For some people, raised garden beds are not only beautiful but also very functional. If you have limited space and you want to create an extension of your living room or bedroom, or even just make a little more usable space in the courtyard, a raised bed is the answer. Raised garden beds can be used for different purposes. For instance, a raised bed can be used as a storage unit to store gardening tools and other equipment. You can use it as a playhouse for your kids where they can spend their time outdoors and have fun.

Design

Now that you have raised beds, the next challenge is to come up with attractive raised garden boxes that will complement the raised bed designs. These boxes are available in different styles, materials, and colours. For wood, you can choose from a variety of beautiful timbers. Pine is popular for this purpose. However, if you are concerned about the environmental issues raised beds can bring, you can opt for other durable materials like cedar, redwood, or pine.

Soil

Another thing that you need to take care of when planning your raised garden is the soil. You must choose the right type of soil for your raised garden because the soil will determine how your plants will grow. Loose soil would let excess water evaporates easily, but it would also attract termites, insects, and pests. Clay soil, on the other hand, is ideal for holding in moisture. Soil that is made of high-quality cedar will not let the water evaporate easily, but it also can repel pests.

Building Your Raised Garden

When building your raised garden beds, there are many things you need to consider aside from the natural wood or the pressure-treated lumber. First, the materials you use for the raised bed design will greatly affect its maintenance and durability. Many people choose to use natural wood for their garden beds. However, pressure-treated lumber is more durable and offers a longer life span. This type of lumber is also insect resistant, which is important for raised beds as these garden structures are prone to bugs and pests. If you opt for natural wood, you should know how to properly maintain and repair damaged parts of the wooden structure.

Another thing you have to take into consideration when planning for and building raised beds is the level of sun and shade that your garden receives. Sunlight is very crucial for your plants as it enables them to absorb nutrients from the soil. During the winter, however, it is critical to place raised beds under a shaded section of the yard to keep the sunlight away from your plants. Also, keep in mind that planting beds beneath trees can result in damage due to pinecones being exposed. To avoid this, line your garden bed with pinecones or plant flowers between pinecones to make your raised beds safer from pinecones.

Once you have decided on the type of soil, plants, and garden beds, you can start digging. Start by excavating around one square meter of the area for the garden beds, spreading it out evenly in a perimeter of one square meter. Once this has been done, lay down the concrete and wait for it to dry. Once it is all dry, you are now ready to set your raised bed foundations. For wooden garden beds, pour out the soil mixture and spread it over the wooden frame, fill up any depressions in the soil, and then hammer in firmly.

Pest Management

Pest management is another concern when you build raised beds. As with traditional garden soil, raised beds have plant roots that attach to the soil. This gives the garden soil much more drainage, but if you apply too much water or fertilizer to your beds, the roots may overhang the edges of the soil and may eventually cause your plants to wilt. The best way to avoid this is to plan your gardening scheme and then choose appropriate materials for the beds.