How to Build Raised Garden Beds for Vegetables and Flowers

Grow healthy and nutritious vegetables in a raised bed.

Raised planting beds quickly solve difficult dirt problems by giving you complete control over the quality of your soil. Amendments may be added according to your planting needs. Raised beds warm up quickly in the spring and drain well in wet weather. Another respected advantage of a raised bed is the fact that weeding is easier, and there is less strain on the back. Making your own raised beds is an organized and effective way to raise nutritious vegetables and beautiful flowers. if you build your raised bed in the fall. This will give organic matter time to decompose before spring planting.

Things You'll Need

• Rake
• String
• Stakes
• Large bucket with water
• Newspaper
• Two four-foot long 2-by-10 pine boards
• Two six-foot long 2-by-10 pine boards
• Eight galvanized corner brackets
• Fifty-six 3/4-inch wood screws
• Drill and drill bits
• Measuring tape
• Twelve 2-inch metal pipe strips
• Six 12-inch long pieces 2-inch plastic piping
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• High-quality potting soil
• Peat moss
• Compost
• Wood ash
• Leaves
• Pitchfork

Instructions

1. In the fall, select a level location with excellent drainage to build the raised bed. The location should receive at least six hours of sun daily for vegetables or sun-loving plants.

2. Remove any large debris from the area and rake it smooth.

3. Use stakes and string to mark a 4-by-6 foot rectangle.

4. Fill a large bucket with water and place newspaper in the bucket to soak. Do not use colored inserts or advertisements.

5. Position two corner brackets on the inside edges of the short boards. Hold the brackets steady where the bend in each bracket lines up with the end of the board. Mark the location for the screws. Drill guide holes and then screw the brackets in place with wood screws.

6. Place a long board against the short board with the brackets and form a butt joint where they meet. Mark the location for the screw holes. Drill pilot holes then screw the board into place using wood screws.

7. Repeat this process for the other side of the frame.

8. Remove the stakes and string then position the assembled frame over the prepared area. Use a level to be sure that all sides are even. Adjust the position of the frame until it is level.

9. Line the bottom of the raised bed with two inches of wet newspaper that has been soaking in the bucket. This will kill any grass and prohibit the growth of weeds.

10. Check to be sure that the pipe strips fit the diameter of the plastic pipe. Bend them if necessary so that they fit.

11. Make a mark on the long board 36 inches from the outside corner. Measure 2 inches from the bottom of the board and loosely screw in a metal pipe strip using wood screws. Install a second metal pipe strip 2 inches above the first. Install two more sets of metal pipe strips in the same fashion, each 18 inches from the end of the board. Repeat this same process on the other long board.

12. 

    Flowers thrive in a raised bed.

    Insert the pieces of plastic piping through the pipe strips until they meet the ground. Drive the pipe strips 2 inches into the ground using a hammer. Tighten all of the screws.

13. Place 4 inches of high-quality potting soil on top of the wet newspapers. Layer 4 inches each of peat moss, compost and grass clippings. Layer 2 inches each of peat moss, compost and grass clippings. Top the bed off with leaves and sprinkle a generous amount of wood ashes on top of the leaves. Let the bed set for the winter and plant in the spring.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the plastic piping to attach hoops, trellises, row covers or a rustic arbor to the raised bed.

• Continue to add layers of organic material to your raised bed to keep the soil quality high.

References

• "Easy Garden Projects"; Barbara Pleasant; 2006
• "Lasagna Gardening";