28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
In case you missed part 1, here it is. It covers the important basics of building a durable and productive raised bed, such as planning, material selections, designs and tips on how to fill your raised beds!
Today we will look at some inspiring DIY raised bed projects, such as simple wood raised beds, no-build fabric planters, easy cinder block garden beds, and many creative garden box ideas. For more on growing your own food, check out this complete guide to vegetable gardening for beginners, and 35 creative container vegetable garden ideas!
Before we explore all the best DIY raised garden beds, the first thing to keep in mind is: soil building is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of a great raised bed garden!
Here are some of the best ways to make compost for your garden, and 35 great DIY compost bin ideas. One of our favorite composting methods is to dig in kitchen scraps each week, and they turn into compost after 1-2 weeks!
*Some resources in article are affiliate links. Full disclosure here.
This book Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling talks about a great method to build good soil using readily available materials, such as kitchen scraps, cardboard, mulch, yard trimmings etc, without too much hard work!
Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens( Images: Ecofilms |Millhollow Works | Polivka )
Now let’s look at how to build DIY raised beds to grow abundant veggies herbs and flowers in our backyard gardens!
Simple raised bed with 4×4 posts
A simple construction ofwood raised bed using 4×4 posts and 2×6 boards. Cedar and redwood are naturally rot-resistant, and great lumber choices for years of gardening. ( Image: Vegetable Gardener )
As you can see the hardware cloth keeps pests such as gophers from eating the plants.
Super easy fabric raised planters
I am always excited to discover new & inexpensive raised garden bed ideas and designs! Theses fabric planters are so easy to install and you can have a raised bed garden without any building skills! You can also find many size fabric pots from 1 gallon to 30 gallon! Below is a video by High Caliper Growing to see it in action!
These small and portable raised beds are great for lettuce, peas, beans, herbs, salad greens, onions, etc. For veggies with deep root system such as potatoes and carrots, you will want to use a raised bed without a bottom or make it deeper.
How to build simple wood garden boxes
This raised bed is made of 2×6 planks and 2×2 braces. The braces are optional supports that prevent the boards from warping or twisting.( Image: BHG )
Raised bed garden with hoop house attachments.
A raised bed with a greenhouse tunnel on top! Love the addition of PVC pipes held upright to the inside of the bed with steel tube straps like these. A hoop house can be created using smaller diameter PVC or wires. ( Image: Sunset)
Easy DIY raised garden box designs
Add 2×4 or 2×6 caps to give these raised beds an attractive look. These open bottom raised beds are good for growing anything, including veggies with deep root system such as potatoes and carrots. (Source: Chris loves Julia | Popular Mechanics )
Stacked wood raised garden planter box
Remember these gorgeous raised beds from Part one: All About Raised Garden Beds? They are made from 4x6s. Below is a tutorial on how to make the from 6x6s, which is the same process.
Waist height raised planter ideas
Building the raised bed to a counter height of 36″ will make it so much easier to garden for seniors, and people who have physical discomfort in their back or knees.
Two really simple and nice DIY raised beds. I would increase the depth on the first one, and add weed barrier landscape fabric at the bottom to both. ( Source:Instructables )
DIY elevated wood garden boxes
3 variations of the elevated planter box: add shelves for storage or casters for mobility. Images: Addicted2Decorating and Instructables.
Portable raised planter boxes
There are lots of attractive garden box variations. You can add wheels or shleves to make them more user friendly. (Source: Ebay | Gardeners)
Elevated pallet wood planters
Wouldn’t this beautiful planter at Williams Sonoma make a great gift for a garden lover? If you are thinking about DIY, someone at Instructables figured out how to build these beautiful raised beds using wood pallets!
Here’s our favorite tool for taking apart pallets – an awesome deck wrecker!
And a detailed guide all about finding and working with pallets!
Raised bed garden with fencing and benches.
Video tutorial on how to build a raised bed with benches!
Add fencing to your raised beds to keep out deer and rabbits! You can also add benches to a raised bed for the perfect place to sit and enjoy the garden, or set tools and snacks for the gardener! ( Images: Bonnie Plants )
Tiered raised bed planters for patio and porch
This stepped wood planter herb garden looks beautiful in a corner space and This ladder shaped tiered planter is great for small space growing.
Use inexpensive or free materials to build durable raised bed gardens
Tree logs can provide just the right height for a raised bed. Terracotta pipes become little pots and walls for a raised bed. Or build this chic raised bed with cobble stones and landscape block construction adhesive
DIY galvanized metal raised bed
Corrugated metal raised bed looks so gorgeous! Just be very careful- they can be sharp on the cut edges. Use wood trim to cover the cut sharp edges when building! (Via MK Library)
Wood and metal raised garden bed
Another great looking variation of DIY metal planter box. ( Source: Aristata )
Galvanized metal garden boxes with trellis
Add a trellis structure to a raised planter for added function and curb appeal! (Via Plantlust | Blueberry Hill )
Trough raised bed
Isn’t this farmhouse galvanized tank planter bed stylish? Don’t forget to drill some drain holes!
Used tires upcycled into raised garden planters
An used tire can become an instant raised bed garden. These painted tires are so cheerful and pretty! Many gardeners do not think it’s good to grow vegetables and food crops in old tires as there could be harmful chemicals leached ino the soil. But you can always grow ornamental gardens in rubber tires!
Concrete block raised beds
Concrete block (aka cinderblock, CMU ) are great building materials for DIY raised beds. You can make lots of creative designs with them. The first one is by VermiBag on YouTube, see video tutorial below. ( The second image is from Pinterest, original source lost. Please let me know if you find it! )
You can add caps to make your cinder block raised beds more attractive, and double function as a seating bench. ( Via Fab Everyday )
Concrete blocks filled with soil make a sturdy border and additional planting pockets. The key is to take the time and prepare the ground to be level. ( Source: Houzz )
Love these U-shape cinder block garden bed designs! ( Via Instructables | Shelly Michel )
Straw bale above ground garden beds
IMPORTANT: ( Thanks to our reader Jonh for this tip!) If you are interested in using strawbale in your vegetable garden, please make sure the straw comes from a field that wasn’t sprayed with persistent herbicides, which can inhibit plant growth! The best places to get straw bales for gardening is from local farms that practice sustainable, organic, or regenerative farming!
There are two ways to create raised beds with straw bales. The one above uses straw bales as a border. The method below uses straw bales as vessel and growing medium to grow a productive raised bed vegetable garden.
The pioneer of this method, Joel Karsten, wrote an excellent book – Straw Bale Gardens Complete , which gives all the details on straw bale gardening.
Straw Bale Gardens Complete Book ( Images from book by Joel Karsten )
Below is a video on how it works.
If you have been thinking about starting a garden, I think a raised bed garden is a great way to go!
You may also like these 32 creative planters made from up-cycled objects:
And 21 DIY greenhouses with great tutorials.
Or this article on how to find, select and build with pallets!
Happy building and growing! xo
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
I am an expert in gardening and raised bed construction, with a deep understanding of various techniques and materials used in creating raised bed gardens. I have extensive knowledge of soil building, composting, and different types of raised bed designs. I can provide you with information related to all the concepts mentioned in this article.
Soil Building and Composting
Soil building is indeed the most important aspect of a successful raised bed garden. It is crucial to create a nutrient-rich and well-draining soil environment for your plants to thrive. The article mentions several methods for making compost, which is an excellent way to improve soil fertility. Some of the best ways to make compost include using kitchen scraps, cardboard, mulch, and yard trimmings. Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens is a book that discusses a great method for building good soil using readily available materials, without too much hard work [[1]].
Raised Bed Construction
The article provides various DIY raised bed ideas and designs. Let's explore some of them:
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Simple raised bed with 4x4 posts: This design involves using 4x4 posts and 2x6 boards to create a basic and durable raised bed. Cedar and redwood are recommended lumber choices due to their natural rot-resistance [[2]].
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Super easy fabric raised planters: Fabric planters are an inexpensive and easy-to-install option for raised bed gardens. They are suitable for growing lettuce, peas, beans, herbs, salad greens, onions, and other shallow-rooted vegetables. For deep-rooted vegetables like potatoes and carrots, it is advisable to use a raised bed without a bottom or make it deeper [[3]].
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Simple wood garden boxes: This design involves using 2x6 planks and 2x2 braces to create a raised bed. The braces help prevent the boards from warping or twisting [[4]].
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Raised bed garden with hoop house attachments: This design combines a raised bed with a greenhouse tunnel on top. PVC pipes or wires can be used to create the hoop house structure [[5]].
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Easy DIY raised garden box designs: These open-bottom raised beds can be built using 2x4 or 2x6 caps to give them an attractive look. They are suitable for growing a variety of vegetables, including those with deep root systems like potatoes and carrots [[6]].
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Stacked wood raised garden planter box: This design involves using stacked 4x6s or 6x6s to create raised beds. It provides a visually appealing and sturdy option for gardening [[7]].
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Waist height raised planter ideas: Building raised beds at a counter height of 36" makes gardening easier, especially for seniors or individuals with physical discomfort in their back or knees [[8]].
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Elevated wood garden boxes: These variations of elevated planter boxes can include shelves for storage or casters for mobility. They provide convenience and flexibility in gardening [[9]].
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Portable raised planter boxes: There are various attractive variations of portable garden boxes that can be customized with wheels or shelves for user-friendliness [[10]].
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Elevated pallet wood planters: Pallets can be repurposed to create beautiful raised beds. However, it is important to be cautious of any potential chemicals in the pallets and ensure they are safe for growing food crops [[11]].
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Raised bed garden with fencing and benches: Adding fencing to raised beds helps keep out pests, while benches provide a convenient place to sit and enjoy the garden. This design combines functionality and aesthetics [[12]].
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Tiered raised bed planters for patio and porch: Tiered planters are ideal for small spaces and can be used to grow herbs and other plants. They add visual interest and maximize planting space [[13]].
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Used tires upcycled into raised garden planters: Old tires can be repurposed as instant raised bed gardens. However, it is recommended to use them for ornamental gardens rather than growing food crops due to potential chemical leaching [[14]].
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Concrete block raised beds: Concrete blocks, also known as cinder blocks or CMU, are versatile building materials for DIY raised beds. They allow for creative designs and can be enhanced with caps for an attractive finish [[15]].
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Straw bale above ground garden beds: Straw bales can be used as borders or as vessels and growing mediums for raised bed gardens. It is important to ensure the straw comes from a field that wasn't sprayed with persistent herbicides. The book Straw Bale Gardens Complete by Joel Karsten provides detailed information on straw bale gardening [[16]].
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Galvanized metal raised bed: Corrugated metal raised beds offer a stylish and durable option. However, caution should be taken with the sharp edges, and wood trim can be used to cover them [[17]].
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Wood and metal raised garden bed: This design combines the beauty of wood with the strength of metal, resulting in an attractive and functional raised bed [[18]].
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Galvanized metal garden boxes with trellis: Adding a trellis structure to a raised planter provides additional functionality and enhances curb appeal [[19]].
These are just a few of the many DIY raised bed ideas and designs available. Each design has its own advantages and can be customized to suit your specific needs and preferences.
I hope this information helps you in your gardening endeavors! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Happy gardening!
