Worthwhile to Build and Sell Raised Beds?

[BlazersandWildcats]

I know this can be a kind of vague question that can be answered depending on many different variables. However, I recently got into the gardening scene and ever since have enjoyed learning and getting more involved with the garden scene. I've been a carpenter for many years and had an idea I wanted to see what other gardeners thought about it. I don't take any offense to any online messages, I'm just looking for clear and honest opinions! So speak your mind!

Idea:

After doing a bit of searching around, I noticed the price of raised garden beds have soared into the hundreds of dollars. Over the years, I've also noticed a lot of the larger cities, such as mine, are going greener. Which means more organic/raised beds! After looking at many ideas and coming up with many unique ideas, I was wondering 1. How many of you actually have purchased these raised beds? 2. If someone was to offer a service to come to your location and build your beds at half the price of the stores cost with even more creative ideas than the stores selections? Would you accept this offer? This has been something fumbling in my head. Being a country boy there's nothing like working with a hammer and nails or a drill all day out in the lawn.

All ideas are welcomed!

[Dillbert]

raised beds - per se - have zero.zero to do with "greener"

you can pour all kinds of chemical stuff into them, employ all kinds of non-sustainable materials and methods in using them.

store bought billion dollar "raised bed kits" - only works for the trillion dollar a week wall street types.

"I'll come build you a raised bed" would appeal to totally inexperienced people who can't tell compost from concrete and need someone to deliver a "finished product - bed, dirt, plants" for a check.

[webmaster]

You may want to offer to build some raised bed gardens for some of your local private schools. Make sure you obtain a promise that they will thank you in their next newsletter, listing a phone number should anyone wish for you to build one for them.

Most private schools seek donations and I wouldn't count on obtaining too many orders from your local private schools. But, maybe some of the parents may be interested. Might be a longshot, but if anyone's going to be interested it's going to be the kind of people who buy two thousand dollar refrigerators.

Building associations and building owners may be interested in creating rooftop gardens. Unfortunately for you they will turn to professional landscapers to get that done. But, if you offer a really nice product, particularly ones with innovative features or beautiful styling, you may get some orders building them for professional landscapers.

Good luck!

[Charlie MV]

I built mine. I had no idea they could be bought. For me it would depend on price. If you built them for what I spent on materials plus $40 or $50 I'd consider it. If you filled them up I'd consider that too. But we want to cruise this Christmas and the cost is double than that of any other week so I'd probably just build them myself.

I learned a lesson on mine. I used 4" screws to put them together. Some have cupped and the screws pulled right out. This winter I'll back the screws out and replace them with 3/8 x 6" lags with a washer. Fortunately I have the bar clamps to pull the cup out. Some of the beds did just fine.

[Charlie MV]

Have to try to remember to load the last picture first. Go to bottom and scroll up.

[rainbowgardener]

Since there are obviously some people who buy the ridiculously expensive raised beds in the catalogs (or they wouldn't stay in the catalog), it seems like there would surely be some people who would buy less expensive raised beds, custom designed to fit their yard and circumstances. That's probably not going to be many of us here, because the regulars around here tend to be serious gardeners and build our own. But surely, there are working people with little time for doing all that, that would love to have some ready made raised beds, that they can pop pre-grown plants from the big box store in to and feel like they are gardening. The question would be just getting the word out and finding your market, which would be not the super rich who just hire gardeners to do it all, but busy working professionals with more money than time.

[Susan W]

There is a market, and an honest one. Location -are you in an urban or suburban area?
What do you know about gardening? The person wanting this service may need suggestions on placement, size, and then advice on dirt etc to put in it.
Custom beds. This could be the most interesting. This could be working around a specific location, one to accommodate a person with limited mobility or chair bound.

$? This is critical of course. I've seen a couple of people here offer the beds, installed at what I thought high $. Business idea didn't last long. If reasonable, can be good. I for one don't have a truck or much in tools, and work around that. I am looking to pick up 3 landscape timbers (8'). Last time I got some, just put in the mini-van. Now the back seat is in there for the g-son, and loading timbers may be problematic!

Just some ideas