If the conditions in your yard are less than ideal—perhaps you have hard, rocky clay soil or uneven terrain—raised garden beds are the ultimate work-around. These elevated mounds of earth, often contained by a rectangular frame, offer total flexibility: You can plot them wherever you want, fill them with your ideal blend of soil, and plant them more densely than a regular garden, which means fewer weeds. Plus, they warm up quickly in spring, so you can start growing earlier than if you were digging in the still-frozen earth.
While raised beds can initially be more expensive to set up and fill, they pay you back with productivity. Take the vegetable garden, above, for example; in Northern California, the Pine House Edible Garden landscape-design firm, in collaboration with Homestead Design Collective, filled 2-foot-tall Corten steel raised beds with a mix of produce and ornamentals. Plants with similar water requirements were grouped together. To recreate the look and learn more about what to plant in a raised garden bed, see our step-by-step tutorial complete with insights from gardening experts.
15 of Our Favorite Raised Garden Beds
Benefits of Making a Raised Garden Bed
Discover the many perks of raised garden beds, according to Tammy Burke, a horticulturist at the American Horticultural Society.
Versatile Location
You can place a raised garden bed almost anywhere, so long as it has access to sunlight and water, says Burke. "Because garden beds can be almost any shape, size or height, the sky is the limit!" she says.
Better Drainage
Raised beds are also known for draining faster because of the "amended, loose, and friable soil," says Burke. The result? "Better soil means bigger, healthier plants," she says.
Soil Management
You can fill your raised garden bed with the best possible soil for the varieties you hope to plant. "With raised garden beds, no one can complain that the soil is too rocky or dry or malnourished," says Burke. "Just put a garden bed over that clay soil and fill it with your own soil mixed with plenty of nutrients."
More Accessible
Importantly, a raised garden bed allows for a more accessible gardening experience. "Gardening can require a lot of physical activity—bending, squatting, kneeling—that can be hard on our back and knees," says Burke. "Raised beds make it easier for those with physical disabilities to garden. In fact, there are wheelchair-accessible raised beds that are available to purchase online. Gardening should be for everyone!"
How to Make a Raised Garden Bed
Follow these steps to create a raised garden bed the right way.
What You'll Need
- Frame material (Corten steel, stones, bricks, or wood planks)
- Lining material (landscape or weed-blocking fabric, newspaper, or cardboard)
- Brackets
- Screws
- Drill
- Top soil
- Compost
Size It
Scout out your yard and decide what you want to grow, then plot a bed where it will get the right light; for example, edibles need at least six hours of sun. The length of the box will depend on your space, but width is important: You want to be able to weed and reach plants without stepping in and crushing them or compacting the soil. Keep it under 2 1/2 feet wide if it's against a wall or fence, or 5 feet wide if you can reach in from both sides. Plan for each bed to be at least 1 foot deep.
Frame It
You can construct a raised bed from Corten steel, stones, or bricks, but wood planks are the most common material, and the easiest for beginners. Choose untreated lumber, such as rot-resistant cedar, cypress, or black locust. Untreated cedar wood is a favorite for garden beds, says Megh Wingenfeld, a home and garden creative. "It's not full of chemicals, it's a natural insect repellent, and it's rot resistant," she says.
No matter the type of frame you choose, avoid pressure-treated boards, which have been preserved with chemicals that can leach into your soil—this is especially important if you plan to grow food.
Line It
If your ground soil is healthy, you don't have to line your garden bed—but if you live in a city where soil contamination from lead or other chemicals is a concern, or want to plant on a patio or another concrete surface, staple heavy-duty landscape or weed-blocking fabric across the bottom of the bed before you place it. This water-permeable cloth holds off the bad stuff and keeps your soil from washing away.
You can line your garden to insulate the soil, keep pests at bay, and prevent weeds, too, says Burke. "I would possibly consider newspaper, cardboard, or some other recyclable product that can break down easily as lining to help smother out grass and weeds," she says. Otherwise, you can choose a bed with legs that sits well above the ground. To attach the legs to the frame of the raised garden bed, use brackets, screws, and a drill, says Burke.
Fill It
Pour a mixture of top-soil and compost into your box (ask an expert or consult your county's cooperative exchange for advice on the right ratio), leaving about 1 inch of space below the top of the frame. A bed that is 6 feet by 4 feet and 13 inches deep, for instance, will need approximately 1 cubic yard of soil (for a handy calculator, go to gardeners.com). The organic matter will help nourish your plants, says Burke. Remember, you need to top off your beds every year with more soil and compost. And now comes the fun part: start planting!
What to Plant in a Raised Garden Bed
Since you're planting in a small, concentrated area, you'll want to place your plants a little closer together than you would if they were going directly into the earth. Placement should be intuitive: Put the crops you need more access to on the sides and ones that take longer to harvest in the middle, says Annie Novak, a farmer, writer, and educator.
Choose From a Variety of Plants
Almost anything you grow in regular ground-level soil—herbs, vegetables, flowers, natives, and smaller perennials—can be grown in a raised bed. "If you're growing shrubs, trees, or larger perennials, you most likely don't need a raised bed, per se," says Novak. "Although you can make the aesthetic choice to have one."
Add Companion Plants
It's also important to figure out which plants are friends and which are not. This is no joke: "Classic [examples] are alliums and legumes," says Novak. "Onions and their kin exudate chemicals which limit the growth of beans. I have experienced it personally. It's a real problem."
She recommends writing down everything you plan to plant and looking up their relationships in Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte—or turn to our companion planting guide for more pairing tips.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
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Regarding the concepts mentioned in the article about raised garden beds, let's discuss each one in detail:
Raised Garden Beds
Raised garden beds are an excellent solution for yards with less than ideal conditions, such as hard, rocky clay soil or uneven terrain. These elevated mounds of earth, often contained by a rectangular frame, offer several benefits:
1. Versatile Location: Raised garden beds can be placed almost anywhere, as long as they have access to sunlight and water. The shape, size, and height of the beds can be customized to fit your needs.
2. Better Drainage: Raised beds are known for their improved drainage due to the amended, loose, and friable soil they contain. This better drainage leads to healthier plants and reduces the risk of waterlogging.
3. Soil Management: With raised garden beds, you have the flexibility to fill them with the best possible soil for the specific plants you want to grow. This allows you to overcome challenges like rocky or dry soil by creating a suitable growing environment.
4. More Accessible: Raised garden beds provide a more accessible gardening experience, making it easier for people with physical disabilities to garden. There are even wheelchair-accessible raised beds available for purchase online.
How to Make a Raised Garden Bed
If you're interested in creating a raised garden bed, here are the steps to follow:
1. Size It: Scout your yard and decide what you want to grow. Choose a location that receives the right amount of sunlight. The length of the bed will depend on your available space, but keep the width under 2 1/2 feet if it's against a wall or fence, or 5 feet wide if you can reach in from both sides. Plan for a depth of at least 1 foot .
2. Frame It: You can construct a raised bed using materials like Corten steel, stones, bricks, or wood planks. Wood planks, particularly untreated lumber like rot-resistant cedar, cypress, or black locust, are commonly used. Avoid pressure-treated boards, as they may contain chemicals that can leach into the soil, especially if you plan to grow food.
3. Line It: If your ground soil is healthy, you may not need to line your garden bed. However, if you have concerns about soil contamination or want to plant on a patio or concrete surface, you can use heavy-duty landscape or weed-blocking fabric as a lining. This helps prevent soil erosion and keeps out unwanted weeds.
4. Fill It: Fill the raised garden bed with a mixture of topsoil and compost. The ratio of topsoil to compost can vary, so it's best to consult an expert or your county's cooperative exchange for advice. Leave about 1 inch of space below the top of the frame. Remember to top off your beds with more soil and compost each year.
What to Plant in a Raised Garden Bed
Raised garden beds are suitable for growing a variety of plants, including herbs, vegetables, flowers, natives, and smaller perennials. Since you're planting in a small, concentrated area, you can place your plants a little closer together than you would in regular ground-level soil. Consider placing crops that require more access on the sides and those with longer harvest times in the middle.
It's also important to consider companion planting, which involves placing plants together that have mutually beneficial relationships. For example, some plants may repel pests or enhance the growth of neighboring plants. On the other hand, certain plants may inhibit each other's growth. You can refer to resources like "Carrots Love Tomatoes" by Louise Riotte or companion planting guides for more information on plant pairings.
I hope this information helps you understand the concepts mentioned in the article about raised garden beds. If you have any further questions or need more information, feel free to ask!