HelpfulGardener.com

Hey everyone, hoping to get some suggestions on some decent custom raised garden bed that fits in my backyard. I ‘am not really looking to go very high end.I'm just trying to get an idea as to what would work the best for me ,I searched through the internet and I found https://inthebackyard.ca/ . and anyone has dealt with IN THE BACKYARD services . I appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks!

I have no experience with this company, but I suggest you do a more detailed online research before making up your mind.

I have no experience with that company, but they look really expensive. If building one yourself is out of the question, and it has to be a custom-built bed, I would look locally for a handyman to build you one. Gather pictures of ones you like and have him build it. I'll bet the local lawn-care guys either do it or know who in your area builds stuff like that.

It will be very pricy. Do you have some particular design in mind that will be difficult to do, e.g. curves, odd shapes?

I built my own 8x4 raised beds from landscape timbers for about $30 each:



I sealed the wood with polyurethane stain for the color and to make the wood last longer. I stack them, drill a hole straight down through the stack and pound steel rebar all the way down through it and into the ground. They are very solid, last a long time.

If you want curves, they can be done with interlocking concrete blocks. This one is one quarter of a circle. Eventually I will build the other quarters, with paths between them.



It is pricier and takes considerable care with the bottom layer. You need to dig down a few inches, then partly fill it with paver sand. It needs to be very level. Once the spot is prepared and the bottom layer laid and leveled, everything else is just stacking blocks, very easy and fast. No mortar or anything.

I used reclaimed 2x6 and 2x8 treated lumber. It was in the sun on a deck for 5 years, vegetables so far are doing well. I and my grandson built 10 varying in size from 2'×2'×10', and 2'×2'×6'. I built them due to I am unable to walk and this makes it possible todo everything I need from my mobility scooter. I bought 12 cubic yards of potting soil, if I had ordered 10% less it would have worked perfectly, so I ended up with 1 cubic yard left over. My yukon golds are not going to make it, cramped roots or it got too hot too quick. I did plant late. However I'm going to grow my potatos in the ground from now on. (I am taking advantage of the suggestions on this site.) This is my first raised bed year, advantages: weed control much much easier, watering easier, and actually I grow more in the raised beds then on the ground, maybe better organized? I don't know. I have experiments going on other than the potatos, cantalope not enough yield for the space, but man do they taste good. Melons should be on the ground. My total investment including soil and paying my grandson a few bucks is real close to $1,000.00. I would use reclaimed lumber again, it was free other than moving it. I don't have any experience with raised beds except what I've done since April 1st, I am not what I would consider myself at anything but "novice".

One more thing, I bought 1600 earth worms and put some in each bed. Uncle Jims in Penn. sold me 500 for $40.00, when they got here there was at least 1600 in there. The best bargain I ever got.