Raised herb bed ideas
31 Raised Garden Bed Design Ideas
Get inspired to upgrade your garden with raised beds for every style
By
Peg Aloi
Peg Aloi
Peg Aloi is a professional gardener covering plants in various contexts, from recipes to heirloom orchard fruits. Her area of interest is the folklore of plants and herbs. She's worked as a garden designer for public housing, individual homes, and businesses, and gives workshops on various gardening topics.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 12/09/22
Reviewed by
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Raised beds can be as humble or creative as you like using brick, stones, or upcycled materials. A raised bed planter can be a temporary or permanent fixture for plants to settle in and mature. The initial cost of getting your raised bed set up will depend on how elaborate you make it. You can make raised beds cheaply or for free if you craft raised beds from old planks or used bricks. Once created, raised beds are no more expensive than traditional gardens to maintain.
Depending on whether you want it to be a permanent or temporary bed will determine the foundation material you use. Some typical materials used for the base of your raised garden bed can include cardboard, newspaper, concrete, straw, mulch and wood scraps, leaves, grass clippings, rock, burlap, wool, landscape fabric, and plastic. If you have a large raised bed, you might want to line the bottom with large stones, plastic bottles, or straw so the water drains and doesn't pool or make the soil soggy.
Plan for drainage holes at the bottom of your raised bed planter.
You don't need to line a planter—brick or otherwise—however, it is recommended because it keeps burrowing animals away from your plant roots and allows for good drainage while not allowing the soil to drain away.
What Is a Raised Garden Bed?
Raised bed gardening involves growing plants in soil that is higher than the ground. You can most commonly do this with some type of enclosure or frame made of wood, stone, bales of hay, or even repurposed material like old dressers.
Benefits of Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds have a lot of benefits, such as better soil drainage, bringing the planting depth up, so there is less stooping down, and temporary structures can be removed if you change your mind about keeping them. Here's a list of the advantages:
- Easier on a gardener's back
- Looks nice
- Fewer pest invasions
- Improved drainage
- Fewer weeds
- Better soil temperatures
- It can be temporary or permanent
- Less concern about soil contamination
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01 of 31
Custom-Designed Raised Beds
devonandearth / Instagram
Raised bed gardens can fit just about any space.
With creativity, you can create an entire garden sitting area. This multi-level raised bed incorporated simple straight lines by Peter Donegan Landscaping. It comes complete with a potting shed and lamppost. Add a bench section, like the one at the end of the front bed, and you have seating for the outdoor dining area. As the plants fill in and the wood weathers, this garden will have a natural, rustic appearance. -
02 of 31
Built-In Red Brick Raised Beds
_maple_house / Instagram
Red brick raised beds can enhance the design of your homestead or backyard. When making a raised bed, instead of going in-ground, place a bed where the sun or shade is the best for the plants you want to cultivate.
Bricklaying is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience and precision to get it right. Choose bricks that will survive well in continually wet conditions. Most red brick raised beds are built using mortar to keep the walls intact.
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03 of 31
Grow Bag Raised Beds
theurbangardenher / Instagram
Another great advantage of raised bed gardens is that they sit well above the underground frost line, so the soil warms up faster in the spring, and you can start planting sooner.
The material used for your beds makes a difference here: metal holds more heat from the sun. But grow bags are a good option as they don't freeze solid, and the soil in them defrosts rather quickly. Also, it is a great way to provide the heat needed to grow Mediterranean plants like sage and lavender. Grow bags may seem too easy, but within minutes you could have a great raised bed garden.
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04 of 31
Herb Spiral Garden
OK-Photography / Getty Images
Spiral gardens are a popular permaculture technique. They increase the amount of usable planting area without taking up more ground space in your garden. You can easily build them out of stone, brick, or wood, or simply pile up the soil.
The unusual shape and swirl of plants make for an eye-catching focal point in your garden. Herbs are the plants of choice in this photo, but you can grow anything using the spiral design.
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05 of 31
Trough Gardens
lynnelambourne / Instagram
One of the easiest ways to create raised bed gardens is by using animal feeding troughs.
No assembly is required, but be sure to drill some drainage holes in the bottom before adding the soil. The metal gives the garden an industrial look and conducts heat, warming the soil in the spring. You can use new or used troughs, depending on availability and your desired look. Depending on what you choose to grow, the plants may need a bit of extra water during the hottest part of summer.
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06 of 31
Square Foot Raised Beds
hollyhillflowers / Instagram
Square foot gardening involves dividing the growing area into small square sections, typically 1 foot per square. The aim is to produce an intensively planted vegetable garden or a highly productive kitchen garden. This can be measured and divided with various materials, including netting.
Using a raised bed for growing vegetables allows you to control the soil quality and prevent it from becoming compacted. Vegetable roots can grow unimpeded.
The beds do not have to be very high off the ground to benefit from being in a raised bed. Even 6 to 8 inches can be enough. -
07 of 31
Flower Boxes as Raised Beds
Konoplytska / Getty Images
Raised beds have very few limits. If you have a sturdy fence, you can attach wooden boxes as small raised beds, like window boxes, on your fence. These can look good all year long, with annuals filling in as perennials stop blooming. During the winter holidays, you can also decorate these areas with seasonal greens and decorations as a unique decor idea.
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08 of 31
Cinderblock Raised Beds
mountaincrestgardens / Instagram
There are many ways to build raised beds out of recycled materials. Concrete blocks or cinderblocks are one of the most popular. Some older cinder blocks may contain fly ash, the "cinders" that remain from burning coal. It is still debated whether this is safe to use around edible plants. You can avoid the ash issue if you get new blocks made out of concrete.
The new blocks are substantially heavier than older cinder blocks but are OK for a vegetable garden. Be careful, though—concrete blocks leech lime. Lime can raise the soil's pH. To be safe, use plants that thrive in alkaline soil. These sturdy succulents and sedums are hardy and not too fussy about soil, so they're a good choice for these planters.
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09 of 31
Hoop House Raised Bed
hamaksatcher_garden / Instagram
With a little pre-planning, you can create a multi-season vegetable garden. Raised beds give you more flexibility to control the growing conditions in your garden and make it harder for animals to get at your vegetables. If you build a hoop house on top of a raised bed, you can be prepared for any weather, handle frost, and give yourself a headstart in the spring. This lightweight netting is sturdy enough to hold a cloth covering in case of frost.
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10 of 31
Raised Bed Border
mkistryn / Getty Images
Raised beds are a terrific option for yards with steep slopes.
By building up the beds at their lowest sections, you can create the illusion of a level garden. Make your beds wide enough so you can still have a layered flower garden with a border of shrubs framing the back of the garden and plenty of room for perennials that will provide colors, textures, and edge-softening drapes. This garden in Italy features a succession of raised beds edged with rocks to make the most of a steep slope location. -
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Space Saving Design ideas
ransomebuilds_diy / Instagram
Gardeners with limited space can often use raised beds designs creatively to make the most of what they have. This clever design puts a wooden raised bed flower box (made of reclaimed materials) on top of the trash bin storage area: sprucing up what's usually a drab spot and bringing beauty to a utilitarian functional area. The string lights and decorations add a personal touch.
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12 of 31
Raised Bed Arbor
BethAmber / Getty Images
Vertical gardening allows you to grow more plants without taking up more space.
Using a trellis or arbor with a raised bed makes it even easier to harvest vegetables and keeps them neater than sprawling on the ground. This raised bed with zucchini plants shows that your design can be as simple as creating a basic frame by tying two dowels (or bamboo poles) together and tethering them. Other crops may benefit from stretching garden netting across the trellis structure. -
13 of 31
Lasagna Garden Raised Beds
nanceband / Instagram
Lasagna gardens are layered gardens that don't require digging, but the term has come to mean using materials other than soil beneath the topsoil layer. In this case, wooden raised beds are constructed, filled with cut wood and grass clippings, then have a layer of topsoil added. This reduces soil's heavy weight and expense if your plantings don't produce a deep root system.
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14 of 31
Milk Crate Garden
yorbaplants / Instagram
Repurpose milk crates and make your raised bed portable.
This milk crate-raised bed is easy to set up, and you can configure it into any shape you like. If you need your plants closer to your kitchen or you want to place them in a shadier spot, pick up the crate and go. These containers already come with drainage holes. And, when you need to change the soil, you can lift the crate, dump the contents in the compost pile, and start again. -
15 of 31
Raised Bed and Container Design
Rosemary Calvert / Getty Images
Maybe you have brick raised beds and want to make them feel fuller and more decorative. Placing containers below the level of the brick wall allows you to play with different levels that draw the eyes up and down and allow for an almost unlimited variety of sizes and shapes. You can even plan your planting to provide four seasons of visual interest. Containers can also be moved to change the design any time you want.
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16 of 31
Pallet Garden
The Spruce / Liz Moskowitz
You can make a living wall filled with plants from an upcycled packing pallet, or lay a pallet flat on the ground for a raised bed with natural partitions between the slats to keep your plant growing orderly.
Pallets can often be sourced free from businesses that get shipments and don't have a carting service to take them away. Tip
If you see a pallet left outside a business, chances are, it's free. But always ask before you take.
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17 of 31
Repurpose an Old Table
Instructables
Styles change, or sometimes you want to give your room a makeover. Perhaps an old wooden kitchen table or coffee table is destined for the garbage heap. Think again about tossing it out. Turn the table legs or the entire table into your next raised bed. Grow some simple herbs, which are perfect for picking at table height. Wooden materials will degrade over time, but you can eke out a few more years before rot sets in.
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18 of 31
Brick and Cobblestone Rows
RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images
Wall blocks and cobblestones were good enough for the ancient Egyptians and Romans and have lasted for millennia, so think about dry-stacking stacking rows of retaining wall bricks, red bricks, or cobblestones to build a sturdy raised bed that can stand the test of time.
You don't need mortar, but you can make the structure last longer if you use masonry adhesive to hold them together if stacking taller than four bricks (or levels) high. For more stability, build a wall with an inner and outer layer, with a thickness of two bricks or stones all the way around.
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19 of 31
Furniture Redux
Beyond the Picket Fence
Tables seem made for holding a raised box that you fill with dirt. But less obvious choices are old furniture pieces like dressers, a chest of drawers, media centers, beds and cribs, and bathtubs destined for the dump. Old drawers are perfect as planters for different plant species.
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Make It a Destination
100 Things 2 Do
Cottage gardens and well-thought-out landscaping often incorporate bench seating in select, picturesque spots. Consider integrating seating into your design when designing a raised box from scratch.
Seating is lovely for enjoying the garden, but it also has a practical use.
If you're constructing a raised bed garden box from wood, several feet tall, seating will make weeding, pruning, and other maintenance issues easier to handle. -
21 of 31
Enclosed Raised Beds
The Owner Builder Network
Deer, rabbits, and burrowing, foraging creatures can make a mess of your garden in minutes. If you're in a spot where the animal activity will destroy your garden hopes, plan to enclose your raised beds. You can start simple with 3-foot tall corner posts wrapped in chicken wire all the way around, or you can frame a proper enclosure with a door. The key is to keep the top open so birds can have a chance to forage for seeds and, in the case of hummingbirds, get nectar.
Tip
When enclosing a raised garden, refrain from using a fine mesh. Give pollinators like butterflies and bees a chance to reach your plants.
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Straw Bale Garden
The Spruce / Steven Merkel
In rural parts of the country where straw and hale bales are everywhere, resourceful gardeners have found they serve as an excellent growing medium.
Herbs and flowers do well when grown in bales. Straw lasts twice as long as hay, which decomposes within a year, versus straw, which can endure for two. Straw is also lighter and less expensive, and less likely to have herbicides. A bale can hold 3 to 5 gallons of water. Anything beyond that amount will drain away. You don't even need soil in most cases unless you plant tiny seeds.
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23 of 31
Planting Boxes on Wheels
undefined undefined / Getty Images
Raised planting boxes can be constructed to make your gardening life much easier. Design them with wheels, so you can move your plants to accommodate different light needs or move the plants closer to you. Or, if you need storage for some of your gardening supplies, build a raised bed planting box with shelves to hold your planting containers and gardening tools. You can even repurpose a wheelbarrow.
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24 of 31
Reuse Culvert Pipes
Cameron SadeghpourCulvert pipes are usually used for drainage ditches or moving stormwater.
They come in 6-inch to 8-foot diameters, made of metal or plastic. Now, reimagine them as potential raised bed building materials. At the minimum, they are about 10 feet long. You can cut them to any length to make multiple rings for circular raised beds. -
25 of 31
Make a Terracotta or PVC Pipe Garden
Piyachok / Getty Images
Terracotta is porous and great for succulents and plants that prefer drier soils. One-foot lengths of terracotta or PVC pipes can be turned on their side vertically to fence in soil for a large raised bed. The interior of each pipe can also serve as a mini container for herbs or smaller border plants. Alternatively, PVC pipes also work well since they will not rot or rust but are non-porous and retain more water than terracotta.
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26 of 31
Get More Out of Old Tire Retirement
Guara Seckler / Getty Images
They may not look pretty, but old used tires can be another cool option for raised bed containers.
Some people have found beautiful ways to doll them up, such as painting the exterior or stacking them into columns.Warning
There is some debate about whether old tires are safe for growing food since they can leach toxic substances over time. The simple response is only to use them for non-edible plants to avoid any potential issues over the long haul.
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27 of 31
Make Use of Logs and Sticks
Octavian Lazar / Getty Images
A beautiful, natural option for a raised planting bed is a box made from recently chopped tree logs with their bark intact. Sticks and twigs can also be woven into sheets to form one of the four sides of square or rectangular boxes, or they can be arranged in vertical groupings or stands, going all around the perimeter, to make a container.
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28 of 31
Tree Stump Planter
Kristyna Sindelkova / Getty Images
When a tree dies, most people cut it down or uproot it and remove it.
Some decide to cut most of the tree and leave the stump to decompose naturally over time. It can take many years for the decay to occur; in the meantime, beautify the stump by hollowing out the center and making it a raised planter. Add some gravel and compost-enriched soil, and plant flowers or anything you want to give it renewed life. -
29 of 31
Corrugated Metal Raised Bed
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Corrugated metal, commonly used for roofing panels, can be framed by wood to make an industrial-looking raised bed look modern and fresh. The sheets are made of steel and are safe to use in edible gardens. They are not known to leach any harmful substances. The metal is also considered reflective, so it doesn't absorb more heat or sun, keeping the temperature of the soil cooler than many other types of raised container materials.
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Plastic Storage Containers Can Grow Too
The Spruce / Kevin Norris
Plastic storage containers can be transformed into growing boxes like the "Earthbox.
" They don't look so classy, but they get the job done. The Earthbox is a plastic self-watering growing container that brilliantly controls watering, fertilizing, and all the factors that need close monitoring to produce happy plants. -
31 of 31
Natural Slab Stone Means Longevity
Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images
Stone doesn't degrade like wood or other materials that will eventually decompose. You don't have to be concerned with winter or rainstorms, blisteringly hot summers, or floods destroying your stone-walled raised beds. Stone adds natural beauty and lasts longer than a lifetime. It's also environmentally friendly and food-safe for growing edible plants.
This is just a handful of ideas for creative ways of making raised beds in your garden. Repurposing materials into something useful is a great feeling, and gardeners are nothing if not resourceful. Raised beds can help you make better use of your space and find new and often eye-catching ways of growing food and flowers.
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
There are better options than using tires in the garden. NC Cooperative Extension.
Raised Bed Herb Garden: Spicing Things Up
Table of Contents
Imagine this: you’re busy in the kitchen, rustling up some grub for dinner when inspiration hits. The bland boxed mac and cheese would be perfect with a bit of oregano! Instead of grabbing a dusty old shaker from the back of the pantry, you reach for your kitchen shears and head out the backdoor. Just outside, you snip a few leaves, give them a rinse, and throw them in the pot. Voila! You’ve turned a bland meal into something delicious and partially homegrown, all thanks to your raised bed herb garden!
Whether you’re a boxed meal kind of person or a culinary expert, you’ll love the freshness and convenience of growing and cooking with your own herbs.
There are tons of herb varieties out there, so you can tailor this garden to fit your taste buds. You’ll also find that most herbs are surprisingly easy to grow, especially with a bit of strategic planning.
In this article, we’ll discuss how to create an herb garden the best way: in a raised bed! After a simple initial setup, your herbs will thrive in their little garden box. So let’s dig into one of the most fun ways to grow your own seasonings.
Why a Raised Bed?
A raised bed herb garden can elevate your cooking.We talk about raised garden beds a lot here at Epic Gardening, and for good reason! The best feature of a raised garden bed is that the soil level is elevated above the ground. This allows for more accessible gardening since you won’t have to crouch down just to reach your plants. Better accessibility is a huge plus if you suffer from any type of back pain, arthritis, or other mobility problem. It’s also important for herb gardens since you’ll have frequent harvests, often in between recipe steps!
Another upside to elevated gardening is fewer weeds.
You hardly ever find weeds in your outdoor potted plants, right? That’s mainly because these use potting soil that isn’t carrying unwanted seeds. Also, raising the soil level makes it trickier for weed seeds to reach and take root in it. Any weeds that do manage to grow in the planter will be easy to remove since they’re at your level.
As well as an absence of weeds, you’ll see fewer pests in a raised garden bed. Fresh soil mix is unlikely to carry eggs, larvae, and bacteria. Many insects will also have a hard time reaching the plants, particularly if they usually move through the soil.
Raised Beds Vs. Container Gardening
Raised beds and containers share many of the same benefits, so why go through the extra trouble to build a raised when you could use one of the many plastic planters stacked up in the garden shed? Well, it all comes down to two words we love to hear: low maintenance.
A good chunk of gardening time is devoted to watering when you’re using containers.
Since a planter has such a small amount of soil, it’s not going to hold much moisture. That means busting out the garden hose daily (at best!). Raised planters, on the other hand, often hold enough to quench even the thirstiest plant without constant watering. So, while using a planter may be easier initially, a raised garden bed will save you a lot of time and water in the long run.
In our online store, we stock a kind of raised bed/container hybrid: the Grassroots Fabric Raised Bed! It does everything a raised bed does, but has the versatility and portability of a container. Try it out if you’re hoping to break into raised bed gardening from a container gardening standpoint.
Choosing a Raised Bed for Your Herb Garden
There’s no shortage of raised bed designs out there (we have over 50 ideas in this post!). You can buy a kit that’s easy to put together, like our favorite, the Birdies Raised Bed. You can repurpose old materials, such as wooden crates or cinder blocks.
Or, you can go off-script and design something completely unique to your garden!
Whatever design you choose, there are just a few things to keep in mind. For growing herbs, your elevated planter must be:
- On level ground
- Tall enough to allow good drainage
- In partial shade
- Made of sturdy materials, like wood or metal (plastic will likely be too flimsy)
Now, I don’t know about you, but all the outdoor space closest to my kitchen is a concrete patio, not dirt. Luckily, that isn’t an issue because it’s just as easy to build raised beds on concrete. However, you’ll have to take some precautions such as filling gaps between pavers with sand to prevent weeds. It’s also a good idea to put landscape fabric at the bottom so the concrete underneath doesn’t get stained.
Finally, before you build a raised bed garden, you’ll need to consider the herbs you want to grow. Then, you can ensure the planters are perfectly positioned for your living spice rack!
Choosing Your Herbs
Beds like this Birdies garden bed are great for herbs.
Choosing what herbs to plant has to be the most fun part. There are so many to choose from! Unless you’re planning to fill the entire planter with basil, grouping the herbs by growing demands will make maintenance even easier and help the plants thrive. Herbs are usually divided into two categories: drought resistant and water-loving. We highly recommend that you have two separate planters for each one.
To get you started, here are the most common herbs – along with some of our favorites – by category.
Drought Tolerant Herbs
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Oregano
- Sage
- Calendula
- Mullein
- Lemon balm
- Marjoram
- Borage
- Nasturtium
- Chamomile
Water Loving Herbs
- Parsley (or its fancy cousin Chervil)
- Cilantro or Coriander
- Tea plant
- Basil
- Mint
- Saffron
- Chives
- Cumin
- Garlic chives
- Dill weed
- Garlic
Some herbs can go either way and so will fit into either bed.
Some examples are savory, calendula, garlic chives, and sage.
Themed Herb Gardens
Are you usually cooking Mexican food? Indian? Italian? No matter your tastes, you can bet there are specific herbs you default to. So, why not pick a culinary theme (or two) and run with it? Here are some herb garden themes that are both fun and practical:
- Indian spices: cardamom, saffron, and cumin (curry comes to mind, but this herb is actually a 30 foot tree that’s very difficult to grow in the United States. If you’re an experienced gardener looking for a challenge, then give it a shot!)
- Mediterranean herbs: rosemary, marjoram, cumin, oregano, dill weed, lavender, sage, savory, tarragon, garlic
- Tea garden: tea plant (Camellia sinensis), chamomile, lemongrass, lavender, mint, borage, calendula, dandelion, stevia (yes, it’s a plant!)
- Medicinal herbs: chamomile, lavender, motherwort, licorice, calendula
- Whimsical herb garden: dandelion, mullein, borage, wild pansy, rosemary, lavender, parsley, chamomile
Some other theme ideas are Asian cuisine, edible flowers, aromatic, salad bar, kitty snacks, or even a pizza herb garden.
Feel free to get creative with it!
Putting It All Together
Chamomile performs well in a raised bed.You have your planter design and you have your herb theme. Now, we just need to pull it all into a lovely garden. After you’ve built or installed your elevated planter in the yard, move on to filling it with layers of soil. Herbs need good drainage, so fill the base with something that will let excess moisture pass through, such as wood. The top layer should be a fertile, well-draining potting mix that’s right with organic matter. For drought-tolerant or native Mediterranean species, the soil should be a bit grittier and sandy in texture.
Planting Herbs
It’s easy to grow herbs from seed. To speed up the process though, most common herbs are available as pre-planted starts at your local garden center. Plant depth and spacing is going to vary by the plant, so check the directions on the seed packets beforehand. You don’t want to end up with way too many herbs planted in a tiny space.
If you plant seeds directly into the planter, you may want to sow extras and weed out the weaker seedlings as they grow.
Your herb garden will need to be watered at least once a week, depending on the region and temperature. As with any garden plants, keep the area weed and pest-free.
Harvesting Herbs
As it turns out, harvesting is just as beneficial to the herbs as it is for your plate! Frequently trimming back the leaves and stems will encourage the plants to become bushier and leafier (which leads to more harvesting!). Since frequent pruning may delay flowering, this will also extend the harvesting season so you can have herbs all summer long.
When you harvest fresh herbs, you should generally go for the newer leaves and flowers. This tasks the older, larger leaves with photosynthesizing and keeping the plant productive. Also, in most herbs, the newer leaves have the most delicate flavor. A good example is the tea plant, which is actually harvested at different growth stages to make different types of tea (the newest growth is used for white tea).
Use clean and sharp kitchen shears to clip your fresh herbs. Clip the stems or petioles just above the node so they can grow back easily. As a general rule of thumb, you should never clip off more than a third of the plant at a time.
Storing Herbs
Like most fruits and vegetables, herbs have the best flavor when they’re straight off the plant. If you end up needing to store some though, keep them in a sealed container in the fridge. They’ll store best when kept as dry as possible, so don’t wash the herbs until you are just about to use them.
For long-term storage, most herbs can be dried. A simple way to dry them is to spread the herbs on a baking sheet and stick them in the oven for 2-4 hours at 180°F. You can also dry them in bundles by hanging them upside down in a dry location. However, this method will take a week or two at least. If you have one, a food dehydrator is also an excellent choice.
Dried herbs will last at least a year – 2 or 3 if they’re ground up after drying.
As with any produce though, they’ll have the best flavor the earlier they’re consumed.
Q: What herbs grow well in raised beds?
A: Small and medium-sized herbs should thrive in an elevated planter. Some herbs, such as oregano, can grow pretty big but can be contained with regular harvesting.
Q: How deep should a raised bed be for herbs?
A: Most herbs need at least a foot of soil to grow. Some have larger roots, such as basil and rosemary, and need at least 2 feet. Be sure to check the average size of the herbs you want to plant before building your raised bed.
Top 14 Raised Bed Garden Ideas • inTrends
Gardening Achievements: hands in mud, head in the sun, heart with nature. Caring for a garden means feeding not only the body, but also the soul.
Alfred Austin
Gardening is really good for the body and soul, but can be terribly hard on the back and knees.
Discover the raised bed; a wonderful gardening option that allows everyone to enjoy gardening. nine0006
Not only does raised bed gardening become physically easier, raised beds can also be a beautiful design element in your landscape. The rows of raised garden boxes are presentable and tidy, with walkways between them providing an opportunity to add additional decorative materials to your yard. Browse our top garden bed ideas and find inspiration for your own garden design today.
Raised garden bed ideas against the wall
If your house has a sunny backyard wall, it's a good idea to place your garden in front of it. Some homes since the middle of the last century have included this style of built-in flower boxes. If you're lucky and there's enough sunlight, this is the perfect place to put your garden. Otherwise, it will be quite easy to build a garden bed with your own hands along a wall or fence.
Cinder blocks, laid stone, bricks and recycled wood are all great materials for building a raised bed along a wall.
The depth of the bed should be about 60 cm, so that it can be easily reached to the very end. The ideal depth for raised beds is 30 to 60 centimeters. If you're growing a climbing or flowering vine, be sure to hang a trellis behind the bed so the vine has something to grab on to. nine0006
Raised garden bed ideas for summer cottages
Raised bed gardening is perfect for today's small gardens. Instead of the classic rows of vegetable crops planted directly in the ground, all kinds of vegetables are placed in raised garden boxes. These neat raised beds are easier to navigate and manage than the old garden beds.
If you have animals in your backyard, garden boxes can protect your valuable plants from them. Protect your garden or herb garden from birds, rabbits, raccoons, and other wildlife with wire mesh or a detachable pest control. They help protect your plants when you're not around and can be easily removed to maintain your backyard garden. nine0006
Complete Garden Bed Ideas
One of the easiest ways to start gardening is to purchase a complete garden bed kit.
They are gathering quickly. If you can't find a prefabricated garden bed, consider using galvanized tanks instead. They will also give your landscape a cheerful country house vibe.
You can also build a raised bed by stacking cinder blocks into low walls. You can complete this simple version of the raised bed design in a day. Besides, it's inexpensive. Use them to grow food, but keep at least one as a flower bed if you like fresh cut flowers. Or plant flowers in the holes on each cinder block to create a flower border around your garden. nine0006
Indoor garden bed ideas
An indoor raised bed is a raised bed with a wire fence around its top. This type of garden box is very useful if you have a lot of pests in your area. The enclosure is usually a wood frame with wire mesh or some other type of wire panel. This type of garden enclosure allows you to protect your precious food, herbs or flowers.
Your garden enclosure can be as tall as a room or much smaller.
Some small garden boxes have hinged tops that lock at night and open when you need to weed or harvest. nine0006
Raised Flower Bed Ideas
A raised flower bed adds beauty to your yard - front, back or side. You can purchase garden planters in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Set them singly for a mixed container garden look, or group them for a great overall garden design.
Representative and informal flower garden design works with the garden bed. Clusters of wildflowers can look like they have grown naturally, creating an informal garden atmosphere. You can achieve formality by stacking layers of tall, medium, short, and hanging plants for a floral-like arrangement. Be sure to use soil types specifically designed for growing flowering plants. nine0006
Landscaped raised garden ideas
Raised beds fit perfectly into any landscape. If you like the look of the baskets, make your beds out of a wicker fence.
You can make this attractive raised bed idea out of twigs woven using the basket weaving method. Their round shape will add beauty to the landscape, and you can use trellised tepees to support climbing plants. nine0006
Add creativity to your garden plan by alternating the materials used to create each bed. For example, place a round galvanized container garden between two wooden garden boxes. Make a wood bed out of recycled mahogany, repurposed wood pallets, or treated wood made for the purpose. Refrain from using recycled railroad ties, as they allow harmful chemicals to enter the soil.
Raised Bed Garden Layout Ideas
How you plan your raised garden garden design will depend on the size of your yard and how much sunlight your plants need. The garden bed can be one small container, or your garden design can include multiple flower pot options throughout the yard. Make sure that the size of your garden area is proportional to the size of your house and yard.
Don't be afraid to get creative with plantation and garden design.
Arrange pie-shaped garden beds around a central sculpture or fountain. Visually soften the edges of your growing area by running grassy paths between garden boxes. If you don't want to mow the grass, cover the ground with landscape cloth and lay a thick layer of pretty gravel or mulch over it. nine0006
Metal Garden Bed Ideas
Metal is a popular choice for garden pot designs, especially among those who love rustic style. Galvanized inventory tanks are one of the easiest options for metal garden beds. If they're too big for your yard, look for smaller options in metal or a combination of metal and wood. A small vegetable garden can easily be turned into a flowery patio by filling a galvanized tub with compost.
Frame the flowers in wood, then frame each side with corrugated metal panels for a contemporary combination of metal and wood. The metal garden border is easy to install and perfect for cropped, curved garden beds. Note that the only downside to using metal in construction or edging is that it can rust over time.
If this happens, your garden will no longer look as neat as you would like, although some people prefer the rusty look. nine0006
Tiled or tiered garden bed ideas
A tiered or sloping yard requires an elevated garden bed design that adapts to the terrain. Tiered garden ideas include staggered planters with taller plants on the upper levels and lower ones below.
The soil itself inside a large raised bed can be sloped to match the natural curves of the ground below. Gardening with square meters works well on a slope when each 4×4 bed is laid in several overlapping rows. nine0006
Small garden bed ideas
In a way, a small raised bed is the simplest. Although your vegetable crop will also be small, it is much easier to plant. In a small garden, there is less room for weeds, which speeds up daily care.
Small tall garden boxes are also more economical than a series of large raised beds. The keyhole garden is pie-shaped with a carved wedge or a square U-shaped design.
Such small raised beds can accommodate a surprisingly large number of plants. nine0006
Raised vegetable garden bed ideas
Vegetables generally do very well in raised beds, as they can contain the ideal type of soil for growing. In addition, in the spring, the beds warm up faster, extending the growing season. Growing vegetables with edible roots, such as carrots and beets, in a raised bed makes harvesting much easier.
Raised bed garden uses drip irrigation, especially during the hot summer months. Low-flow irrigation systems like micro-sprinklers or weir hoses are easy to adjust and are unlikely to over-wet your soil. nine0006
Leg Raised Bed Ideas
If the soil in your area is too wet, you can build a leg bed to keep the soil moist. Having a space between the bed and the ground will help you properly regulate moisture levels and ensure optimal drainage for your beds.
Leg beds come in large and small sizes and you can adjust the height yourself to make gardening easier for your height.
You can also use open top garden boxes for planting areas. nine0006
Raised garden bed ideas with trellises
If you intend to plant alpine roses, broad beans, morning glory or other climbing vines, you will need a trellis in your garden bed. A trellis (lattice) is a classic lattice structure between a garden bed and a wall or fence. Or a trellis can be similar to a wigwam in its construction, consisting of pillars radiating from the edges of a round planter and converging at the top.
Climbing plants can add visual interest to your garden, whether you use it for growing flowers or vegetables. Create a natural barrier between two garden boxes by placing a trellis between them. In a few months, your vines will have grown to form a green wall separating the two lots. nine0006
Wooden or pallet raised bed idea
Raised beds made from recycled wooden pallets add a rustic feel to many home gardens. You can paint, stain, or leave the wood bare, depending on the look you want.
Use extra wood for a headband that is wide enough for seating and planting. Some types of wooden garden beds include seats on one or more sides. nine0006
Wooden raised beds require a little more maintenance than some of the other options, but you can also easily upgrade them if you want to expand or create a deeper bed.
Not only square: 5 unusual beds for a stylish and productive garden
As a rule, a separate place is allocated to the garden on the site. Often the beds are hidden behind a fence or hedge, so as not to spoil the overall picture of the garden. But they can also be stylish, you just need to turn on your imagination and make a little effort. nine0006
We have prepared for you five options for unusual beds, each of which you can improve to your taste. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment with shape, color and materials. And then the garden will not only bring a harvest, but also become an ornament to your territory.
Raised beds
Perhaps this is the most popular type of beds today.
They won the love of gardeners not so much for their beauty, but for their ease of use. The very design of such a "garden" allows you to save your back, facilitates weeding and watering. In addition, high beds are warmer, which means you can plant plants in them earlier than in open ground. nine0006
Raised beds can be made with boards, bricks, stone, gabions, straw. Decide which material is preferable for you, and proceed to the arrangement.
These beds can be absolutely any shape, but keep in mind that the narrower the bed, the easier it is to maintain.
But you can not limit yourself in choosing a color.
Vertical garden
Use it to mask an unsightly wall or decorate a fence. Vertical beds are easy to build from any material at hand - from wooden containers to plastic bottles. But it is important to consider that only plants with a small root system can grow well in such a "garden". nine0006
The advantages of vertical beds include mobility, space saving and attractive appearance.
Tiered beds
This option combines the previous two. Tiered beds can also be very different in shape. You can buy ready-made structures and simply assemble them, or you can make a frame with your own hands using any material at hand (boards, slate, boxes, and even old furniture).
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Tiered beds can be large in area, or they can decorate a very small corner of your garden. Moreover, like vertical beds, they can be installed next to the recreation area and in other open places.
Container garden
Another mobile option. You can rearrange vegetables in containers from place to place, taking into account the weather conditions and the needs of plants. You can also create various stylish ensembles from containers that will add charm to your site. nine0006
Some crops thrive in hanging planters. And, for example, flowering and fruiting strawberries will decorate the terrace no worse than any ornamental plant.
