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Raised vegetable bed ideas

31 Raised Garden Bed Design Ideas

Get inspired to upgrade your garden with raised beds for every style

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.

Get Inspired by These Raised Garden Bed Design Ideas

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 11 of 31

  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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 20 of 31

  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.

• 22 of 31

  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.
  

• 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.

• 24 of 31

  Reuse Culvert Pipes

  Cameron Sadeghpour

  Culvert 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 30 of 31

  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.

Watch Now: 7 Tips for Every Gardener

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.

1. There are better options than using tires in the garden. NC Cooperative Extension.

40 Raised Garden Bed Ideas That Won't Break the Budget

Raised garden beds are a great idea for most gardens. They offer many benefits compared to planting a traditional garden in the ground. Raised garden beds are a great idea for those that have back problems or for keeping out pesky critters. The one disadvantage to a raised garden bed is that you have to actually build one before you can get started with planting.

The most important element to planting in a raised garden bed is soil building, so after you take a look at these fabulous raised garden bed ideas, make sure to read the section on soil building at the bottom of this article.

Photo from: Annicka Weber via Instagram Photo from: virginjavaidakaviciene via Canva Photo from: LifeImagesbyGloria via Canva Photo from: KenWiedemann via Canva Photo from: coramueller via Canva Photo from: SimonSkafar via Canva Photo from: Decor and the Dog Photo from: Instructables Photo from: Shelterness Photo from: Remove and Replace Photo from: Bonnie Plants Photo from: The Home Depot Photo from: Growing The Home Garden Photo from: Delia Creates Photo from: Apartment Therapy Photo from: This Old House Photo from: RailwaySleepers.com Photo from: isaveAtoZ Photo from: Instructables Photo from: Bonnie Plants Photo from: Our Fairfield Home and Garden Photo from: Weed’em and Reap Photo from: Instructables Photo from: The Merry Thought Photo from: Gardenista Photo from: Anika’s DIY Life Photo from: modboxco via Instagram Photo from: Almanac Photo from: Gardener’s World Photo from: Trift Diving Photo from: Foxy Folksy Photo from: My Crazy Good Life Photo from: Hydrangea Treehouse Photo from: Creative Green Living Photo from: Tidbits Photo from: hamaksatcher_garden via Instagram Photo from: Jennifers DIY home & garden! via Instagram Photo from: Kris Wong via Getty Images Photo from: AZMANL via Getty Images Photo from: OKSANA AKSENOVA via Getty Images

What Is a Raised Garden Bed?

Before we jump into the ideas, let us first understand what a raised garden bed is and why they are so beneficial.

According to Wikipedia — “Raised-bed gardening is a form of gardening in which the soil is raised above ground level and usually enclosed in some way. Raised bed structures can be made of wood, rock, concrete, or other materials, and can be of any size or shape. The soil is usually enriched with compost.”

Benefits of a Raised Garden Bed

• Fewer weeds
• More useful water retention in areas that have super-sandy soil
• More satisfactory drainage in areas with clay soils
• Better growing space
• No soil compaction from human feet
• Warmer soil earlier in the season
• Warmer soil for a more extended season
• Soil that has essentially a neutral pH unless you add something to change it
• Less soil erosion

Corrugated Metal

Corrugated Metal is a popular material to use for raised garden beds. It offers a great contrast between the metal and the wood frame. You can add your own personality and style into this project by painting or staining the wood frame a color that you like or matches your exterior decor.

Photo from: Annicka Weber via InstagramPhoto from: Our Fairfield Home and GardenPhoto from: My Crazy Good Life

Concrete

Concrete is a great material to work with when building a raised garden bed. It comes in a variety of different shapes you can use or you can also form concrete into whatever shape you like by mixing up your own cement and making a mold.

Cinder blocks are easily attained and can be used to outline a raised garden bed.

Photo from: InstructablesPhoto from: isaveAtoZPhoto from: Gardener’s World

Simple Wood

A simply built wood box may be the most common and easy design idea when it comes to building a raised garden bed. When choosing wood for your project, make sure you select cedar. Cedar is commonly used for garden beds as it is naturally rot-resistant.

Photo from: The Merry ThoughtPhoto from: LifeImagesbyGloria via Canva

Tiered Raised Garden Beds

Take your raised garden beds to new and decorative heights by stacking them on top of each other. Adding tiers will give your garden and backyard dimension while creating garden beds that are appealing to the eye.

Photo from: virginjavaidakaviciene via CanvaPhoto from: Decor and the DogPhoto from: Anika’s DIY Life

Experiment with different shapes and layouts or choose a pattern that fits within the scope of your backyard.

Photo from: modboxco via Instagram

Elevated Table Style Garden Beds

By using repurposing old table legs or even old tables themselves, you can build an elevated table-style garden bed. These garden beds are great for herb gardens or are popular for lettuce.

Photo from: KenWiedemann via Canva

 

Photo from: This Old HousePhoto from: Creative Green Living

Bricks

Much like the concrete cinder blocks, bricks make excellent materials for a raised garden bed. If you are making a short raised garden bed, you can stack bricks 3-4 bricks high without securing them in place with adhesive. Unsecured bricks brick can be bumped out of place by critters or intense rainfall. For increased stability, build the bed with a thickness of two bricks all the way around. If making a larger garden bed, you will want to secure them and make something a little more stable and fixated in place.

Photo from: coramueller via Canva

Recycled Pallets

Recycled pallets are a great material to use for making a raised garden bed and the best part about this material — it’s free! Companies are always trying to get rid of pallets and many times you will see them stacked up at the side of the road for trash. However, if they are on retail or manufacturing properties, it’s always wise to ask first before just helping yourself.

Photo from: SimonSkafar via Canva

You can dismantle a pallet and be left with perfect size boards to build a raised garden bed. Experiment with different styles and shapes for your raised garden beds.

Photo from: Instructables

I think these pyramid pallet raised garden beds are such a cool and contemporary design.

Photo from: Foxy Folksy

You don’t have to dismantle the pallets either – you can use them just as they are! Take a look at this idea:

Photo from: OKSANA AKSENOVA via Getty Images

Paint your pallet a bright and fun color and also paint on some chalkboard paint so that you can mark off what you have planted. This is a great idea for a herb garden! No more forgetting where all your favorite herbs are!

Repurpose Something Old

Not everything has to be built brand new. If you have an old dresser that’s destined for the dump why not use it in the garden? I love the idea of using the drawers of an old dresser for a succulent garden.

Photo from: Shelterness

Be careful with this one, though — you want to make sure that your dresser is not in an area where it will get too weather-worn as most interior furniture is not built to withstand the outdoor weather.

Landscaping Timbers

Landscaping timbers are a wonderful material to use for a raised garden bed as they are made to go outside in the garden anyway. Typically used for edging a garden, these timbers can be stacked to form a raised garden bed.

Photo from: Remove and Replace

Add-In a Bench

If you’re going to make a raised garden bed, you might as well add in a place to sit. A raised garden bed with a built-in bench will provide a place to sit as you are picking weeds and provides a bit of decor to a plain cedar box raised garden bed.

Photo from: Bonnie PlantsPhoto from: RailwaySleepers.com

Enclose Your Raised Garden Bed

If animals are particularly pesky in your area, you might consider a raised garden bed that is enclosed. You can build a variety of different frames and enclosures around your garden bed. Starting at very elaborate working all the way down to something as simple as just wrapping the box in plain metal fencing.

Photo from: The Home DepotPhoto from: Thrift DivingPhoto from: Hydrangea Treehouse

Simple Stand

Raised garden beds aren’t always massive. Sometimes a nice little two-tiered plant stand is all you need. Something like this is perfect for a tiny herb garden — great for people who live in apartments or are short on backyard space. 

Photo from: Growing The Home Garden

Slick and Trendy

Raised garden beds don’t have to be just boring wood. Try adding in a trending design or something simplistic that elevates the style of your backyard. I like this simple black striping on this light wood cedar. It adds just a little style without going overboard.

Photo from: Delia Creates

Hoop Garden Bed

A hoop house is a type of garden bed cover that has a “hoop” shape. The supports are bent around the top of the raised garden bed, creating a dome-like space inside. This shape holds up the cover material, be it plastic, netting, or fabric.

Photo from: Apartment TherapyPhoto from: hamaksatcher_garden via Instagram

Self-Watering Veggie Table

Great for lettuce, a self-watering veggie table is ideal for those that don’t have the space to plant a garden or maybe don’t have the right soil. This is a system where you allow water at the bottom of the container to be drawn up to the roots as they need it. There is an overflow hole in the side of the container, near the top of the water reservoir that overflows when the water reaches the top.

Photo from: Instructables

Straw Raised Garden Bed

A straw bale can make a fantastic growing medium, and a straw bale garden is a raised bed in which the potting soil, compost, and plants are all housed inside the straw bale. Straw bale gardening is a great way to grow herbs and vegetables, and can also be used to grow ornamental plants.

Photo from: Bonnie Plants

Trellis Raised Garden Bed

If you are planting claiming plants, add a trellis to your raised garden bed. I like this idea of bending cattle panel over to another raised garden box.

Photo from: Weed’em and Reap

Water Trough

If you can get your hands on an old water trough, they make great raised garden beds. This is great for the homeowner that may not want to build or DIY something. Just place and fill. This is an easy but extremely pretty option!

Photo from: Gardenista

Add in Dividers

For hard-to-manage plants and veggies, add dividers into your raised garden bed. This will help you keep your garden organized.

Photo from: Almanac

The Space Saver

If you’re tight on space, make sure you use the space under a raised garden bed. Here’s a neat idea of making a raised garden bed with storage underneath for trash containers. This also provides a pretty space to store items that aren’t so pretty.

Photo from: Jennifers DIY home & garden! via Instagram

Get Creative with Shapes

Ditch the traditional rectangular shape of a raised garden bed and go for something a little more modern. Try making a raised garden bed in the shape of a hexagon to add a little dimension to your backyard.

Photo from: Kris Wong via Getty Images

Think Resourceful

Work with what you have. If you want to make a raised garden bed as inexpensive as possible, look around your home and see what you can come up with. Even an old bathtub makes a wonderful raised garden bed!

Photo from: AZMANL via Getty Images

Soil Building

Building a raised garden bed is really the way to go, especially if you live in an area where the soil has clay, rocks, or sand. In building a raised garden bed, you control the soil and its qualities.

The key to having great soil is to build it in layers, because filling a whole garden bed with rich soil can be quite costly. Typically raised garden beds are 18” – 24” deep, but the key is to layer different materials into your raised beds, conserving the top 12” for your more expensive, high-quality soil.

Important: All of your layering materials need to be organic and toxin/petroleum-free.

Bottom Layer: Wood, newspaper, or manure. The bottom layer or base layer will decompose over time, but it’s important to remember how deep your layers are so you do not disturb this layer when digging in the soil. For this bottom layer, you can lay a thin layer of small twigs, branches, or bark at the bottom of your raised bed.

Less expensive soil: Add in a less expensive soil like old potting soil. Make sure that this old soil doesn’t have any weeds in it. Also, be careful not to use old potting soil that is moldy or has a pest infestation. You can also add in some leaf mold, compost from your pile, and grass clippings.

High-quality soil: Save the best for last! Most raised bed plants need 6-12” of good quality soil, so aim for that depth when adding in the good stuff.   Fill your bed to within an inch under the top edge of the bed. Remember that soil will settle in more as you water.

Best Tips for Building a Raised Garden Bed

Before you start building, there are four tips to consider:

1. Plan where you want to place your raised garden beds. Typically, you want an area with the most sun — unless, of course, you’re going to plant plants that require shade.
2. Plan how many raised garden beds you’ll need. If cost is an issue, one big bed is more cost-effective than several smaller beds. Depending on what you’re going to plant, undersized beds might be a better idea, though. Group similar plants and companion plants in the same bed.
3. Plan the size of your raised garden bed. Beds built larger than three feet wide are harder to manage, but raised garden beds can be as long as you want them to be.
4. Plan the material you’re using. Wood is a common choice; it’s inexpensive, durable, and light. If cost is a big issue, you can even recycle wood from pallets. If you need a more permanent solution, concrete is always a good choice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What do I put on the bottom of a raised garden bed?

Organic materials such as straw, grass clippings, wood chips, and leaves are great for filling a raised garden bed.  You may also want to place cardboard or any other suitable weed barrier material over this organic layer and weigh it down with a few bricks or pegs.

How deep should a raised bed garden be?

A raised bed does not have to be very deep to be effective. Eight to 12 inches is usually sufficient. If drainage is a concern, or if the plants you are growing favor drier soil, the bed could be more elevated and filled with a porous growing medium. Vegetable beds should be 12 to 18 inches deep.

What is the cheapest way to make raised beds?

Work with what you got! Be creative and resourceful and take a look around your home to see if you have anything readily available to make a raised garden bed. If you don’t have anything, using recycled pallets is also an option. If you do have to buy building materials, see if there are any discount building supply places in your area, like a Habitat for Humanity Restore.

What kind of wood should I use for raised beds?

In most cases, cedar is the best wood to use for garden beds because cedar is naturally rot-resistant. Western red cedar is commonly used, but white cedar, yellow cedar, and juniper are also high-quality choices for outdoor construction projects.

Should I line my raised garden bed with plastic?

Plastic prevents drainage and could drown your plants’ roots so it should be avoided. If you have a weed or pest situation, consider installing a combination of metal mesh and fabric or hardware cloth and cardboard to get both benefits at once.

Do you need drainage holes in a raised garden bed?

Having raised beds with good drainage is crucial. Not only will it prevent overwatering or underwatering your plants, but it can also decrease the risk of various diseases associated with water issues, like root rot.

Can I use cinder blocks for a raised garden bed?

If you want something affordable that’s not going to go anywhere, you can’t do better than cinder blocks. There are a lot of options when it comes to building a raised garden bed, and although wood is the most common choice, cinder blocks follow closely behind.

Is it safe to use pressure-treated wood for raised beds?

New pressure-treated wood is considered safe but it is not recommended to use pressure-treated wood where the preservatives may become an element of food. If you do decide to use pressure-treated wood, it is recommended to use an impervious liner between the wood and the soil.

Is wood or metal better for raised garden beds?

11 mini garden ideas for fresh vegetables and herbs

Vegetable crops can decorate your garden just as well as ornamental plants. Especially if you grow them not on ordinary rectangular beds, but, for example, on multi-storey ones. Catch a few ideas for inspiration, and at the same time save space in the garden.

These methods work well not only in a small garden, they are also suitable for a terrace and even a balcony. The main thing is a great desire to break your own mini-beds. But what form they can be, we will tell you. nine0003

If you don't have much space, you can grow vegetables in ordinary pots and make original compositions from them. The key to success is to choose plants for the garden that have the same needs for soil composition, watering regimen and care in general. These cultures should be approximately the same height so as not to drown out each other.

Idea 1. Vertical garden

Save space with simple vertical mini-beds, arranged in thick bamboo stalks. It is more convenient to take care of the plants planted in them than on an ordinary ridge, if only because you do not need to bend low. Different varieties of lettuce with burgundy and green leaves, sown alternately, will emphasize the unusual arrangement of the beds. nine0003

Didn't find any bamboo stalks? No problem. Polypropylene pipes from construction will be an excellent replacement for them.

Idea 2. Potted vegetable garden

Ordinary flower pots are suitable for a small space like a parapet. To create the best conditions for the growth of plants, each must be planted in a separate container. A small amount of space is quite content with climbing crops such as cucumbers, peas, beans, dwarf varieties of tomatoes.

Idea 3. High beds

A tall garden visually enlarges a small space. Raised beds can be replaced with natural materials such as straw mats instead of stone or concrete. In the role of pots here are bags made of jute fiber. Only, unfortunately, due to their low strength, such a mini-garden will last only one or two seasons.

Idea 4. Vegetable garden in boxes

Those who are going to grow vegetables not only for decorative purposes, can pay attention to voluminous metal boxes with high legs. Such containers are ideal for growing tomatoes or peppers that love the bright sun. nine0003

Idea 5. Container beds

A tie or secure support, such as stakes, will be needed for vines planted in tin containers. Such beds need to be equipped in early spring, as soon as it gets warmer; then plant young seedlings in them, and in the summer, when it grows, you will get real vegetable "jungles"!

Idea 6. Vegetables on the shelves

Small racks with wide shelves, if necessary, will become convenient stands for pots with single plants - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. nine0003

Idea 7. "Multi-storey" garden

A garden-"pyramid" in several tiers can be easily made with your own hands. It is enough to knock down three square wooden frames, differing in area. Before filling the soil inside the circuit, lay a layer of dense polyethylene underneath so that water does not leak and does not wash out the soil.

Idea 8. Diversity of cultures

For personal needs, it is not necessary to plant too many vegetables of the same type. It is better to grow or buy several bunches of different seedlings. And then, no matter what dishes you plan to cook, fresh vegetables and herbs will always be at hand. nine0003

Idea 9. Useful neighborhood

The proximity of vegetables to flowers (marigold, nasturtium or marigold) not only pleases the eye with bright colors. Planted nearby, these flower crops protect vegetables from attack by harmful insects.

Idea 10. Vegetables in "vases"

In high ceramic pots, vegetables will look organic and spectacular all season, from spring to autumn. Vegetables can be planted in vase-like containers instead of seasonal flowers. The white color gives high ceramics a sober and elegant look. nine0003

Idea 11. Greens for the table

Metal box with greens is easy to move from place to place. Therefore, it is convenient to put such a vegetable mini-garden directly on the table during a summer lunch in the fresh air. And everyone will be able to pick a small tomato or a sprig of fragrant basil.

Caring for a mini-garden, of course, is not as large-scale as for a full-fledged bed of standard sizes. However, they should not be neglected. Do not forget about daily watering, because the soil in containers of small volume dries out faster. And thin out vigorously growing greens as needed. Have a good harvest! nine0003

By the way, you can also set up a mini-garden in your apartment.

prepared based on the materials of the site Zielonyogrodek.pl

15 Ideas for the garden design with high beds

15 Ideas for the design of a garden with high beds

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Raised beds in your garden can be as modest or as creative as you like. A raised bed can be a permanent fixture for planting and maturing perennials. nine0003

High beds are functional in care, the earth in them is better warmed by the sun and, finally, it is simply aesthetic.
The initial cost of installing a raised bed will depend on how carefully you build it, but once installed, raised beds are no more expensive to maintain than regular beds. They offer many benefits.

In these high beds, you can plant not only vegetables and berries, but also make a beautiful flower garden out of them.

What is a high garden bed? nine0104

High bed gardening involves growing plants in soil that is above the ground. Most often, you can do this with some kind of railing or frame made from wood, stone, hay bales, or even recycled material like old chests of drawers.

01. Raised Brick Bed

Miles Garden Design

By making a raised bed, instead of burrowing into the ground, you can place it where sun or shade is best for the plants you want to grow. You can also prevent tunnel pests such as moles from destroying your plants. nine0003

Plants can be healthier and more productive in a raised bed because you can control soil quality and water runoff. If you make the sides wide enough to make a bench, you can even sit and garden. For those with back problems, this makes plant care easier.

02. Sheet Metal Beds

Garden Beds

Another great advantage of high bed beds is that they sit well above the frost line so the soil warms up faster in spring and you can start planting faster. The metal will ensure that the ambient solar heat is retained in the soil. Sheet metal is easier to form into shapes. It's also a great way to provide the warmth you need to grow Mediterranean plants like sage and lavender. nine0003

03. Rectangular beds with wooden sides

Patrick / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Gardening in rectangular and square beds involves dividing the growing area into small square or rectangular plots. The goal is to create a heavily planted vegetable garden or a highly productive vegetable garden.

The use of a high bed for growing vegetables allows you to control the quality of the soil and prevent its compaction. Vegetable roots can grow unhindered. The beds don't have to be very high off the ground to get the benefits of being in a high bed. Even 15-20 cm can be enough. nine0003

04. Spiral beds and flower beds

Mill Creek Gardens

Spiral gardens are a popular gardening solution. They increase usable planting area without taking up more space in your garden. You can easily build them out of stone, brick, wood, or just fill with dirt. The unusual shape and swirl of the plants make it an attractive focal point in your garden. There are plants and flowers in this photo, but you can grow anything using the spiral design.

05. High bed with greenhouse

Klavdia Petrovna Limbinshtein's Garden

With a little advance planning, you can create a multi-season vegetable garden. Raised beds give you more control over the growing conditions in your garden and make it harder for animals and pests to get to your vegetables. If you build a greenhouse on a high bed, you can be prepared for any weather, withstand frost and give yourself a head start in the spring.

06. Raised beds on slopes

Raised beds are great for steep yards. By building beds in the lowest parts, you can create the illusion of a flat garden. Make your flower beds wide enough so that you still have a tiered flower bed with a shrub border framing the back of the garden, and enough room for perennials to provide colors, textures, and softening drapery edges. nine0003

07. Kitchen garden in a trough

Beautiful artificial creations

The photo shows one of the easiest ways to create high beds using animal feeders or galvanized tubs. No assembly is required, but be sure to drill some drainage holes in the bottom before adding soil. Metal gives the garden an industrial look and conducts heat, warming the soil in spring. Depending on what you choose to grow, your plants may need a little extra water during the hottest part of the summer. nine0003

08. Custom raised beds

Pyotr Doneganov Landscape Ltd.

Raised beds are suitable for almost any space. With a little creativity, you can create an entire garden nook to relax in. These multi-level high beds incorporate the simple straight lines of Peter Doneganov's landscape design.

Complete with pot and lamppost. Add a bench, like the one at the end of the front garden, and you have room for outdoor dining areas. As the plants grow and the wood weathers, this garden will take on a natural rustic look. nine0003

09. High Bed Gazebo

Walk and Enjoy

Using a high bed arbor or trellis makes harvesting vegetables even easier and keeps them neater than if they were spread out on the ground. Vertical gardening allows you to grow more plants without taking up much space.

This example from Family Food Gardens shows that whether you're growing flowering vines or spreading vegetables, this tepee garden trellis creates a living pergola that gives the vines great access to sunlight without shading the plants in the high beds below. Your design can be as simple as creating an A-frame out of two bamboo poles, tying them together and stringing a garden net. nine0003

10. Architectural layout

Horticulture Choice

Small gardens can often appear cluttered and abandoned. In contrast, the tall flower beds along this path in the garden look well thought out. You can even plan your plantings to provide four seasons of visual interest as shown in this small garden.

Form beds of any shape with brick, pavers or composite decking material. Not only do they define the space, but they also make the garden appear larger, breaking up the view and providing an extra seating area in the shady part of the garden. nine0003

11. Colorful concrete block garden

Inspired by house design

There are many ways to build raised beds with recycled materials. Concrete blocks are among the most popular. This gardener from Home Designed Inspired has taken it one step further and spruced up his block garden with a bit of bright paint. Please note that some old cinder blocks may contain fly ash, which is the "ash" left over from burning coal.

There is still some debate as to whether it is safe to use around edible plants. If you get new blocks made from concrete, you can avoid the ash problem. New blocks are much heavier than old cinder blocks, but they can be used for a vegetable garden. However, be careful - concrete blocks release lime. Lime can raise the pH of the soil. To be safe, use plants that do well in alkaline soil.

12. Multi-level high beds

Main Stratosphere

Raised beds have very few restrictions. This multi-tiered high bed from Home Stratosphere looks like a pagoda or a fountain. When the flowers have grown, you may not even see the beautiful wooden frame supporting them. It looks good all year round. During the holidays, you can also decorate it with seasonal greenery and decorations and give it a Christmas tree feel.

13. Garage Doors Converted into Raised Beds

Cottage Life

Search your warehouse or secondhand stores for items that can be made into attractive, easy-to-build raised beds. A gardener from outside Moscow created his vegetable garden from several vinyl garage door panels attached to resin-reinforced vinyl fence posts and ends. nine0003

This raised bed is attractive, requires little maintenance, requires no waterproofing or painting, and will last longer than most wood products.

14. Recessed Raised Bed

Pixabay.com

Instead of just terracing the entire area of ​​a sloped yard, you can create your garden at eye level. Maria Mikhailova photographed this recreation area at the level of the hillside. The stone patio and retaining walls create an inviting garden path and seating area surrounded by raised beds. This scene required a lot of soil and masonry removal, but it's a solution for years to come. nine0003

15. Food boxes in the garden

Uncle Vasya's garden

Redesign food boxes and make portable raised beds. This raised food crate bed is easy to set up and you can shape it into any shape you like. If you need plants closer to home or want to place them in a more shaded area, just grab a box and move it.

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