13 Raised Garden Bed Ideas for Easy, Flexible Growing

Though there are many materials to consider, wood is the most popular, as it offers good drainage and can be relatively inexpensive. If you opt for a DIY project, choose hardwoods like walnut, maple, teak, or cedar, which are naturally rot-resistant. To make the process as simple as possible, Lamp’l suggests purchasing concrete blocks at a hardware store, where you can also have the wood cut to size. Then pop the boards into the blocks and you have your easy DIY raised bed—no nails required.

The other beauty of using wood is that it’s customizable to accommodate the size of your space. Most gardeners opt to create boxes between two inches or four inches wide by four inches or eight inches long. Use these ranges to craft boxes that fit your particular space, but remember the beds should be narrow enough that tending to plants in the center is possible. If a DIY project is not in the cards, there are many wooden raised bed kits available for purchase.