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As I mentioned in a previous post, I hit a milestone birthday this year, and when Rich asked if there was anything I would like to do to celebrate, my answer was to build a garden. You can read about our start on the garden shed here. We are almost done with the shed, but this weekend decided to switch gears and build the four raised beds we had planned for the space. After measuring out the area we had in front of the shed, we decided on (2) 4′ x 8′ and (2) 4′ x 10′ beds. We plan to put one of each size on either side of the space with a 4′ wide path down the middle. Having raised beds not only makes gardening easier, but they can also keep plants healthier and boost yields. Plus we have a large mature tree with extended roots and this will allow our plantings not to compete with them. We decided on cedar wood for its durability and natural resistance to pests. The sales person at the lumber yard suggested using cedar decking to build our boxes.
We started by cutting all the pieces to size and giving them a good sand.
We used a pocket hole jig system to drill holes which would create stronger, cleaner joints and screwed the sides together.
We created three of these frames and then attached them all together using cedar pickets since they are lower in cost and would not be visible on the inside of the bed.
We used these cedar pickets and cut them the height of the bed (approx 18″). These pieces would help hold the bed together and also give us something to attach the lip of the bed to. We secured them with three on each longer side and one in the middle of the shorter side and on all four corners.
We created the lip around the top edge by ripping a 12′ cedar decking in half for the 10′ beds and used them on each long side. We used an 8′ cedar decking piece cut in half for the 4′ shorter sides. For the (2) 8′ beds we ripped a 10′ cedar decking in half for the long sides and also used an 8′ piece in half for the 4′ width side. We attached it with a nail gain and covered the nail holes with exterior wood filler.
We are really happy with the way they turned out and put them roughly in place. We will be leveling the ground so the beds will be level and then adding pea stone gravel all around them creating pathways. In case you aren’t up to building your own raised beds I’ve rounded up a few nice ones for purchase – just click on the image or shop the images in the carousel below. The fall is a great time to plant tulip and daffodil bulbs so they will be in bloom come spring!
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