If you’re planning to grow small plots of flowers or vegetables in your garden then you definitely could use a garden box or a raised garden bed. Using raised garden beds offer gardeners substantial benefits. Garden boxes play a significant role in preventing compaction of soil. The sides of the bed will also protect your garden’s soil from erosion or getting flooded in case of heavy rain. The wall as well acts as a barrier preventing unwanted pests like snails and slugs. Raised garden beds also prevent pathway from reaching your garden and give your plants perfect drainage. Gardening is governed by seasons but studies have proved that raised garden beds are usually warmer than the rest of the garden because of the good draining they get, allowing gardeners in several regions to plant earlier than they usually can.

The steps to building a raised garden bed or a garden box are simple but before you roll up your sleeves and delve into it you’re going to have pick a good spot to build the raised garden bed. The spot should enjoy two main things: an abundance of sunlight, at least eight hours a day or more according to the type of plants you’re planning to grow, and a high spot to be as close as possible to the sun.

The Materials Required When Making a Raised Garden Bed

Let’s now go through the materials and tools you’re going to need. Obviously you’ll need lumber. A two by six will be good enough when you start. You need to make sure that you have the measurement right for optimal results. Any kind of saw will do the job when you’re cutting the lumber. You also need to use three and a half inch coated deck screws to help keep the wooden pieces together. You’ll need to keep a hammer and a screwdriver around as well.

Steps for Making a Raised Garden Bed:

The steps are as follows:

Step 1

Even the ground of the spot you choose. If the ground is uneven your raised garden bed will be uneven too which will cause drainage problems. It’s important before you start building to make sure that the ground is evened properly.

Step 2

Clean the ground. You want to make sure you have a clean ground before you start building. Any grass or weeds getting in the way should be completely removed without a notable trace. The ground should still be even after you’re done cleaning.

Step 3

Draw an initial figure. Using piece of chalk or a long string, you can draw a layout of the raised garden bed you’re going to build. After drawing the figure and cutting the wood you’ll need to place the pieces of lumber you cut to about half of their length into the soil creating the first layer of wood.

Step 4

Step Four: Build the framing. Use the hammer and nails you brought earlier to stick the pieces of wood together to form an outer frame for the bed. You’ll need to use more than just one screw per corner to hold the frame together. Before building the framing you’ll need to make sure that it fits perfectly around the wooden pieces laid in the ground. It’s preferable that you measure the dimensions before you start cutting the wood.

Step 5

The final step will be to fill your garden box with organic soil. Naturally the type of soil will vary according to the type of plant that you are planning to grow. Take your time to research the plants you’re planning to grow first before choosing the type of soil to use. After you add in the soil you’ll need to make sure you have an even surface.

Now you have a raised garden bed that gives you a long list of advantages that you can enjoy. Making your own garden box is easy and simple and the output is definitely rewarding.