faster

I found the perfect location for the garden beds at the east end of the yard between the flower garden and our large maple tree. There was room for two large beds 4′ x 8′. Once I knew what size they would be, I went to Home Depot to buy the lumber. From what I read, a good side board was a 2″ x 10″. I bought six 8′ boards along with one 8′ 4″ x 4″ post to use in the corner of each bed to stabilize the unit. I also bought a box of 3″ screws to attach the lumber to the post pieces to create a box and Landscape cloth to cover the grass since I didn’t plan to remove the sod before installing the beds. Total cost of each bed was approximately $35 – before adding soil.

These beds are quick to make and both can be done in just a couple of hours. If you don’t own a saw, have the cuts done at the lumber yard or store where you buy the wood. Both Lowes and Home Depot will cut wood for you.

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Supplies Needed for 2 beds

• 6 pieces of lumber 2″ x 10″ each 8′ long
• 1 4″ x 4″ post = 8′
• 48 screws = 3″
• Screwdriver
• Circular saw (or have boards cut when you buy them)
• Sealant such as Thompsons Water Seal
• Paintbrush
• Garden fabric if placing beds on grass
• Soil

Instructions

• Cut two of the 2″ x 10″ boards in 1/2 or have them cut where you purchase your lumber
• Cut the 8′ post into 8 equal pieces
• Using 2 – 3 screws, attach one of the 4″ x 4″ pieces to each end of one piece of the 4′ board
• Next, attach the 8′ boards to the 4″ x 4″
• To complete the bed, attach the last 4′ piece to the end
• If you have not made this onsite, carry bed to location
• Line bottom of bed if going over grass, if laying bed on soil, no need to use Landscape cloth
• Paint water seal on the outside of the lumber to prevent it from weathering too quickly
• Fill with soil, fertilize, plant seeds

I planted a garden for a few years but last year, I decided to toss in some wild flower seeds and enjoyed them as extra flower beds.

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