When I was a child, the greatest raised bed garden was brought to life each time I read all about Jack, and that fateful day he wandered off to the market and got hogtied into selling the cow for a handful of beans. How he must have had the perfect raised bed soil mix and what a bountiful raised vegetable garden was the result, much to his mother’s chagrin, no doubt. Okay, so there WAS the issue about the Giant and the big bolt down the magic beanstalk toward the end of the fairytale, but still….when it comes to raised vegetable garden beds. You think you don’t know Jack, keep reading as we bring the best-raised garden bed ideas to life without the risk of having to sell the cow.
The Whole Kit & Caboodle
Some folks just feel more creatively at ease when using bundled project kits in a DIY setting. It seems kits are available for pretty much everything so why NOT give one or two a try? Even if you have raised bed gardens in your genetic pool and a bevy of blue ribbons align your greenhouse walls, raised garden bed kits are a super way to dig in and expand your internal visions, even if its just a raised herb garden.
Trendy, chic and now even more space saving than ever, raised bed planters are quickly spiking in interest especially with more of us now venturing back outdoors again. “Back-yard-agains” are looking for as many ways as possible to enjoy their outdoor living and recreation space. What a raised bed vegetable garden can do for you is give you the best of all possible scenarios.
Now you can enjoy a family grill night, the kids can splash in the pool, leap around on the trampoline and attack the playground swing set in earnest while you can still grow an entire season’s harvest of fresh produce. The best place to start is shopping. One of my favorite past times. Check out the outdoor sections and look for a Lowes® raised garden bed, Walmart® raised garden bed, a Costco® raised garden bed…I think you get the picture in the bedtime story.
Raised bed kits include everything you need to build a raised bed garden layout of your choice, including a great starter growers kit in a bucket. Prices and sizes vary accordingly along with choice of material, from plastic to the best of all best red cedar woods. When considering a raised bed garden kit, don’t forget to take into consideration that before placement and filling or racing off to transplant your seedlings from your own raised bed greenhouse, make sure you’ve factored in drainage runoff and proximity to watering source. A raised bed can be a bit weighty once made.
Eden’s Edibles: The Garden of Eatin’
To get up on the right side of the bed can make all the difference in the world, at least for that day. The same can be said about taking the steps toward becoming a vegetable horticulturist. Let’s make sure the morning starts off right.
What vegetables can you grow in a raised bed?
Virtually any vegetable CAN grow in a bed provided they have, and YOU have enough space to allow for variable roots structure depths and maturation overgrowth spreading. The BEST yield “bedgetables”, however, include the most favored among all “saladtarians”. Tomatoes, peppers (yes both mild and hot), carrots, leafy greens, radishes, snap peas and beans (both climbers and ground dwelling), onions, cucumbers, squash varieties and even a few tuber potatoes is a modest start. Try to not bite off more than you can chew. A raised style of bed gardening is designed to conserve space, not clutter it. A garden needs room to be expansive, not expensive. What plants grow well in raised beds, you ask? Those that are well cared for, chosen for the environment, will be enjoyed after harvest and talked about for weeks after until the next planting season rolls around.
Material Whirled: Sticks or Bricks?
The only true garden zen philosophy that everyone can use is one of the simplest. A cedar raised garden bed maybe the vegetable garden plan of your dreams, but you may find out that you raised your salad bar too high. The greatest thing about raised vegetable gardens is they can be modestly priced and created with just about everything around you.
How deep should a raised bed garden be?
After the initial layer of proper drainage and weed/pest barrier cloth has been added, you’ll need at MINIMUM 12 to 14 inches, more if you are considering deeper rooted earth dwellers like medium yellow fleshed or russet potatoes, pumpkins, and eggplants. When in doubt, start at the minimum and add an inch or two.
Are cinder blocks safe for raised beds?
Split decision across the raised bed garden ideas community. Cinder blocks are inexpensive, readily available either new or used and come in different sizes and designs. The obvious drawback is the weight and portability of them. Once you’ve committed to using them to construct your raised bed frame, be prepared to stay there and lay in it for a while. If you’re repurposing them from construction sites, garage tag sales or trash piles, you MAY hear about fly ash. A chemical compound once added to the cement used to make cinder blocks in the foundries of yesterday has been proven to be toxic in traces so if you are a true environmentalist, I recommend you stay with wood. Normally, a good power washing of bricks should be enough but even with new bricks at garden centers, you should consider asking about the containment of any fly ash as some concrete companies still use it to keep the prices low.
How do you make a raised bed with cinder blocks?
Pick your spot and get used to it! Once formed, you aren’t going to want to move the bricks to another location. Your cinder block raised bed will need a sunny spot, close to water, and level. If planting directly over grass, you’ll need to keep out the weeds which basically means “smothering” the grass with sod cloth, cardboard or plastic. If cutting away the sod to get to the soil as your base, once the earth is exposed, laydown a fresh spread of planting soil and compost, then rake it in and level it either with a carpenter’s plumb or a 2 x 4. Start placing your blocks as close together as possible to form a natural retaining wall for at least two levels. Then get creative with design structure if you wish. Function, form…you’ll soon be filling in the space with decorative touches of your own…in no time flat.
What is the cheapest way to make raised beds?
Quite honestly, repurposing from your own environment is the cheapest route to take. The palette craze is still in style and can be used to plant both in its constructed interior and naturally “shelved” exterior. The best in both horizontal and vertical raised bed box by far. Just find four, or five if going with a floor, secure them together in a square with 2 by 4 support braces and wood screws and your done. Even wiring tightly or using sisal rope will work in a pinch and add to a rustic flair. A great starting craft for inexperienced green newbies. Old wheelbarrows, feed or water troughs, barrels, even a 50-gallon trash can is a perfect raised bed for potatoes. Weave or tie together branches, twigs, logs and such and turn a weekends work project into a charming one-of-a kind container style raised box bed. Wine crates, hard case suitcases are terrific for a raised herb garden, baby shoots and tender accompaniments.
What kind of wood should I use for a raised garden bed?
Redwood is the gardener’s prime choice for a cedar raised garden bed because of its lifelong durability and naturally stunning beauty. A cedar raised garden bed is also the priciest by far, but longevity is the payoff. Followed by other cedars and pines, please try to incorporate your regions naturally sustainable resources. Be cautious or totally avoid treated woods and forgo the search for old railway ties. The chemical binding in those “used-to-be-the-be-all-and-end-all” of garden walls is incredibly detrimental to the environment and plants. And your health will thrive like your veggies will in a cedar raised garden bed.