Raised bed possibilities

You can buy metal corners at hardware stores. Raised beds add another dimension to the garden literally, going from ground level to higher ground. Aside from the aesthetic pleasure this provides, it gives the gardener’s knees some ease, possibly getting you up off the ground for weeding. And it enables beds to dry out and warm up faster in the springtime, which means you can plant earlier.

A raised bed can also give you an area with different soil, such as a lower pH to grow acid-loving plants like blueberries and azaleas in, or a higher pH to grow tomatillos and artichokes. (Of course, this depends on your soil’s natural pH, which is different across the country. Test it with a kit from the garden centre.)

And it can give you an area to garden in if you live on rock or sand, or if your garden is on a terrace, balcony or roof. (If it’s a terrace, balcony or roof, please consult an engineer for how much weight the structure can take; gardening gets heavy.)

Whether you’re handy with a hammer, strong for moving rocks, or looking for something premade, here are some solutions to inspire you.

These gardeners built a series of raised beds in a corner of their yard for ease of tending vegetables.

This Danish garden is all raised beds. The rocks help keep the borders separate from the grass paths.

Form and function in this multi-layered bed.

This raised bed is against a fence. It adds dimension to the yard.

A tractor tire gives just enough room for a few flowers, and it protects the pump in the middle.

Getting creative at a garden centre with a pallet board.

These pieces of culvert are perfect for raised beds.

A galvanized tub.

Raised bed along the back of the yard, walled in with wood.