The Easy Way To Build A Wooden Garden Bed Without Needing Any Tools

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Raised garden beds are a wonderful solution for the gardener with limited space or those dealing with poorly draining in-ground soil that lacks in nutrients. However, these structures can be really expensive to buy and highly involved to build from scratch, and with so many designs for raised garden beds to explore, it can be difficult to decide which direction to go. If you're on the hunt for an easy, budget-friendly avenue to build your own raised garden bed, consider using cement planter blocks and wooden boards. These specialized blocks feature grooves you can slide boards right into to create a simple garden bed.

For this project, you'll need a minimum of four wooden boards and four blocks like these Oldcastle Concrete Planter Wall Blocks from Home Depot. Your boards should be just thick enough to fit in the groves of your planter blocks, but they can be as long or short as you desire. If you want a taller garden bed, layer more cement blocks and wood. These blocks can typically be stacked up to 2 feet high, but if you want added support, use rods to stabilize the blocks in place. You can assemble this cost-effective DIY garden bed in 30 minutes or less. Simply place your cement blocks where your garden bed corners should be and slide your boards into the groves. Just like that, you're well on your way to starting a raised garden bed!

To pull off this project, start by choosing the perfect spot in your yard for a raised garden bed and preparing your plot. It's safe to assume many of the veggies, flowers, and herbs you'll grow will need full sun for at least six hours a day, but if you're establishing this new garden bed for a specific plant or set of plants with different lighting needs, be sure to pick a spot that will suit these requirements. You should also pick a location that's nice and level to help this project go as smoothly as possible. If that's not possible on your property, you may need to take extra steps to level it.

Once you pick a spot, mark the area with stakes and twine. Account for the width of your wood boards, too. If you're establishing a plot in a spot with grass, cut it as low as possible and use a shovel to dig out the turf. Once you remove all the vegetation, use a rake to level off the area and remove debris as you go. After you extract the grass and level the area, use something like a pickaxe to loosen the ground. If you're worried about unwelcome weeds or pests like moles, lay down a layer of weed blocking material and chicken wire. Now go ahead and install your simple cement and wood board raised garden bed. Be sure to fill your garden bed all the way to the top with soil, as over time, the soil level will settle significantly. You can opt to fill the bottom of your raised garden bed with sticks or leaf mulch to save on potting soil. Once your bed is filled, you're free to plant away!