Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (2024)

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (1)

Whether you're an experienced green thumb or a beginner gardener, planting in raised beds is an excellent way to control weeds and maximize your growing space. Beyond a great landscaping idea, raised beds can also help keep soil warmer for longer, thereby extending your garden's season. Plus, raised beds offer a great way to start a vegetable garden if your soil isn't in the best shape.

Building your own raised beds out of two-by-fours is a straightforward approach, but there are so many other ways you can get the same effect—and some of them won't even require fancy garden tools or a trip to the hardware store. If bending down to tend to a bed that's low to the ground isn't great for your back, check out the raised bed ideas ahead! They'll help you build taller, more accessible garden plots. Have an old piece of furniture laying around the house? You can probably turn that into a raised bed, too.

Keep reading to learn more about these genius ideas for building a raised bed garden, then get ready to break out your garden shoes and pull on garden gloves, because they're definitely going to inspire you to get some plants in the ground.

1

Add Turf Grass to the Bottom

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (2)

Removing a layer of grass to make room for your new raised bed? Don't toss that turf—instead, you can use it to line the bottom of the bed, reducing the amount of soil you need to purchase and providing nutrients to your plants.

Get the tutorial at Garden Therapy.

2

Add a Shade for Hot Days

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (3)

Shield your plants from scorching sun and heat by adding a DIY shade to your raised bed. You can easily make one like this using PVC pipe and garden cloth.

Get the tutorial at Home Made by Carmona.

3

Repurpose Gardening Materials

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (4)

Why not make your own raised bed using repurposed materials? For example, the garden beds seen here were made from soil mixing bins and put on a wooden riser.

Get the tutorial at One Little Project.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

4

PVC Pipe Garden

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (5)

For a modern twist on a raised bed, consider constructing a PVC pipe garden. The pipes provide a structured framework for your plants and will also help keep weeds at bay.

Get the tutorial at One Little Project.

5

Wine Barrel Planter

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (6)

Wine barrels make the most unique and charming raised beds! To ensure proper drainage, drill a few holes into the bottom of your barrel and prop it up on some bricks.

Get the tutorial at Garden Therapy.

6

Install a Sub-Irrigation System

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (7)

The benefits of a sub-irrigation system are many and include consistent and efficient watering, reduced water usage, and better control over moisture levels for optimal plant growth. Follow this tutorial to create a system that only requires a refill once every two months.

Get the tutorial at Home Made by Carmona.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

7

Suitcase Planter

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (8)

Breathe new life into a vintage suitcase by turning it into a raised bed. Follow this easy tutorial for tips on how to add gas pipe legs, drill drainage holes, and fill your new planter with a mix of edibles and ornamentals.

Get the tutorial at Garden Therapy.

8

Make Garden Signs

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (9)

Design a cute sign for your raised bed garden using your Cricut machine. Beyond that, a wooden frame and stake are pretty much all you'll need to bring this idea to life.

Get the tutorial at Home Made by Carmona.

9

Raised Bed Boat Planter

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (10)

All aboard! This adorable repurposed canoe makes a great vegetable planter. It'll keep all your veggies raised up to a convenient height.

See more at One Little Project.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

10

Add Gold Knobs and Handles

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (11)

Bring a touch of glamor to a furniture-inspired planter by adding gold knobs and handles. Not only do they amp up the charm but you can also use them to hold gardening tools and gloves.

Get the tutorial at Inspired by Charm.

11

Bed Planter

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (12)

This raised bed is quite literally a bed! We love this idea as a way to repurpose a vintage twin bed or even a crib.

See more at Garden Therapy.

12

Modern Fence Panel Trellis

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (13)

Your climbing plants will be right at home on this modern black trellis. It's super easy to create using fencing from your local hardware store.

Get the tutorial at Vintage Revivals.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

13

Leaf Stepping Stones

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (14)

Decorate the paths between your raised beds with these unique leaf-inspired stepping stones. Make them using concrete mix and big leaves with prominent veins, like rhubarb leaves.

Get the tutorial at DIY in PDX.

14

Grow Baby Tears

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (15)

Grow baby tears and moss on broken concrete raised beds to add charm and color to your garden.

See more at Heather Bullard.

15

Raised Bed Dog House

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (16)

How cute is this?! You can kill two birds with one stone by creating a raised bed that doubles as a dog house for your furry friend.

See more at One Little Project.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

16

Add Wood Chips

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (17)

Take a cue from blogger Ursula Carmona and add a layer of moisture-absorbing wood chips on your bed, and then a layer of cedar chips on top to help repel insects.

See more at Home Made by Carmona.

17

Stack Your Beds Using a Trellis

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (18)

This clever setup is a great way to maximize your growing space while also allowing climbing plants to thrive. By stacking two narrow raised beds on top of one another, you can plant more in the same area, and the trellis is perfect for peas, beans, and cucumbers.

Get the tutorial at Anika's DIY Life.

18

Sew a Grow Bag

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (19)

This idea is perfect for anyone who's more comfortable with a needle and thread than a toolbox. Grow bags are a lightweight alternative to traditional raised beds since you can make them in just about any shape or size, and move them around with ease.

Get the tutorial at Empress of Dirt.

Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below

19

Repurpose a Vintage Bathtub

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (20)

If you're into the vintage aesthetic, then you'll love this idea for a no-dig garden Simply clean out an old bathtub, place it in your yard, and fill it with soil. Your plants will be flourishing in no time.

Get the tutorial at Garden Betty.

20

Plant Your Garden in Metal Troughs

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (21)

Another great no-dig option is to buy some metal troughs and use them as raised bed planters. Because metal troughs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, this is a great option for anyone who wants to use several planters.

Get the tutorial at Cynthia Weber.

Take Your Garden to the Next Level with These Unique Raised Bed Ideas (2024)

FAQs

What are the best raised garden beds? ›

The Bottom Line

Greenes Fence Premium Cedar Raised Garden Bed is our pick for the best overall raised garden bed because of its durability, height, and attention to detail, like the included box liner and dovetail joinery.

How do you level a garden bed? ›

Dig out the uneven soil and pile in the middle of the area. (It would be best not to dig right after rain so that the ground is too wet, and not when it is too dry as well) At the lower side of the garden bed you may have to rake some soil there to make it higher.

What are three mistakes to avoid when gardening with raised beds? ›

Seven Beginner Raised Bed Gardening Mistakes to Avoid
  • Picking The Wrong Spot. It is a common gardening mistake made by many gardeners. ...
  • Not Thinking About The Water Source. ...
  • Raised Beds Placed Too Close Together. ...
  • Crowding your Plants. ...
  • Planting the Wrong Plants. ...
  • Skipping Mulch. ...
  • Not Using the Correct Soil.

What 3 vegetables grow well together? ›

The crops of corn, beans, and squash are known as the Three Sisters. For centuries these three crops have been the center of Native American agriculture and culinary traditions. It is for good reason as these three crops complement each other in the garden as well as nutritionally.

Can tomatoes and peppers be planted together? ›

Tomatoes. Although it's usually recommended to not plant tomatoes and peppers right after each other in the same bed every year, they can be grown together in the same garden bed (and then rotated to another bed next season).

How to fill a raised garden bed cheaply? ›

To start, lay down sheets of cardboard or newspaper for weed suppression and then fill the raised bed structure halfway up with alternating layers of nitrogen-rich materials (like kitchen scraps and grass clippings) and carbon-rich materials (like wood chips and dried autumn leaves).

What is the cheapest method for raised beds? ›

  • Pallets. If you're looking for an easy and cost-effective way to create a raised garden bed, consider repurposing wood pallets. ...
  • Cinder Blocks. ...
  • Straw bales. ...
  • Recycled materials. ...
  • Wooden pallets. ...
  • Corrugated metal. ...
  • Bricks. ...
  • Rocks.
Mar 21, 2023

What should I put in the bottom of my raised garden bed? ›

Soil is the foundation of your garden, and you want it to be healthy so you can set your plants up for success! We recommend buying high-quality, nutrient-rich soil in bulk. Or, you can make a soil mix with equal parts topsoil, organic materials (leaves, composted manure, ground bark), and coarse sand.

What is the cheapest way to level a garden? ›

To level a sloping garden, the following materials can be used: Stone retaining walls are built with pre-formed concrete blocks, breeze blocks, house bricks, or stone. They are all extremely dependable for terracing and levelling. Reclaimed railway - if you want a low-cost is.

What is the best thing to level garden? ›

The easiest way to level a garden is to wet it first (not too much!) and use hardy tools such as a rotavator and compactor. Bear in mind you'll need a good eye and lots of patience to get this right. Top tip: You need to make sure your garden has proper drainage.

What should I put at the bottom of a raised garden bed? ›

To put it simply, you should put a layer of organic material at the bottom of your garden bed, which will break down and enrich the soil. This can include compost, or woody material such as logs, dry wood, branches, and leaves.

What is the most cost effective way to build raised beds? ›

Here are a few items you could use, round up or find in your yard to create a raised bed on a small budget.
  • Bricks.
  • Stones.
  • Wood or barn wood (make sure it's chemical free)
  • Fence pickets.
  • Cinder blocks.
  • Galvanized tubs.
May 3, 2024

What are the disadvantages of raised garden beds? ›

The cons of raised beds

The soil mix also can be a significant, albeit one-time, expense. Raised beds need water more often since the soil is more exposed to air and dries quicker. Similar to growing in containers, the extra watering can leach nutrients out of the soil quicker than in-ground gardens.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 5936

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Benton Quitzon

Birthday: 2001-08-13

Address: 96487 Kris Cliff, Teresiafurt, WI 95201

Phone: +9418513585781

Job: Senior Designer

Hobby: Calligraphy, Rowing, Vacation, Geocaching, Web surfing, Electronics, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Benton Quitzon, I am a comfortable, charming, thankful, happy, adventurous, handsome, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.