Build Raised Bed Garden Box – 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 been wanting to build my own raised garden beds for years. We had a perfect parking spot for them on this wide, flat parking lane between the sidewalk and the street in front of the house.
Build Raised Bed Garden Box
It is 19 feet deep and over 60 feet wide, with a narrow walkway in the middle. The grass was mostly weeds that seemed to appear overnight. All the other houses on our street have the same trees blooming, but the previous owner of our house must not have gotten the memo.
Diy Raised Bed Planter
Our front yard garden bed is full, but I want to plant lots of beautiful things! I recently started a new gardening website called Grow Happy Plants and needed a place to put all my plants. These DIY raised garden beds will make a great spot!
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I drew the dimensions of the space in SketchUp and started adjusting the configuration. We parked on the street so I wanted a clear space from the car door to the sidewalk. I also need to keep three feet between mowing beds.
To save money, I decided to use cedar fence posts instead of dimensional lumber. When you build that many raised beds, it adds up quickly! However, these sheets tend to warp over time, so I wanted to make sure my design would hold up.
Easy Diy Raised Garden Bed
I did some research on different DIY garden bed ideas and added them to my own. This is what I came up with!
Longer raised beds measure three feet by six feet to utilize the entire length of the fence posts. The square frame is three feet by three feet, so I could cut the stakes in half without any waste.
If you’ve seen my other outdoor furniture projects, you may have noticed my design tendencies. I like to alternate full-width pickets with thinner pickets to break up the flat sides of flower boxes and benches.
I used a similar pattern for these raised beds so they are a little taller. Hopefully those extra inches will ease your back pain!
Raised Bed Sizes
I’ve noticed that the corners of these fences tend to curl over time. Moisture causes wood to swell, so it loses its shape when it dries. To avoid this, I used metal corner brackets to keep the corners straight and add a nice design detail.
A smaller 3’x3′ raised bed requires only five 1×6 fence posts. If you don’t have a table saw, you can use a 3 ½-inch-wide fence board as the center strip, or just use two fence boards.
If you don’t cut off all the chipped edges, you’ll also need to find a cleaner board. Straight edges will make the connection between stacked boards stronger. I spend a lot of time scouring the shelves at Home Depot looking for the best!
If you are building a large number of raised beds, I recommend shopping around for the best priced materials. Cedar is relatively cheap in the Pacific Northwest but nearly impossible to find elsewhere. If you are not growing edible plants, you can use pressure-treated wood. You can learn more about cedar and pressure-treated lumber here!
How Deep Should A Raised Garden Bed Be?
I started by ripping most of the fence boards to 5 inches wide using a table saw. I then picked the ones with the fewest knots and cut them into 2.5 inch wide center strips. This step is completely optional, but I think it looks better.
Cut two 5-inch-wide fence posts in half to make four 36-inch-long fence posts. Then cut the thinner piece in the middle in half. I set up a properly sized miter saw block to make this step quick and easy!
Cut the 2×4 into four pieces to match the final height of the raised bed sides. Mine were 12 ½ inches tall (two 5 inches and one 2 ½ inches), but yours may vary depending on the boards you use.
Place the 2×4 on the workbench and install the fencing board on top of it. Make sure the ends line up with the edges of the 2×4, then nail or screw them in place. The clamps help hold everything together securely so there are no gaps between the boards.
Easy Diy Raised Garden Beds
The longer sides need to be supported in the center to prevent the sheet from warping over time. Cut two more 2×4 pieces to the same height as the raised bed and place one piece in the middle of the six-foot-long side. I had leftover 1×4 boards so I used those for the center.
Make sure the screws are shorter than the overall thickness of the boards and position them so they connect each board. I used a speed ruler to make sure it was straight.
Then flip it so the outside is facing up. Move the clamp down to one end and align the corner brackets. I found the easiest way to do this is to hang the ends over the edge of the workbench so the stand rests on the board.
The screws that come with the stand are too long for these thin boards. These ½ inch black screws work great!
Easy Diy Raised Bed Gardens
Although this step is completely optional, I recommend it for two reasons. First, it prevents soil from seeping through the gaps between the boards and contaminating the outside. Secondly, it protects the wood so your raised bed lasts longer.
I bought a large 4-foot-wide roll of landscape fabric from Costco a few years ago, but I no longer use it in the garden. Cutting cloth to plant something is such a pain! I had the pleasure of using all of them in this project.
Measure how much you need for each section and cut the fabric to length. I used a double layer for extra protection (and used up the rest of the roll!) and stapled the fabric to the raised edges on the inside of the bed with 1/2 inch staples.
Now that all the noodles are ready, it’s time to put them in the box! I recommend doing this outside on a flat surface so you don’t have to use excessive force while carrying it.
Diy Planter Box
It helps to use another pair of hands to keep the sides vertical, but you can also use long clamps like I did. The bracket at the end of the long piece hooks into the front of the short piece.
I recommend drilling pilot holes in the brackets so the sheet doesn’t crack when the screws are driven in. I only used the holes on the outside edge of the bracket because the holes on the inside wouldn’t hit the 2×4.
The area of the yard where the raised bed is installed is slightly sloped. I dug around and removed enough soil from the high side to make the box look level.
To prevent weeds from growing inside, I first put a layer of cardboard on the bottom. Just remove the whole strip first and it will suppress the weeds and break down over time!
How To Build A Raised Garden Bed With Legs
I then scooped the raised bed mixture onto the cardboard. It doesn’t go all the way to the top because I add a new layer of soil every year and I want to give myself enough room. The soil underneath is very compacted so it doesn’t settle much.
I can’t wait to get all my seedlings in the ground! The first raised garden bed was for the sweet peas I started from seed. This A-shaped trellis fits perfectly in the middle and provides plenty of room for your sweet peas to climb!
After just a few months, they took over the entire structure and bloomed like crazy! I also planted ranunculus around the outer edge.
Once I figured out the process, I was able to complete them very quickly. Soon I had a second bed filled with snapdragons.
Best Diy Raised Bed Garden Ideas
I have never received so many comments and additions from people passing by! These raised flower beds completely transform this flat, boring space into a thriving cut flower garden!
I love having fresh bouquets of flowers in my home and now I can make my own from beautiful flowers that I grow myself.
I get asked all the time what flowers are growing in each bed. So I made these DIY garden tags using an xTool M1 laser cutter to hang each end. They are so easy to make and I can swap them out when I plant new ones!
Or try one of these other DIY plant label ideas