I'm not sure if a thread already exists for this or not (I attempted a search but could not find anything), so I will start one here. I am in the beginning stages of planning out a raised bed garden on our property, and would LOVE to connect with gardeners who already have their own. Please, share your pictures here, as well as letting us know all about your raised beds! What works best for you, what mistakes have you made, any tips/advice you can offer? I'd love to hear it all!

This is the section of land that I am thinking of for my raised bed garden. The crushed concrete to the right is our driveway, and I was thinking of starting maybe 6 feet from there and the tensile fence to the back would be the border on that side. I'll still have to get out and measure the area, but I'm thinking 4x8 beds will be a good start for me and this area.

Have you built your beds yet?
I think 4X8 is a good size you want to be able to reach the entire bed without stepping in it .
afraid I may not be of much help because of the difference in zones , when it comes to planting and such

my beds happen to be 4X4 so I can more easily move or stack them ,
they are built of poly wood the kind of recycled stuff decking is made from.
my first set were oak rough sawn 1x10 boards but they have rotted away and what i have now are the replacements


I have been gardening here in raised beds for 20+years , I find they have many advantages for the small gardener. For me having a defined space to weed, plant ,and water works best . I rotate crops and use lots of compost .

I have all my cold crops planted cole crops onions salad items ect...
the tomatoes and peppers are on hold in the greenhouse.

What are you planning to grow ? Is this your first garden?

mistake I made, not just raised beds but in my entire garden, if I had to start over from scratch I'd make the pathways at least 5 ft wide or even wider. The pathways between my beds are 32" and it is too small. Too small for 2 or 3 people to be there comfortably, too small to maneuver a wheelbarrow, too small to get serious w the shovel if you need more leg room ect. The width of the pathway is like closet or shed space. No matter how much, you always wish you had more

gardengus said: Have you built your beds yet?
I think 4X8 is a good size you want to be able to reach the entire bed without stepping in it .
afraid I may not be of much help because of the difference in zones , when it comes to planting and such

my beds happen to be 4X4 so I can more easily move or stack them ,
they are built of poly wood the kind of recycled stuff decking is made from.
my first set were oak rough sawn 1x10 boards but they have rotted away and what i have now are the replacements


I have been gardening here in raised beds for 20+years , I find they have many advantages for the small gardener. For me having a defined space to weed, plant ,and water works best . I rotate crops and use lots of compost .

I have all my cold crops planted cole crops onions salad items ect...
the tomatoes and peppers are on hold in the greenhouse.

What are you planning to grow ? Is this your first garden?

I haven't built any of them yet. My sister will be visiting in a couple weekends from now and we will both be working together to build my first one.
I've drawn out a layout on how I want my garden set up (using a combination of 3x6 and 4x8 size beds).

How did you fill your beds? I'm thinking of using the hugelkultur method of layering.
Yes, this will be my first vegetable garden, and I just can't wait to get started with it. I'm not sure yet what all I will be growing in my beds yet. I am thinking peas, carrots, radish, lettuce, tomato, and who knows what all else!!

Frillylily said: mistake I made, not just raised beds but in my entire garden, if I had to start over from scratch I'd make the pathways at least 5 ft wide or even wider. The pathways between my beds are 32" and it is too small. Too small for 2 or 3 people to be there comfortably, too small to maneuver a wheelbarrow, too small to get serious w the shovel if you need more leg room ect. The width of the pathway is like closet or shed space. No matter how much, you always wish you had more

Oooh, good to know! On my layout, I had a space of 3 feet between each bed. I will now edit my layout to allow for a wider path.

well part of the trouble is getting a wheel barrow in and turning it around the corners when you want to leave the row. I have a near impossible time doing that.

Well,when I was filling the beds we had Horses and goats and some very good (already naturally amended by the animals) soil out by the barn.

The hugelkultur method is good if you have deep beds , you will need about 8-12 inches good soil, at least for most plants.

You may be too late for peas but the hot weather plants should do well .

My number one advice to new gardeners is start small
Keeping a garden (watering, weeding ......) becomes harder in the heat of summer. Many have given up because of the amount of work before they get to the reward

gardengus said: Well,when I was filling the beds we had Horses and goats and some very good (already naturally amended by the animals) soil out by the barn.

The hugelkultur method is good if you have deep beds , you will need about 8-12 inches good soil, at least for most plants.

You may be too late for peas but the hot weather plants should do well .

My number one advice to new gardeners is start small
Keeping a garden (watering, weeding ......) becomes harder in the heat of summer. Many have given up because of the amount of work before they get to the reward

Oooh, that's actually a good idea! We live out in the country so we have numerous friendly neighbors with horses and cattle. Hmmm.......I might just have to stop by and see if they need to unload some soil. Heehee.
I do plan on having my beds 2 feet deep. I really don't think I'll be growing anything this year.....I think this year might just be building a couple/few beds and trying to fill them with that bottom layer of organic matter. Then I might just get a bulk delivery of compost to top it off.

sounds like a good plan

I did it, you guys! With the help of my sister, I built my first raised bed!! Next order of business is attaching some sort of support in the middle to prevent bowing, and then filling it! Hopefully I can fill it in time to grow some fall/winter crops! Anyway, I just love how it turned out!

Beautiful !!!!!