Build The Ultimate Raised Garden Bed
Forget about back-breaking gardening when you build this raised garden bed and fill it with your favourite veggies.
04/04/2023
I have come to enjoy the fruits of my hard work and harvesting fresh veggies straight from the garden. I will admit that it was hard work at first; keeping control of pests and diseases, and protecting the crops from harsh weather, and that doesn't even include hotter-than-hot days and soaking-wet weather for days on end. But the results are well worth it and have kept my kitchen stocked with tomatoes, green beans, spinach, gem squash, potatoes and a few other veggie crops.
What has made the most impact is building the raised beds that house the various veggies and herbs we have growing. Trying to manage and control everything would be back-breaking without the raised beds.
While recently browsing the web, I came across the ultimate raised garden bed on the sunset.com website and believe this is a fantastic idea for raised beds. The mesh sides and top on the upper-level cabinet will protect crops from damage and also keep birds and garden wildlife away from your valuable veggies. Having taken a closer look at the design as it is shown here, I believe that with a few added elements you could knock up a few of these for all your homegrown fruits, herbs, and veggie and position them in sunny or semi-shade spots around the garden.
Modifications to the design
Kudos to the original designers of this raised planter bed, victory garden LA, there are a few modifications that I would make to the design:
1. The base for the planting box
The original design has a hardwood base consisting of slats. Since we only have affordable access to pine, meranti, or saligna, these would not be ideal for use as a base on which heavy soil will be placed. Nor the fact that the wood will need to be okay with being wet every time the box is watered,
A better solution would be to line the box with waterproofing fabric or heavy-duty plastic to protect the wood from rotting. An even better solution, although it would be more expensive, would be to have a stainless steel or aluminium tray made to fit in the bottom of the planter box. Or, find this beforehand and build the planter box around it. Holes drilling into the plate would allow water drainage to flow through and you would not have to worry about any possible wood rot.
2. Top frame
Although I do particularly love the top cabinet on the planter box, I would not make it as tall unless you plant to grow veggie that need the height. Most garden crops are low- to medium-growth height and would not require that much space.
Installed mesh or firm netting around the top frames is great if you get lots of wildlife or birds in your garden but I like the idea of replacing the mesh with transparent acrylic or glass to create more of a greenhouse. It would be easy enough to incorporate a small fan on the side of the back to keep the raised bed ventilated and it would allow you to grow vegetable crops throughout the year.
With this type of design, there is also the possibility of installing a small drip-irrigation system, and perhaps even grow lights for the perfect all-round raised bed that can be used whatever the season.
Uses for your raised bed or enclosed greenhouse
Homegrown produce
Make a raised bed to fit into a small, medium, or large garden, or for placing on a porch, patio, or deck. It can be planted with a varied selection of vegetables that do not require too much space to grow. Be sure to double-check that plant species will enjoy each other's company and also consider companion planting to keep pests at bay.
Salad ingredients
Imagine having everything you need for a fresh, crisp salad at your fingertips. You can plant vegetables to suit your particular tastes or lifestyle and know that everything is organic.
Flavour garden
For those that enjoy foods packed with goodness and flavour, you will be able to grow your own produce. Think bell peppers, chilli, aromatic herbs, and so on. The ultimate raised garden bed can bring spice to your kitchen.