How To Build A Raised Garden Bed – Learn how to make a raised garden bed with this step-by-step guide! Each DIY raised garden bed costs less than $50!
I have wanted to build my own garden beds for years. We have a perfect spot for them in the ridiculously wide, flat parking lot in front of our house between the street and the street.
How To Build A Raised Garden Bed
It is 19 feet deep and over 60 feet wide, with a narrow lane in the middle. Especially since the grass seems to explode overnight. All the other houses on our street have the same flower trees, but the previous owner of our house did not want to remind me.
How To Build A Raised Bed—even If You Have No Idea Where To Start
Our front garden beds are full, but there are so many good things I want to grow! I just started a new gardening website called Grow Happy Plants and I need a place for all my plants. This will be a great place to have DIY raised garden beds!
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I drew the dimensions of the space in SketchUp and started playing with the layout. We park on the street so I wanted a shorter walk from the car doors to the driveway. I also had to adjust the three feet between the mower beds.
I decided to use cedar fence panels instead of those boards to save money. The more you make these raised beds, the faster they add up! But these thin boards can bend over time, so I wanted to make sure my design would be durable.
Cheap And Easy Diy Raised Garden Beds
I did a little research on different DIY garden bed ideas and added my own twist to it. This is what I came up with!
Long raised beds measure from three feet to six feet in length to take full advantage of the entire length of the patio curtains. The square frames are three feet by three feet, so I can cut the curtains in half without wasting.
If you’ve seen any of my other outdoor furniture projects, you’ve probably noticed a trend in my designs. I like to alternate full and narrow width curtains to separate the flat sides of things like planters and storage benches.
I used the same pattern for these raised beds, which had the added benefit of making them a little taller. Hope those extra inches keep the back pain at bay!
Tall Raised Garden Beds Plans + Diy
I have noticed that the corners of these curtains curl over time. Moisture causes the wood to expand, which causes it to dry out. To avoid this, I use metal corner brackets that keep the corners straight while adding a nice design detail.
Small 3’x3′ raised beds require only five 1×6 fence posts. If you don’t have a table saw, you can use 3 ½-inch-wide fence boards along the center line, or use two boards instead.
You also want to get clean boards if you don’t cut off all the broken edges. Straight sides allow you to fit snugly between stacked boards. I spent a lot of time at Home Depot looking for the best ones!
If you are building multiple raised beds, I recommend shopping around for the best deals on building materials. Cedar is very cheap in the Pacific Northwest, but it can’t be found anywhere else. If you are not growing edible plants, you can use pressure treated wood. You can read more about cedar wood and pressure treated here!
Raised Garden Bed From Pallets
I started by ripping most of the fence boards to 5 inches in diameter between the table. Then I picked the ones with the smallest knots and cut them into 2 ½ inch diameter strips down the middle. This step is completely optional, but I think it looks good.
Cut two strips of 5-inch wire to make four pieces 36 inches long, then I cut the saw block in half again to make this step quick and easy.
Cut the 2×4 into four pieces that match the finished length of the sides of the raised bed. Mine are 12 ½” long (two 5″ and one 2 ½” piece), but may vary depending on the boards you use.
Place the 2x4s on the workbench and stack the wire boards on top of them. Make sure the ends line up with the edge of the 2×4, then glue or tie them in place. The clamp helps keep everything tight so there are no gaps between the boards.
Build Raised Garden Beds (that Will Last) Tutorial & Pictures
Long sides should be supported in the middle to prevent smaller boards from bending over time. Cut two more pieces of 2×4 to the length of your raised bed and place one six-foot length apart. I had some 1×4 boards left over so I used them for the center.
Make sure the screws are shorter than the dimensions of the boards where they fit and place them so that each board is attached. I used a speed square to make sure it was straight.
Then turn it over so that the outside is facing up. Move the clip down to the other side and place the bracket there. I found it easiest to hang the edge over the edge of the workbench so the bracket rests flat against the boards.
The bracket screws were too long for these small boards. These ½” black screws worked perfectly!
Diy Raised Garden Beds On A Budget
Although this step is completely optional, I recommend it for two reasons. First, it prevents soil from working through the cracks between the boards and contaminating the exterior. Second, it protects the wood so your raised beds last longer.
I bought a large 4 foot wide piece of landscape fabric at Costco a few years ago, but I don’t use it much in the garden. Cutting fabric to plant something is such a pain! I’m excited to use it all on this project.
Measure how much you will need for each piece and cut the fabric to length. I used a double layer for extra protection (and to use up all the scraps!) Adhere the fabric to the inside of the sides of the raised bed with ½” staples.
Now that all the sides are ready, you can pack them into the box! I recommend doing this outside on a flat surface so you don’t have to struggle to lift it too much.
Easy Diy Raised Bed Gardens
It helps to have another hand to keep the sides straight, but you can also use long strips like I did. Brackets at the ends of the long sections are attached to the front of the short sections.
I recommend drilling drive holes in the brackets to prevent the subplates from coming off when turning the screws. I only used the holes on the outside edge of the brackets because the inside pieces don’t hit the 2×4.
The area of the yard where raised beds are installed is slightly wider. I dug around the perimeter, removing enough soil from the high side to make the box look flat.
I first put down a layer of cardboard to keep weeds and grass from growing inside. Removing all the tape first will kill the weeds and slowly rot!
How I Built A Diy Raised Garden Bed For Less Than $200
Then I put the raised bed mix on top of the cardboard. It won’t go up because I’ll be adding a new layer of soil every year, and I wanted to give myself plenty of room. The subsoil is well compacted, so it is not very stable.
I couldn’t wait to get all the seedlings in the ground! I started with the first raised bed and seeds in the sweet pea garden. This A-frame trellis fits perfectly in the center and gives sweet peas plenty of room to climb!
A few months later they have taken over the entire building and are blooming like crazy! I also planted ranunculus around the outer edges.
Once I mastered this technique, I was able to get myself out of the way in no time. Soon I had a second bed full of snapdragons.
Diy Raised Garden Boxes
I have never received so many comments and compliments from random people! These raised beds turned this flat, boring area into a blooming flower bed!
I love having fresh flowers at home and now I can make my own with beautiful flowers that I have grown.
I get questions about what flowers grow in each bed. So I made these DIY garden labels with my xTool M1 laser cutter to hang on the end of each one. They are so easy to make and I can change them up every time I plant new things!
Or try one of these DIY plant sticker ideas