Building a raised garden bed

Click here to view full size album or slide show and read the construction details.


Ever since I moved to my current home a few years ago I have been frustrated in my efforts to plant an early Spring garden. Every March and April it is cold and wet. Even if I can get some seed in the ground it doesn't germinate until it gets warmer.

This Spring I finally had it. It was time to change things. If I can't change the weather then I will have to find a way to deal with it.

My solution was to build a raised bed (10" high, 4' wide and 20' long) in the garden. I used a similar process to build two raised beds at my previous house where the dirt was nothing but yellow clay and limestone. The ONLY way to garden there was to grow things above the existing surface. It worked very well.

This time I added a couple of refinements so I could cover the bed with either plastic or fiberglass sheets to keep out the rain and hold in a little warmth from the sun in the early Spring. I also added some gravel under the dirt to improve drainage and hardware cloth to keep out the moles.

The bed wasn't ready for an early Spring garden this year but is being used for Summer crops. Next Spring I plan to be ready for some edible pod peas, green onions and radishes!