Once built, raised beds have about the same maintenance cost astraditional gardens.
Read on for some raised garden bed ideas to kickstart your brainstorming.
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What Is a Raised Garden Bed?
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Raised bed gardening involves growing plants in soil above the ground.
Raised beds also tend to provide better drainage.
Growing space:In-ground beds provide more space for plants to grow and expand overall.
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You also have the option to use mesh wire in raised beds to keep out small burrowing animals.
Cost:Up front, raised beds are more expensive than in-ground beds.
But over time, both will cost around the same to maintain.
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Custom-Designed DIY Raised Garden Beds
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Raised bed gardens can fit nearly any space.
With creativity, you’ve got the option to create an entire garden sitting area.
This multi-level raised bed incorporated simple straight lines by Peter Donegan Landscaping.
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It comes complete with apotting shedand lamppost.
As the plants grow and the wood weathers, this garden will have a natural, rustic appearance.
Bricklaying is not for everyone.
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It takes patience and precision to get 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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The material used for your beds makes a difference here: metal holds more heat from the sun.
Herb Spiral Garden
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Spiral gardensare a popular permaculture technique.
They increase the amount of usable planting area without taking up extra ground space.
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No assembly is required, but 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’re free to use new or used troughs, depending on availability and your desired look.
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The aim is to produce an intensively planted vegetable garden or a highly productivekitchen garden.
This can be measured and divided with various materials, including netting.
Vegetable roots can grow unimpeded.
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Even 6 to 8 inches can be enough.
Inexpensive Flower Box Raised Beds
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Raised beds have very few limits.
These can look good all year long, with annuals filling in as perennials stop blooming.
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Concrete blocks orcinder blocksare one of the most popular.
Be careful, thoughconcrete blocks leach lime.
Lime can raise the soil’s pH.
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To be safe, use plants that thrive in alkaline soil.
This lightweight netting is sturdy enough to hold a cloth covering in case of frost.
The string lights and decorations add a personal touch.
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Other crops may benefit from stretching garden netting across the trellis structure.
This reduces soil’s weight and expense if plantings don’t produce a deep root system.
Milk Crate Raised Garden Bed
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Repurpose milk crates and make your raised bed portable.
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These containers already come with drainage holes.
you’ve got the option to 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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Warning
see to it the wood pallets you use have not been treated with chemicals.
To check, look for the IPPC stamp.
Perhaps an old wooden kitchen table or coffee table is destined for the garbage heap.
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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.
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Old drawers are perfect as planters for different plant species.
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.
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Tip
When enclosing a raised garden, refrain from using a fine mesh.
Give pollinators like butterflies and bees a chance to reach your plants.
Herbs and flowers do well when grown in bales.
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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.
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You don’t even need soil in most cases unless you plant tiny seeds.
you’re able to even repurpose a wheelbarrow.
Culvert Pipe Garden Bed
Culvert pipes are usually used for drainage ditches or moving stormwater.
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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.
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it’s possible for you to cut them to any length to make multiple rings for circular raised beds.
The interior of each pipe can also serve as a mini container for herbs or smaller border plants.
Some decide to cut most of the tree and leave the stump to decompose naturally over time.
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Add some gravel and compost-enriched soil, and plant flowers or anything you want to give it renewed life.
The sheets are made of steel and are safe to use in edible gardens.
They don’t look so classy, but they get the job done.
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Stone adds natural beauty and lasts longer than a lifetime.
It’s also environmentally friendly and food-safe for growing edible plants.
Landscaping Timber Raised Garden Bed
Landscaping timbers can also be used to make raised garden beds.
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Landscaping timbers are a pop in of building material.
you’re free to often find these at local home improvement stores.
Resembling logs, landscaping timbers are usually about 3.5 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length.
Cameron Sadeghpour
Thedepth of a raised garden bedshould be between eight and 12 inches deep.
This should accommodate the root systems of most plants.
There are better options than using tires in the garden, NC Cooperative Extension
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Picture: the finished installation of landscape timber edging.David Beaulieu
