I have always wanted to grow my own fruits and vegetables. Nothing can match the taste and freshness.  With raised garden beds, you can create a perfect growing environment. Raised planter beds offer a lot of advantages over planting traditionally in the ground. First off, they can be used on slopes that would otherwise be unsuitable for planting. Once they are built, raised beds are also easier to maintain. You simply can’t over-water them because they sit above the ground surface and naturally drain. By filling them with compost, you also assure that they’re harder to underwater as well, as all that compost will do a good job of retaining just the right amount of water. This compost also creates an incredibly nutrient rich growing environment. So all the way around, raised garden beds are an excellent choice. I am looking to build a planter bed in a section of my backyard where I have removed the grass.

Photo: Jill Clardy
However, there is a lot of planning and a few important decisions that need to be made before you can get started. This is the first post in a series that will take you through the planning and development stages of a raised planter bed. Hopefully, this series will provide you with the resources you need to build your very own raised planter bed.

Ok, so where do we start?

Well, the first step is to decide on the construction material for the outside framework.

Here are the options:

Construction materials:

Wood: There are a ton of different options available for wood. Railroad ties, landscape timber, dimensional lumber. But, you have to be careful about treated woods. Chromated copper arsenate (known as CCA) can be common in wood, especially wood that is designed to be rot-resistant. However, studies have found that the arsenic can leech into the soil. I would avoid them completely.

Railroad ties are not recommended for edibles. They are treated with creosote, which is probably not as harmfull as CCA, but nevertheless has chemical properties that can leech into the soil. However, many building centers, and garden stores, sell “Landscaping Timbers” – which are the same thing – except they weren’t recycled railroad ties (no chemical treatment), and they are safe for garden use.

Landscape Timber

Photo: joated

Cedar, or other natural rot-resistant, hard woods are a good option. Cedar looks great (and smells great) and lasts longer than many other wood products.  Just make sure it has not been treated with CCA or anything else!

Overall, wood can be an attractive and affordable option. However, depending on climates and watering schedules, wood can start to break down within 3 years. Reconstructing can be a major undertaking once your veggies are well established.
Concrete – Cinder blocks: Cinder blocks are more expensive and not as attractive as wood, especially if your planter box is large, but they do have many advantages. They are a semi-permanent option. You do not have to worry about future rot or break-down. In addition, the centers make perfect pots for strawberries, or other small plants, to surround the garden.  You can also rub mud or other organic material on to the outside of the block, in order to blend it more with the surroundings or to give it a more natural look.

Cinder blocks

Photo: TopTechWriter.us
Rock or natural stone (limestone or other): Something that might be more attractive than cinder blocks would be rumbled limestone wallstone, available at the big box home centers. They are typically available in sections that are 4×8x16 inches. However, this is definitely a more expensive option. However, you are paying for aesthetics.

Check out Freecycle.org. You might be able to obtain your building materials for free!

Size:

Size will probably be most determined by the amount of space you have available in your yard. However, if you have some flexibility on size, or are wondering how much space you will need, then this is an important decision. I have read from many other successful home gardeners to go big… go big and go wide. Make it big enough that you can walk between the rows, so that you don’t need to reach in from the sides. There is a lot of value to this in that you would not always have to get on your hands and knees to reach in, which could result in more consistent interaction and more successful harvests. Being able to walk on it, you could stand over the row and just bend down to pick a weed or that one early ripe veggie without messing up your clothes….

If you have the luxury of space, go big.

If you don’t have that much space to allocate. Think about what types of plants you want to grow and how much space will they need. Make sure you can access all sides of the box as easily as possible.

In terms of depth, six inches is a good start, and many vegetables grow well in a bed that is six inches deep. As with many things, though, if you can do more, more is better! Ten to twelve inches would be ideal.

Location:

If you know that you’ll be growing vegetables or herbs, or sun-loving flowers in your new garden, select a site that gets at least eight hours of sun per day. Conversely, if you only have a shady area available, make sure to plan which fruits and vegetables would work best in that environment. A flat, level area is important, and you should also make sure that the area has easy access to water sources as well as room for you to work.
That’s it for the first part. Check back soon for the second part, where will walk through the building of the planter bed itself. Go purchase your materials and prepare your yard for construction of your new raised planter bed!

Photo: swainboat