If you are looking for a way to add gardening space without having a “traditional” garden, these inexpensive, easy to make DIY Raised Bed Garden Boxes are the answer!
Created easily from ordinary 2×4 and 2×6 lumber, these attractive beds look great anywhere. Even better, at 3′ wide x 6′ long x 18″ deep, they allow a lot of space for growing.
Raised beds and containers are an excellent method for growing vegetables, herbs and flowers. Especially if you don’t have the room or time to tend to a large backyard garden.
Not only do they fit easily into smaller yards or on patios, they are extremely low maintenance. In addition, by their very design, the “raised” nature of the beds allow for easier access for planting, watering and harvesting.
But perhaps best of all, raised beds require far less weeding and maintenance than a traditional garden. And wait until you see how easy they are to build!
DIY Raised Beds
Last year, when we introduced our 2×4 5 Gallon Bucket Planters, we never imagined how many people would discover container gardening.
So much so, that many asked if we could create a raised bed design to match that would allow for even more simple, low-maintenance growing.
So we went to work on designing something that would be easy to build and easy on the budget. In addition, we wanted it to be able to look great by itself, or with the bucket planters too!
Each 3′ x 6′ raised bed allows for 18 square feet of planting surface. They are perfect for growing vegetables, greens, planting an herb garden, or growing all kinds of flowers.
The 18″ depth of the unit allows for deep roots, which is ideal for growing large vegetables like heirloom tomatoes and peppers. Build several together, and you can have quite the outdoor garden!
How To Create The DIY Raised Beds
The raised beds are easy to create with the most basic of tools. In fact, all you need is a tape measure, a drill, drill-driver and a saw. (You can see the complete step by step plans in our Etsy shop here : DIY Raised Bed Plans)
The beds use just (3) 2 x 6 x 12’s, (2) 2 x 6 x 10’s, and (5) 2 x 4 x 8 boards to create the entire unit. Although traditional untreated lumber works great, you can also substitute rough-sawn or even cedar if you wish.
We prefer using traditional lumber and untreated rough-sawn simply for cost. And because neither contain harmful additives, there are no worries when growing vegetables or herbs.
As for the long term durability of untreated pine, it actually holds up reall well over time. Especially if you stain, seal or paint the exterior edges that do not come in contact with the soil.
Rough-sawn wood will even add a longer shelf life. The non-smooth surface is a naturally protective barrier that holds up even longer to the elements.
With the thick 2x construction, these DIY raised beds will hold up for years and years. Unfortunately, many of the raised beds available in stores use 1x material, which simply won’t hold up well over time.
Completing The Project
After cutting all of the lumber to size, assembling it together is a snap. The 2×6 boards are placed together into a rectangle, and 2×4’s are then attached around all of the corners and mid-sections.
To complete it all, a 2×4 decorative top rail is placed on top! Not only does it serves as a nice finish for the piece, it also helps shed water off of the exposed leg posts, helping to keep the piece stronger over time.
You can then paint, stain, or leave the exterior of the DIY Raised Bed Boxes to weather to a natural grey. Then, simply fill them with soil and organic matter – and plant away.
Here is to creating your own DIY raised beds – and growing like never before next year! Happy Container Growing – Jim & Mary
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