Raised bed gardens have always been in trend. And the best part about them is that there is an endless possibility to showcase your creativity. You can build them in various price ranges, sizes, and types; the choice is truly yours. If you need some inspiration for sketching the perfect raised bed garden for your lovely house, you’re in the right place. We’re here to show you some of the most impressive yet easy-to-build ideas, which you can obviously alter or modify later. But for the newbies, let’s start with the basics.
What Is A Raised Bed Garden?
Raised bed gardens are nothing but gardens built above the ground level. These frame-like structures not only offer physical support to the plants but also prevent erosion. There is a wide range of material, shapes, and sizes for these constructions, and you can quickly build these as per your preference or availability of space. Because of the variety of patterns, you can make them in, and there are usually no restrictions in building a raised bed garden. Almost anyone can have them around their house.
What Are The Benefits Of A Raised Bed Garden?
There are several benefits of building a raised bed garden. First and foremost, it is more accessible than the regular ground gardens. The plants come to a more convenient height because of the elevation, which makes planting, watering, and trimming them much more comfortable.
Apart from that, it also helps conserve water as it can be released directly into the soil. Raised beds also prevent the plants from diseases that are otherwise from when the water lands on the leaves. Besides, they also keep the soil’s quality and nutritional value intact. All in all, raised plant beds are not just attractive from the outside, but they also offer valuable benefits.
Here Are 6 Amazing Ideas To Build A Raised Plant Bed
Painted Concrete Block Garden
It’s always a good idea to add some color to your outdoor garden arrangement. Using concrete blocks is one of the most tangible ways to build a raised plant bed out of recycled material. You may use cinder blocks for this, but not if you are a vegetable gardener and will be using the space to grow some veggies.
In that case, we’d suggest getting new, unused blocks as they are safe to grow vegetables. Besides, you can also get them customized as per your preference. Paint these blocks with whichever color you like, or you may also go for multiple colors to match your aesthetic. The best part about building a raised plant bed with concrete blocks is that they fit in a small space.
Square Foot Gardening
This method is tried and tested, the traditional American way of building 4 x 4 square foot wooden sections with an elevation. You can start this by creating a garden bed with a depth of six to twelve inches, filling it up with soil, and dividing it with various square segments.
These raised plant gardens are preferred because they allow you to grow multiple types of crops in different parts. Square foot gardening usually is to grow vegetables as you can raise a variety of them close together, making them accessible in all aspects. Also, because each square is for a single vegetable, you can water them individually as per its requirement. You can use this method to ensure that they grow well and do not die from lack of water or excess water.
Raised Wooden Garden Boxes
All you need is some wooden boards with 2 x 6 dimensions coupled with 2 x 2 braces to provide external support and keep the boards from unwanted warps and twists. You can apply all your carpentry skills here and create ideal garden boxes to match your design.
However, make sure that you are using pressure-treated wood as water and rot-resistant and suitable for growing vegetables. Pressure-treated lumber has certain chemicals, which keep the material from rotting and prevent insects from entering. Majorly, cedarwood is preferred as it naturally contains elements that avert rotting.
Waist-High Plant Bed
Building a raised garden bed that reaches your waist is an excellent help for gardening enthusiasts who live with physical discomfort. To make this, you may prepare the framework with cedarwood such that it has tall legs that are strong enough to handle the weight of several plants.
Now, to form the base surface for your soil, nothing works better than landscape fabric. This works perfectly for growing vegetables, flowers, or even shrubs, for that matter. They also work as a weed barrier and keeps your plants safe from any possible damage. There are other materials as well for lining, but they don’t do the job right. Avoid using plastic at the surface as it disturbs the drainage system and may cause rotting.
Portable Raised Planter
The previously-mentioned waist-high plant bed can be turned portable, too, with just a few additions here and there. All you need to do is add wheels to the legs of your elevated plant box. Wheels will make the arrangement all the more user-friendly. You can move the planter to create space and match different beautiful areas of the open space.
If you use this method, it also means you may relocate them as per sunlight or even bring them to a safer space in times of excessive rain. A piece of advice- supplement the soil with a considerable amount of sphagnum moss, also known as peat bogs, mainly if you are growing acid-friendly plants such as blueberries, camellias, etc., as it is known to balance the PH level.
Spiral Garden
Building a spiral-shaped raised garden bed is a traditionally known technique in permaculture. The best thing about this type of garden is that you can make it in a small space and out of any material such as bricks, stones, wood, etc. Another plus point is that it is effortless to build.
All you need to do is pile them up, add soil and start planting. Ideally, any plant can be grown in these, but nothing looks as attractive as a spiral herb garden. You can have your personally grown stock of basil, rosemary, parsley, oregano thyme, and so on to meet all your cooking needs. Moreover, this spiral garden will be a point of discussion whenever you have visitors, all thanks to its unique and impressive structure.
Well, these were some of the top ideas to build your own raised garden and grow whatever you wish to. Apart from these, you may also incorporate other materials such as galvanized metal sheets, milk crates, and so on.
Conclusion
By this point, you may have realized that there are countless ways of creating a raised garden. You may also mix and match the sizes, heights, and materials to give an abstract look to your outdoor setting. Get as creative and innovative as you want, but make sure that it is safe to use for yourself and suitable for your plants. With just little guidance about the dos and don’ts, you will be all set to build the most attractive looking raised garden that will help you reap benefits for a long time ahead.
