I’ve always been an avid gardener. It’s like therapy for me. There’s nothing like being in the garden and getting my hands dirty. However, up until now, I’ve always devoted my gardening energy to flowers and shrubs. This past spring I decided to branch out. I built and planted a raised garden bed at a city allotment garden that I lovingly refer to as “the farm”. This is my first foray into vegetable gardening but I really like the idea of being able to grow healthy and organic food.
The plots aren’t large, about 12 x 19, but there’s ample space to grow a variety of vegetables for 2 people or a small family. As is usually the case, new plot owners take over from someone who’s given up their plot. This meant I inherited a plot that needed a lot of work. Backbreaking work to be precise. The previous owner had built 2 raised garden beds on 1/2 of the plot but the other 1/2 was just a mound of dirt and weeds. I wanted to build 2 more raised garden beds in the empty space so the dirt and weeds had to go. Here you can see the existing 2 raised beds with the empty space and dirt mound directly behind it where the blue tarp is.
Advantages Of Raised Garden Beds
Building a raised garden bed does take some work but there are many advantages including better drainage and less soil compaction. Also, the soil warms up quicker in the spring so you can start planting earlier which is important if you live in zone 5-6 like me. And because you have to fill the beds with the soil you can start off with good soil without having to amend the existing ground soil by tilling and adding compost and sand. I used a mixture of garden soil and compost which is available free from the city. I needed a lot of soil to fill the bed so being able to use the free compost the city provides really helped keep costs down.
Building The Raised Garden Bed
Digging up and carting away all that dirt took about 2 days of grueling work in 30-degree Celsius weather but it was worth it. I now had a good flat surface to start building the beds on. I had help from a friend which made things a little easier. We built the beds 10″ high by using 2 x 4″ cedar planks to match the existing beds and used a basic U design. I wanted to be able to walk in between the rows enabling easy access to everything. I designed each row to be just over 3′ wide so I could reach everything comfortably. The existing beds in the plot are 4′ wide and I find reaching across a little uncomfortable so I knew the new beds had to be narrower.
We used a very simple construction process which involved using a piece of 2 x 4″ board cut to 10″ high to fasten the 3 boards together horizontally for each section and then screwing the sections together to make the final U design. We then screwed another 10″ high 2 x 4″ board into the boards at each corner for more stability. Since we’re both comfortable doing light construction work and using power tools (girls can do things!) it came together fairly quickly in about 6 hours. Here’s how it looks after we finished building, filling, and planting. You can see the basic construction plans on the Daily Randomness blog here.
Other Ideas For Raised Garden Beds
While I chose cedar wood because I wanted the new beds to match the existing ones, you can use a variety of materials and designs to build a raised garden bed. Here’s one made with cinder or concrete blocks. Today most blocks referred to as cinder blocks are made with concrete and are perfectly safe for vegetable farming, however, be aware that using true antique cinder blocks could be dangerous. True cinder blocks contain ash which could leach into your soil and contaminate your plants.
This bed is elevated so you wouldn’t have to bend over at all. Ideal if you have back or knee problems.
This one from Chris Loves Julia has a wider ledge on top which would be comfortable for sitting on while you weed or harvest.
Here’s one that uses cobbler paving stones and looks like it would be quite easy to build.
Another one that would be easy to put together is this one using terracotta pipes.
And requiring no construction at all is this really cool looking one using galvanized steel tubs spray painted copper. Just be sure to drill plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. I love how these look!
Photo by Marla Aufmuth for Gardenista.
This one uses corrugated metal with wood corner posts.
If you have timber or logs hanging around this one is a great idea.
Here’s one that’s fenced in to make it animal and critter-resistant. While it looks like it would keep rabbits, groundhogs, and deer from ravaging your veggies I’m pretty sure those pesky squirrels could still get in.
Or if you want to save a little time and don’t mind spending the money there are kits that you could purchase. Check your local home renovation or garden stores to fine one.
If you decide to build out of wood be sure to choose wood that is durable and won’t rot quickly. If you’re putting the hard work in you want it to last for more than just a couple of years. While I chose to use cedar as it’s naturally insect and moisture-resistant you can use other hardwoods such as cypress or redwood. Just stay away from pressure-treated wood as the chemicals used in treating the wood might leach into the soil and contaminate your vegetables. Of course, if you’re only planting flowers or shrubs you don’t have to worry about that.
Costs
So for those of you curious about what the investment was both financially and time-wise here it is;
Costs; Cedarwood and screws – $350.00
Soil; 12 bags – $50.00
Compost; Free from the city
Total; $400.00
Time; Approximately 8 hours over 2 days
Tools; Power drill, Screwdriver, Saw
I love my new raised garden bed and I look forward to growing vegetables in them for years to come. While still new at it I’m finding the process of growing my own vegetables very satisfying and the fact that the results are so delicious makes it all the more rewarding.
Stay tuned as I’ll be posting more updates as the gardening season progresses.
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If you’re looking for other gardening posts check out my post on How To Grow Garlic and How to Grow Rhubarb.
