Here’s how to incorporate pretty and practical raised beds into your garden’s design.
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Whether you’ve decided to create a potager, or kitchen garden, by your back door for vegetables and herbs, or you want a dedicated area for flowers for a cutting garden, raised beds are the answer. They have many advantages, including the fact that they offer a place that’s high off the ground to save your knees and back or accommodate those with limited mobility. Plus, they keep your veggies away from hungry bunnies!
Raised garden beds also offer improved drainage if your area's soil is comprised of heavy clay or is too sandy, since you fill the bed with the exact soil mixture you want. They also warm up faster than garden beds, which helps you maximize the number of growing days per year if you live in a cold climate.
Raised beds can be constructed from many different materials—including cedar, metal and pavers—and can be fit to any size garden, no matter how big or small. Most raised garden beds range from 6 inches to 3 feet deep so that they can accommodate different varieties of flowers and vegetables, from shallow-rooted types, such as lettuce, to deeper rooted vegetables, such as tomatoes.
But if you don’t have room in your garden for traditional raised beds, you can opt for other options such as container gardening, window boxes and wall planters. These types of planters work well in compact spaces such as a tiny patio, deck or balcony, yet they still provide plenty of growing space for annuals, perennials, herbs and other edibles.
Ahead, our favorite types of ready-made and DIY raised bed gardens:
1
Potager-Style Raised Beds
A kitchen garden is meant to be both pretty and productive, with herbs, vegetables and flowers intermingled in a pleasing design. It's typically planted near the back door for convenience's sake, but anywhere you have full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight) is fine. The one shown here is constructed from cedar with pea gravel and brick walkways.
2
Tiered Raised Bed Pot Garden
A series of pots in different heights, as shown here, is just as functional as a built-in raised bed. Terra cotta is a classic material, but any type of pot works fine—and the more, the merrier!
3
Modern Extra-Tall Raised Bed Garden
These extra-tall raised beds, featured in The Elegant Edible Garden, have a modern vibe and can accommodate a ton of different veggies or flowers. Bonus: They provide screening and privacy for a patio or driveway.
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4
Fabric Grow Bag Garden
Zero room to garden? Fabric grow bags an excellent solution for growing vegetables, herbs or flowers when you have no yard. They offer great root aeration and drainage and set up fine on a patio or deck, then they can be collapsed for winter storage.
5
Raised Planter with Trellis
A raised garden bed planter with integrated trellis makes it easy to grow vining plants, such as tomatoes or morning glories. It works equally well on a patio, deck or balcony, and some types allow you to add wheels for portability.
6
Elevated Raised Garden Bed
Make gardening easier on yourself! Waist-high raised beds make gardening easier for everyone, including kids, anyone with back or knee discomfort, and those with limited mobility.
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7
Deer-resistant Raised Garden Beds
Raised garden beds are further protected by fencing the entire garden, as seen in these beds featured in The Elegant Edible Garden. This works well in areas where you have a lot of garden visitors such as rabbits or deer (although you will need a fence of at least 6 to 8 feet tall to keep out deer, which can jump into shorter enclosures).
8
Tiered Raised Garden Bed
Tiered beds are versatile, offering depth for vegetables that have deeper roots or vines, while the shorter bed can accommodate edibles such as lettuce or kale, which have shallow roots.
9
Masonry Raised Bed Garden
Brick and stone are long-lasting and lend an English garden or cottage garden charm. Prefab kits make assembling it easier than you'd think if you don't want to hire a stonemason.
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10
Stock Tank Raised Bed Garden
Stock tanks have become popular because they're sturdy, spacious and offer a long-lasting rustic charm for a cottage garden feel. They also come in various sizes and shapes to suit any garden design.
11
Earthen Raised Bed Garden
A raised bed doesn't necessarily mean you need a container: The one shown here demonstrates how to mound earth to make a raised bed that still provides faster warming of the soil temperature in spring, along with better drainage. The edge is defined with a super-sharp edging spade or garden spade.
12
DIY Raised Bed Connectors
Simplify a DIY garden bed by using prefab raised bed corner connectors, which allow you to build beds in any shape or configuration you need. Choose the lumber, then purchase the connectors to fit together a bed that perfectly suits your garden's shape and size.
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13
Oversized Container Garden
Transform one corner of a patio into a container garden with oversized pots. Here, ferns, heuchera and other shade-loving plants create a soothing green corner without a planting bed.
14
Window Box Garden
A window box overflowing with flowers is always appealing, no matter your garden's size. Match it to your home's style, and fill it with annuals, perennials, or even small shrubs, such as hydrangeas, as shown here. You even can grow vegetables, such as Swiss chard, kale, and lettuce.
Arricca Elin SanSone
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
