Episode 054: Building Raised Garden Beds

“Raised bed” gardening can be a hotly debated gardening method. As I see it, there are certainly pros and cons, and it may or may not be the right fit for each gardener. Some of the benefits to a raised bed can include improved drainage, direct management of soil chemistry, easier management of pest insects, protection from animals such as rabbits, and providing an easier working height. The major cons are simply the cost and effort required to build the raised beds. For our situation, raised beds seemed to be a good fit, so we built our first two this season. In this episode, we discuss design considerations for a garden, developing a garden plan, and implementing your plan. We also discuss scaling the garden to meet your particular needs, whether you have a large acreage or a tiny patio. The design we used for our raised beds is very simple, and relatively inexpensive. Take a close look at the slideshow below, and you’ll see exactly how they’re constructed.