Planning on going the route of using raised garden beds for your gardening? If you have the financial muscle to purchase the already made solutions, you can continue reading or go here to see the best ones reviewed.
But if you plan on do-it-yourself (diy) raised garden beds, this resource on woodworking will be a great one to have. Click 
to get it now.
Table of Contents
What is raised garden beds?
Raised garden beds, also called raised beds or garden boxes, are a wonderful way to grow plants in an area with poor soil. They are also good for high-yield plantings and gardening with children.
A raised bed is just a planter box constructed from a variety of different materials that you fill up with soil and use to grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, or other plants.
Raised beds do not have bottoms, since the bottom is the actual ground that they are sitting on – this makes them much lighter than traditional planters. Like traditional planters, you can place them anywhere!
What is elevated garden beds?
Raised garden beds, or elevated garden beds as they are sometimes called, are just like any other garden bed. Elevated garden beds can be made from wood, stone, brick, concrete blocks, metal or plastic.
They are usually raised to a height that is comfortable for the gardener to work in and these are the benefits of having a raised garden bed in your home
Is raised garden beds same as elevated garden beds?
The answer to this question is a simple yes. Raised beds and elevated beds are the same thing. The term ‘raised garden’ is mostly used by the US people, however, for the UK people this out of the box gardening idea is known as elevated bed gardening.
Are you planning to install a raised garden bed in your home garden but confused about where to start from? You will learn how to build a raised garden bed with my easy step-by-step guide and get started on your next DIY project!
What is raised garden boxes?
Raised garden boxes are the most common types of raised garden beds. You can find them in many gardens. In fact, they have become a popular option for many homeowners who want to grow vegetables and/or flowers on their property.
A raised garden box is a type of container that has been specially designed to hold soil and plants. It typically includes one or more sides that are made from wood, metal or plastic.
The sides may be flat or curved, depending on the design of the box itself.
These types of containers are generally placed on top of existing soil so that it doesn’t need to be dug up and removed first before planting anything inside them (although some people choose do this anyway).
Is raised garden beds same as raised garden boxes?
Raised garden beds are the same as raised garden boxes. They have many benefits over traditional gardening and finding a raised bed design that suits your needs will make life easier.
The term “raised garden box” is used in this article but there are also some other terms such as:
- Raised planter boxes
- Elevated planters
- Raised growing beds
- Planter frames or raised bed frames (if they are made of metal)
What is elevated garden planters?
Elevated garden beds have many advantages over in-ground gardens. They are easier to plant and maintain, they give you better control of the soil and water drainage, they’re less susceptible to pests, weeds and plant diseases, and they reduce stress on your back!
As you can see in our examples above, an elevated bed can also be a feature that adds genuine aesthetic appeal to your yard.
You can buy or build raised garden beds. We will talk about buying them next week when we discuss best types of elevated garden planter boxes based on their materials.
For now, let’s focus on the DIY options because this is how we got started with growing vegetables at home (raised gardening).
DIY raised garden beds come in two basic variations: ones built with cedar wood boards like ours, or ones built with corrugated metal panels.
Both are very simple to make and don’t require any special skills or tools. Let’s take a look at both versions side by side:
What are the importance of raised garden beds?
Importance of Raised Garden Beds
Raised garden beds are not a new concept. In fact, they were used by ancient people for building houses and for agriculture. The raised garden bed is a wonderful idea as it helps in building an attractive outdoor space and also enhances the growth of plants. These types of gardens also help in keeping pests away from the soil and make sure that your plants grow to be healthy. Here are some benefits of having raised garden beds:
1. They Are Easy To Build And Maintain
2. Good For Soil Drainage
3. No More Weeding!
4. Pest Control Made Easy
5. Easy To Plant!
6. Better Root Growth
What are the advantages of having raised garden beds?
- Raised beds allow you to control the soil quality, drainage, and other factors that are important for your plants. You can choose a specific soil mix that’s ideal for what you want to grow.
- A raised bed will warm up more quickly in the spring than the surrounding ground, so you can start planting earlier in the season.
- Since raised garden beds are built above-ground level, they provide easier access for people with disabilities or limited mobility. It’s also easier on your back to work in a raised bed than it is to bend over when working directly on the ground.
- Raised garden beds improve drainage and reduce erosion of both adjacent paths and water runoff into neighboring areas. Because you’re not stepping on loose soil (unless you install walkways within the garden), there’s less compaction of the soil and less erosion due to water runoff and windy conditions.
- Raised beds generally require fewer hours of maintenance since they have fewer weeds and pests than traditional gardens and because it’s often helpful to add extra compost as needed instead of turning over an entire plot each year as recommended by some gardening experts. This makes them an especially good choice if you’re new to gardening or if you don’t have a lot of time available for weeding and upkeep each week during growing season.
What are the disadvantages of raised garden beds?
Raised garden beds are not a good option for every homesteader. They do have some disadvantages which you need to consider before investing your time and money building them.
For example, they can be expensive to build, especially if you buy all the required materials at the hardware store. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. You can use recycled materials such as old pallets or wooden crates to create a raised garden bed without spending any money on new construction materials.
Furthermore, raised garden beds aren’t very mobile. If you don’t want to spend too much time building them only to move them around later on when your plants need more sun exposure or water access stick with ground level gardening.
It is best that you stick with regular ground level gardening techniques instead of building raised garden beds when starting your first garden ever on your homestead or farm property (you can always get into raised gardening later after having some experience growing plants in a traditional garden).
Wood raised garden beds vs Metal raised garden beds. Which is better?
Both metal and wood raised garden beds have their pros and cons. Wood is cheaper, but it will rot over time, as well as absorb water, which can affect the soil within.
Conversely, metal is more expensive up front (though it lasts substantially longer) but it holds heat well, making the soil warmer than it otherwise would be. It also retains water poorly, which could leave the plants without enough moisture to thrive in some situations.
Although both types of raised garden beds are good options that will serve you well for many years if treated right, metal gardens tend to last longer and are better at adjusting the conditions within the bed itself to suit your plants’ needs.
How much does done for you ( raised garden beds cost?
You can buy pre-made raised garden beds. Depending on the material they are made from and the size, they can cost anywhere from $50 to $1200+.
You could follow a step by step guide to build your own raised garden bed. You would need materials like wood, hardware cloth, soil mix and compost. Based on the size of your raise bed, this could cost as little as $20 or up to $200+.
You could DIY your own raised garden bed. This would require you to create it yourself with scavenged materials such as old pallets and some extra soil if necessary. These raise beds can be made for free or up to $40+ depending on the size.
If you decide that having a raised garden bed is worth it (spoiler alert: it is), then you’ll want to consider how much you’re willing to spend on a good quality one. You don’t have to go all out with an expensive material like cedar; there are plenty of choices out which will fit into almost any budget!
Steps for a DIY raised garden beds.
If you do not have the finances to afford an already made raised garden bed, you can go the diy raised garden bed route. All you need is the required tools and materials.
Some of the tools you will need is a saw, hammer, wood plane, tape measure
- Design the raised garden bed to fit your space.
- Choose a suitable lumber.
- Cut the wood to the right sizes.
- Assemble the raised garden bed.
- Prepare the soil.
- Plant your seedlings.
Raised Garden Beds Ideas
In order not to make this a lengthy post, I have a provided a link to a pdf document that will give you some brilliant ideas for your raised garden beds.
Click to download 
Conclusion
Depending on the height of your raised garden beds, it can serve as a great way for children and adults alike to love farming.
Looking for something not covered on this post? Leave a comment below and we are sure to look at it and cover it in our next article.