There are two good ways to get the raised garden put up in your backyard that you dream of:
- Build your own from and idea you have ( yourself or hire someone)
- Get a raised bed garden kit that's ready to go
There are specific advantages to both choices. If you build your own design you can completely control the way it looks and the details of how you will use it. You'll also own the mistakes you may make and have to either live with it or start over.
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If you order a kit you will have a pretty good idea of the outcome before you even click the buy button, and you will have plenty of choices in design. But, you may have to settle for a garden that looks like many others in your neighborhood.
Raised Garden Bed Materials
Just by browsing the kits for sale you'll get more ideas of what kind of building material you might like the best. Some of the most popular options are the tried and true choices, but your imagination might run in other directions.
Cedar is a popular material because it resists rot naturally. It's available in both white cedar and red cedar, the white being the cheaper choice. Any wood boxes may warp a little, but it doesn't hurt the design and gives your garden a little character. It's a perfect choice for the gardener who wants to dip their toe into raised bed gardening without making any firm commitments. The price is right.
Corrugated Tin works great for raised bed construction and will last for decades. If you make your own you will have to decide how to cut it to the right size, and that's both noisy and dangerous. An advantage it that you can build with used tin and get it for free. Kits offer all pieces cut to size and corner connectors ready to go.
Composite materials are made mostly from recycled plastics and are a lot like the decking that you can buy now. The frames for composite raised garden beds are lighter, having hollow centers and made for this specific use. Composites have the advantages of:
- Rot resistant
- UV resistant
- Many colors available
- Modular design allows many configurations
- Fits most any surroundings
Powder coated steel offers a great and unique design in many colors, and will last the rest of your life. It's the same steel that is popular for roofing, but cut and engineered for raised garden beds. These kits are made to assemble quickly and handle mowers and weed eater attacks no problem.
Other materials can be found locally and at salvage yards. Some examples are cinder blocks, railroad ties, landscape timbers, parts of cars and farm equipment.
Raised Bed Garden Corner Brackets
If you want to use local materials but don't know what to use for corner brackets, you might want to order just those. For board projects you can use just a standard metal corner bracket. If you order kits made of other materials the corner brackets will be unique to the design and included with the kit.
Liners For Raised Garden Beds
Liners aren't always necessary, but sometimes your plans may include growing a species that is invasive. Liners work well for keeping your plants inside the garden bed and other plants outside. Landscaping mats and weed mats work best for this purpose. You might even want to use a plastic tarp in some situations, like when planting a table top design garden bed.
Most raised garden beds can be built best by starting with a kit. You'll get all the parts you need and instructions, and even kids enjoy putting the kits together. No matter what choice you make, you'll have a garden wherever you want and fast. Enjoy gardening on your terms.
