by Janice Suchoski

Created on: July 24, 2009

The variety of materials available in home centers for landscape use make the building of raised planting beds both easy and full of options. Gardens are no longer restricted to dedicated rectangles requiring lots of space and perfect soil.

Raised beds may be installed around the borders of patios, adjacent to porches or foundations, or as free standing structures in more open spaces. They may even be placed fronting a taller bank of shrubbery or trees or built as planting boxes for landscape interest. The type of garden to be planted in the raised bed determines location. Vegetable gardens and many plant varieties require either full or half - day sun while shade - loving plants need a cooler location.

Once location is determined, the shape and height of the raised bed should be fixed. The type of building material needed will be somewhat influenced by shape. Curvy lines work best with building stone or bender board while straight linear shapes may use more rigid material such as railroad ties. A garden hose makes a good tool for trying out different shapes and locations. Mark the chosen areas with landscape spray paint, pegs and string or powdered chalk, then remove the hose. For a circle, stick a peg into the center of the chosen spot and tie on a string measuring the diameter desired. Hold the loose end in one hand along with a can of paint, and keeping the string taut, walk around the center peg while spraying the ground. Consider mature plant sizes when determining size of beds.

Height of a raised bed may be chosen by location strictures, type of garden desired or ease of use by the gardener. A shorter bed works better in front of a taller existing planting area, or next to a patio where one does not want to block a view. Taller raised beds may be desired for a foundation or focal - point planting or for ease of maintenance and harvest. Plant tall plants in shorter beds and shorter plants in tall beds. Keep in mind your total landscape and how your mature garden will look. You want it to blend with, not block what you already have.

Cut around the chosen shape with a sharp flat - bladed shovel, remove any sod, weeds or other material from the area inside the raised bed. Till or break up the existing ground. This allows longer roots to more easily penetrate through the added topping soil if needed. If adding automated sprinklers, cut trenching, lay piping and install heads at the finished height. Using a level, flatten the perimeter of the area in a width corresponding to whatever building material has been chosen. Most stackable building stones do not require a foundation but a thin layer of sand makes leveling easier. Once the first course of stone is laid, additional courses go up very quickly. No mortar is needed. If stacking railroad ties or landscape timbers, pegs of rebar either driven through the stack or adjacent to it on each side will keep it securely in place. Supports are also required for bender board to keep the shape laid out. Make sure any such supports do not stick above the top level of the finished bed.

Fill the interior of the raised bed with a mixture of topsoil, compost and peat. Check the soil requirements of whatever is to be planted. Some plants require the addition of sand, fertilizer or other nutrients. Soil will settle so a good deep watering before planting is a good idea. Add more soil if needed and then plant.

Raised garden beds increase options in yards of any size and shape. They allow the addition of better soil in areas where soil for a garden is naturally poor and make it possible for even a gardener with health challenges to enjoy an ongoing gardening experience.

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