Rustic Raised Beds

I created a vegetable plot at the rear of my property in an area that previously had been an alleyway between the two rows of houses. The city sold this off to the residents, who fenced it off and incorporated it into their rear gardens. The ground was just compacted dirt and stone, so the easiest option was to create raised beds and use it as a vegetable plot. That is one benefit of raised beds: the ability to plant in an area of extremely poor soil. Raised beds also provide better drainage and, if you create them in a sensible size, you can reach into the middle of the bed without having to stand on the soil and compress it.

My raised beds measure 8ft x 3ft and the smaller beds are 4ft x 4ft. I can work these comfortably from the side of the bed. As we get older, we all suffer the ravages of time and lose our athletic flexibility, making bending and stooping extremely difficult and even painful. The solution is to bring the garden up to a height with which we are comfortable. The same applies to those people who are wheelchair bound. There is no need for them to lose the pleasure of tending their gardens, when we can bring their plants up to a height that works for them.

Materials needed:-
Landscape lumber 3" x 4" in 8ft lengths (Available in Home Depot Garden centers, less than $4).
Coated Decking or Construction Screws 3 1/2" long.

Decide how large and deep you want your planting bed, then you can calculate how much lumber you need. You will need to mitre the lumber at 45 degrees, which can be done with a hand saw, but I would recommend a power mitre saw.

The pictures tell the story: You basically measure, cut, and screw together until you reach the height that you want. Then fill with a mixture of clean dirt and soil amendments. There is always someone in your neighborhood offering free, clean dirt.