How often have you thought about how economical it would be to have your own garden, but you didn’t have good soil or your range of motion was too limited? With a raised garden bed, you don’t have to worry about these things anymore.
A raised garden is perfect for all sorts of yards and they can be used for vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They’re ideal because they keep weeds from getting into the soil, prevent the soil from being compacted, they act as a barrier from snails and slugs, and it also provides excellent drainage.
The walls of the bed help keep your nutrient dense soil from being washed away when it rains and because the soil is so nutritious as well as warmer and not so soggy, you can plant a little earlier–all because it is above ground.
Raised Garden Bed vs. Planter
We want to clarify that a raised garden bed isn’t quite the same as a garden planter. The planters are containers that are elevated and have a bottom which prevents the soil from falling out. A bed sits on top of the ground without a barrier, which allows the root system for the plants to permeate deeper, thus having a better chance of getting more nutrients.
That said some beds do have a bottom to prevent soil from touching ground… at least we feature them here even though they aren’t strictly raised garden beds.
Materials
When it comes to choosing the style and material of your raised garden bed, there are so many to choose from! Depending on your budget, the beds can be made from wood, cinder block, masonry stone, and even metal. When you’re choosing the material, you’ll want to also consider the style of your home and your personal preference.
Shape
For example, if you want a traditional look, you may want to opt for a wooden bed or maybe use masonry stone. As for the shape of the bed, you’re only limited to your imagination! They can be circular, square, triangular, or even three dimensional and shaped like a pyramid!
Below is a massive gallery featuring 32 very different garden beds made of different materials, shapes and sizes.
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Source: Instructables. Read the full step-by-step tutorial here.
This particular bed combines a raised bed with a traditional garden layout. This option is perfect for larger vegetables like pumpkins, zucchini, tomatoes, and watermelon, while the top is ideal for herbs, flowers, and even onions and peppers. It’s a good idea to keep animals out of your garden by putting chicken wire around the perimeter.
Source: Instructables. Read the full step-by-step tutorial here.
If you’re handy with power tools, you can take landscaping timbers and cut out notches in the wood and piece them together like a log cabin. This look is perfect if you have a rustic home or even a log cabin!
Source: Instructables. Read the full step-by-step tutorial here.
Raised beds aren’t only used for vegetables, but they can be used for decoration too. As you see with this particular bed, it is built around a tree and filled with colorful flowers. Think about how much easier it is to cut the grass in a straight line, instead of trying to navigate around the trunk of this tree—and it’s all thanks to the raised bed!
Source: Instructables
As much as we love wildlife, we don’t want the animals to reap the rewards from our hard work. This raised bed uses fencing and doors to help keep animals from munching on your goodies.
Source: Instructables
If the ideal location for your bed isn’t near a water source, you can try a wicking bed. This type of raised bed essentially waters itself, which is a great option because the water evaporates less, the plants can grow deeper roots, and you actually save water, since it only draws up water when the soil is dry.
Source: Instructables
If you don’t have a very large budget for materials, you can always go out in search of pallets. Pallets can be found stacked up behind any store, but we recommend that you ask the store if you can have the pallets before just taking them! The wood from the pallets can be repurposed to create these beds for just a fraction of the cost.
Source: Instructables
Who ever said a raised bed had to sit on the ground and be only so big? We say go big or go home! By placing the bed on stilts for that extra height, it makes the raised bed ideal for aging gardeners who may have difficulty getting around. Also, you needn’t worry about the water draining and flooding your garden, as there are drainage holes in the bottom of the bed.
Source: Instructables. Read the full step-by-step tutorial here.
For a unique take on a raised bed that is cheap, what better way to come across the materials than by foraging in the woods for branches and logs? Talk about recycling!
Source: Instructables
If wildlife is a big problem in your area and you don’t want to have a fence around the garden, why not raise it completely, plus add some visual interest to your yard with a unique bed like this? Best of all, you can use the wood from pallets (which is free!) to construct it.
Source: Instructables
Raised beds can go anywhere and be home to anything! They don’t even have to be used for gardens. This particular “garden” is a beautiful water feature and it uses the same principles of a raised bed.
Source: Instructables
Much like raised gardens, this particular raised bed can be used as a water feature as shown, but it can also be used as a garden as well. This particular feature uses nice decking boards that have been kiln-dried and has wrap around seating.
Source: Instructables
Would you believe that this particular garden was made by using pallet wood? You can bring the wood to life with a coat of beautiful stain and arrange it in a pyramid design for a truly elegant bed. This would make for a lovely flower garden in any home.
Source: Instructables
Of course, if you want something less wood-toned and stand out, you can always paint your raised bed a color that pops (or blends in). The choice is yours! We should note that the rod at the end of the bed is a great feature for hanging your garden tools on hooks while you are working on the garden.
Source: Instructables
Here’s another example of a timber log bed which lends to the log cabin feel. Notice how this particular bed is built on uneven ground, but it has been made even by adding a few extra rows in the front so that the bed is level.
Avid gardeners can appreciate this well-organized lot of garden beds. Each box can house its own vegetable, thus making harvesting and maintenance that much easier. Plus, the fence around the whole garden is ideal for keeping pesky critters out.
Add a pop of color to your raised garden by painting the wood vibrate colors. You can combine several different boxes into the design for easy organization of the vegetables, too.
If you’re looking to make a bolder statement, use larger pieces of timber to make a bigger garden.
Even though this garden uses wood, the design of the beds provide a modern feel, thanks to the clean lines and rich stain on the wood.
If you really want to prevent weeds or critters from getting into the garden, place your raised bed on a concrete slab. Off set the industrial look by using reclaimed wood or give the wood a distressed look. Both elements come together to make the garden look inviting and unique.
Nothing is as charming as a brick flower garden that is overflowing with pastel colored flowers. Who wouldn’t want to take a break on the benches and admire the peace and quiet while admiring this quaint little garden?
Because these raised beds aren’t very high, a little bit of mulch around this trio of boxes is a nice way to break up all the greenery.
Really make a statement in your garden with a bright color on the boxes and the fencing. Not only does it liven up the landscape, but it also adds a nice amount of charm.
Raised beds don’t even have to be in direct soil! This particular bed is kept simple with a few limbs found in the yard, some left over fencing, and pots. The point of raised beds is to let your creativity shine!
The gutters on the side of this particular garden bed is a great way to store your tools, but also helps with harvesting. Think how streamline the harvesting process is—just pick, plop into the gutter, and hose it down. Sounds pretty smart, doesn’t it?
This particular bed is pretty high off the ground, and it is great for those who cannot bend down or kneel for long lengths of time.
The same for this bed. The bed is pretty high off the ground, but it also features plenty of stone underneath which allows for drainage.
This particular garden features numerous types of plants and greenery, making it a nice spot to sit and relax at the end of the day. Add a water feature in one of the boxes and it can act as a peaceful retreat right in your very own backyard.
For those who have a blank wall that you’d like to utilize, this is a great option. Simply hang wall mounted planters on the wall and grow your herbs, flowers, and other plants.
If you live in the woods or you have a bunch of fallen limbs, this is a great way to reuse the wood. This design also lends itself perfectly to a home with a rustic vibe.
If you have access to reclaimed wood, this is a good way to reuse that wood. The grey tones make the greenery that much more vibrant, and the stones at the bottom of the boxes promotes drainage.
For those prized roses, sometimes it’s necessary to have protective netting around your garden.
Like this garden, when you create an intricate design around a central focal garden, you are creating a beautiful and functional garden that anyone would love to spend time in.