Can’t Grow Anything in Your Yard? These Raised Garden Beds Are the Solution
Can’t Grow Anything in Your Yard? These Raised Garden Beds Are the Solution
Starting a garden is no easy task, and it can be especially challenging if the terrain on your property isn't amenable to the types of plants you'd like to grow. Enter: the raised garden bed. These boxy units allow you to plant a small patch of flowers, herbs, and vegetables in their ideal soil conditions just about anywhere outdoors where you have the right amount of light and space.
The Best Raised Garden Beds:
- Best Overall: VegTrug Raised Bed
- Rugged Metal: Best Choice Products Metal Raised Garden Bed
- Classic Cedar: August Grove Baumgartel Raised Garden Bed
- Refined Railing Planter: Ebern Designs Kaysville Plastic Railing Planter
- Colorful and Durable: Zizin Metal Raised Garden Bed
- Leveling Up: YAHEETECH Multi-Level Rustic Raised Garden Bed
- Two-Tier Elevated Bed: Freeport Park Fegley Wood Elevated Planter
- Easy DIY Netting: Dalen Deer X Protective Netting
- Portable Grow Bags: Viagrow Fabric Aeration Pot with Handles
- Rolling Planter: EMSCO Earth Brown Raised Garden Bed
What to Consider:
When you're starting your search to find the best raised garden beds for your backyard, you'll want to consider factors like material, size, and maintenance involved. We asked Julia Watkins, author of the forthcoming book Gardening for Everyone, to help decipher the differences among types, and offer some guidance for getting started.
- Material: It's important not to skimp here — investing in your raised bed material will prevent early rotting, cracking, or other unsavory outcomes. Watkins says, “It’s critical to use materials that are strong and durable, since your beds will be exposed to near-constant moisture, along with a variety of different types of weather and outdoor elements. Also, soil is heavy — especially once it’s wet — and will put a lot of pressure on the frame of raised beds.”
Wood is at the top of her list of preferred raised garden bed materials: specifically, untreated wood made of strong, rot-resistant materials. Metal is also a good option, and it's slightly more durable than wood. Watkins likes metal stock tanks and Corten steel, and rust is the only thing to be on the lookout for. “I’d recommend purchasing galvanized stock tanks and treating the exterior of the steel with a rust protectant,” she advises. As for plastic? Watkins says to skip it for raised garden beds, and to save this cheap, lightweight material for smaller flower pots and container gardens. - Size: When it comes to the size of your raised garden bed, bigger isn't always better. After all, you need to think about how you'll access the plants. “It’s best to keep them a maximum of 4 feet wide, so you can reach the center without stepping on your soil.” Watkins advises aiming for at least 1 foot of depth to accommodate the roots of various plants.
Finally, raised garden beds can quite literally be raised off the ground, too. “Taller beds are great for gardeners with back or mobility issues,” she says. “And if you prefer to garden while standing, beds that are 32 to 36 inches deep are ideal.” - Maintenance: Because you have so much control over your raised beds, maintenance in the off-season is very manageable ... but it's still important. Watkins has a few easy rules of thumb to keep your soil (and structure) in great shape: “In the spring and fall, before and after the growing season, it’s important to dress raised beds with 1-2 inches of compost. There’s no need to turn it in: Winter rains will wash the nutrients down to root level, and worms will help to incorporate organic matter into the soil. Fall is also a good time to inspect and repair damaged boards or corners if your raised beds are made of wood.”
As for the seeds you choose to sow in your raised garden bed? The sky (or at least your soil space) is the limit! Watkins says, “I can’t think of any plants that wouldn’t thrive in raised beds, especially because raised beds give you almost complete control of the condition, quality, and texture of the soil.”
With that, it's time to get growing! The various raised garden beds in this guide are durable, spacious, and reviewer-recommended, offering the best of all worlds to help you plant the exact garden you want. Here are the best raised garden beds for your greens to call home.
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The raised garden bed is a boxy unit that allows you to plant flowers, herbs, and vegetables just about anywhere outdoors. Here are best raised garden beds that work for any home.
