PART 1 | HOW TO BUILD A RAISED GARDEN BED FROM SCRATCH

How I built a raised garden bed using just a few simple materials. This is easy to do and the material can be easily found at your local hardware store.

Materials:
5 - 2x6x8 dimensional lumber
1 - box of 6” structural lumber screws
1 - roll of wire mesh
Recycled cardboard
Yard trimmings
Topsoil

1. First I cut one of the 2x6 boards into 4 pieces for the sides of the raised bed. The dimensions of my planter are 2’ x 8’.
2. After leveling the area that I wished to place my garden bed, I placed the four sides of the bed (four pieces of lumber) on top. This created a “frame”.
3. Using a square, I made sure that the rectangle was square and then used the structural screws to secure each corner. I used two in each corner so that it didn’t twist.
4. Once the initial rectangle was together, I then unrolled the wire mesh on top and stapled it to the boards. Trim the mesh to fit. Then flip the whole frame over so that the mesh is on the bottom (this may require some assistance). Alternatively, you could have put the mesh down first, but I found it hard to staple this way.
5. Next I placed the second level of boards on top of the first frame. Secure the corners after making sure this level is square too.
6. Secure the second level of boards to the first by using the structural screws on the inside of the bed and screwing downward and on an angle. The planter soil will cover these.
7. Next lay down a layer of cardboard on top of the mesh inside the planter. I used recycled cardboard boxes.
8. On top of the cardboard, place any sticks or yard trimmings you might have so that you don’t have to use so much topsoil and this will create good compost as the trimmings breakdown.
9. Finally, cover the trimmings with bags of topsoil. I recommend an organic local option if available.
10. Water and let sit for a day before planting so that you can see when the dirt settles and if you need to add more.

There are many options for building a raised bed, but I found this to be a quick and easy solution for what I wanted. You could also use cedar or paint the wood to make it last longer!

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