How to Make a 4-Foot-Square Wooden Garden Box Frame

Raised beds are convenient for young and older gardeners alike.

A raised garden bed is an efficient option for would-be gardeners with poor soil, or anyone looking for a low-maintenance garden they can get growing in quickly. A 4-foot-square bed is the optimum size recommended for square-foot gardening -- where different vegetables are grown within each of the raised bed's 16 foot-square sections -- and for providing easy access to the entire bed. Dig out the soil beneath the 4-foot square before putting a wooden raised bed garden frame in place.

Things You'll Need

• 2-by-6 pressure-treated boards, 8 feet long, 2
• 4-screw galvanized hinges, 4
• 1 1/2-inch galvanized screws, 16
• Electric drill
• Screwdriver
• Circular saw
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Cut each board in half with your circular saw. Measure with a measuring tape to 4 feet for accuracy.

2. Place two boards on the ground 4 feet apart. Now place one board at each end of the two boards two boards on the ground, with the ends meeting to make a square.

3. Stand up two of the perpendicular boards along their long edges. Take one of the hinges and open it to a 90-degree angle. Place it up against the corner formed by the two holes and mark through each of the holes on each side of the hinge with a pencil.

4. Lay the boards down and drill starter holes for the screws in each mark on both boards. With your screwdriver, or a screwdriver bit on your electric drill, screw in the first side of the hinge. Stand the other board up to form a corner with the first. Line the other side of the hinge up with the holes and screw in the second side of the hinge for your first completed corner.

5. Repeat Step 4 for each corner until all four hinges are attached.

6. Slide the frame into place on the prepared 4-foot-square base and fill with topsoil and compost or potting soil and compost. Alternately, you can line the bottom of your wooden garden box frame with a heavy layer of newspaper that can keeps weeds at bay until the grass beneath the box decomposes.

Tips & Warnings

• Stack two boxes together for a deeper garden bed -- just add 4-by-4 posts inside each corner and screw into place.

• Place your garden in a site that receives six to eight hours of sun per day and has easy access to water.

• Be sure to use galvanized hinges and screws, so they won't rust.

References

• University of Wisconsin Garden 2 Table: Prepare Your Square-Foot Garden