| You can save money by building your own | | | | the bed to take care of things like weeding |
| raised garden bed. These can be used for | | | | and fertilizing. If you have the bed against |
| flowers and even for vegetables. They are | | | | a house or fence, wide beds make it difficult |
| gaining in popularity because they are easy | | | | to reach the backside of the bed as well. |
| and inexpensive to build, making them | | | | |
| practical parts of the landscape. | | | | Temporary beds, unlike permanent beds, allow |
| Additionally, they are fairy easy to plant | | | | you to change the design every year. If you |
| and maintain. They are even relatively easy | | | | like the idea of being able to make small |
| to weed. In addition to being convenient and | | | | changes to your landscape each growing |
| practical in maintenance, they also drain | | | | season, then temporary beds can help you |
| sooner as well as warm up faster. This means | | | | achieve this. Additionally, they are easier |
| that you can plant earlier in the season, | | | | and less expensive to remove if you decide |
| resulting in the possibility of multiple | | | | that you would like to take them out. Wood is |
| harvests if you use your raised gardens for | | | | best for these types of beds, as the wood can |
| vegetables. You can make your garden a | | | | easily be taken apart. Choosing attractive |
| temporary bed or a permanent bed, and reap | | | | woods can add to the look of your landscape |
| the benefits of a simple way to enjoy your | | | | design. You can also decorate the wood with |
| landscape more and even dress it up a little | | | | non-toxic paint if you would like to have a |
| bit. | | | | little different look. As with permanent |
| | | | beds, make sure that you build them at least |
| The first thing you need to do is make sure | | | | with a foot of depth and not very wide. |
| that you have all of the necessary tools and | | | | |
| materials. You can make your beds out of | | | | When planting your beds, whether permanent or |
| rocks, concrete blocks, bricks, naturally | | | | temporary, you should begin by preparing the |
| rot-resistant wood (cypress is very slow to | | | | bed. Remove rocks, sticks, and debris from |
| decompose), or wood treated with a safe | | | | the beds and make sure that they are prepared |
| preservative. It is important to make sure | | | | for plantings. Be sure to allow for drainage. |
| that treated wood does not have anything | | | | You can build your bed on a patio or on soil, |
| harmful in it that could leach into the soil | | | | but either way you should ensure that there |
| and thus be absorbed by the plants. This is | | | | are adequate pathways for excess moisture to |
| especially important if you plan to eat | | | | escape. When using brick or concrete blocks, |
| whatever you are growing in your raised bed. | | | | they can be stacked in a staggered fashion to |
| Other things that you will need include | | | | allow water out of the bed. When building on |
| optional wood preservative (like sealant) or | | | | top of soil, loosen the bottom soil with a |
| sheet plastic, spading fork, shovel, iron | | | | shovel or spading fork. The bed should be |
| rake, hammer and nails, measuring tape, | | | | filled from bottom to top with a compost and |
| compost, and topsoil. All of things are | | | | topsoil mixture. After this is done, rake the |
| necessary for creating a successful raised | | | | top of the bed so that it is smooth. |
| garden bed. | | | | |
| | | | Once the bed is prepared, you can plant |
| When making a permanent garden bed, you | | | | flowers, herbs, or vegetables inside the bed. |
| should make sure to use more permanent | | | | Tall plants should be put in against a fence |
| materials. If you plan to use your bed for | | | | or wall, or on the bed's northern side. Make |
| flowers as a prominent part of your | | | | sure that you take proper care of your plants |
| landscape, bricks make very nice beds, as | | | | in your bed, and remember that raised beds |
| they are attractive and often complement most | | | | can dry out faster. They may need a little |
| traditional landscape designs and plants. The | | | | more water. Avoid stepping on the bed as much |
| bed can be as long as you would like it to | | | | as possible to prevent soil compaction, and |
| be, but it should be at least one foot deep | | | | follow up your planting with a proper |
| and no more than four feet wide. Wider beds | | | | application of mulch. |
| can make it difficult to reach the middle of | | | | |