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Quick and Easy Raised Bed Design for Urban Growers

Raised beds are a very popular way of creating areas of high-quality soil in your garden. They also optimize limited space, organizing and easily dividing your gardening area.

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Updated:

June 7, 2023

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Materials: 8'x3'x12" Raised Bed

(3) 2"x12"x8' Boards
Use two 8' boards as side boards and cut the third board into two 3' lengths to use for end boards; save or discard scrap.

(1) 2"x4"x8' Board
Cut one 3' length for use as center support; save extra wood for additional beds or alternative project.

(1) 4"x4"x8' Post
Cut six 11.25" lengths for use as corner and center posts; save extra wood for additional beds or alternative project.

Soil/Compost Mix (~1 cubic yard)
Choose a high quality topsoil and compost mix to ﬁll your raised bed.

Bed Liner (optional)
*Use a water permeable bed liner for weed control, to preserve wood, and/or insulate garden bed from contaminated soil.

Directions

Prepare site for construction using shovel and tamp. Remove weeds/grass/debris and level perimeter of bed.
Cut wood to appropriate length; layout boards, supports, and posts in ﬁnal location.
If using wood clamps, secure boards together, making sure edges are properly aligned; see corner details.
Using 3" deck/exterior screws and a drill/driver, attach side boards and end boards to corner posts; attach center post to side board (4' O.C.) and center support to center post; see 3D corner/center support detail. Make sure each board is securely fastened. Drill pilot holes as needed.
If using, install water permeable bed liner. Cardboard with tape and staples removed is a low cost, effective solution for temporary use. Other options include weed/landscape fabric and geotextile fabric.
Fill bed with high-quality soil and compost mix.

Tools and Tips

Bodies: This project is most successfully accomplished with two people, but can be done with one.

Tools and Hardware: Drill or driver with appropriate bits, wood saw (miter), wood clamps (optional), 3" deck/exterior screws, shovel, and ground tamp.

Time: Plan at least 2 hrs for each bed to be prepped and constructed; add time as needed for purchasing and delivering materials.

Choosing Soil/Compost Mix: Source high-quality organic materials. Aim for a pH between 6 and 7. Depending on the materials, you may have a 50:50, 60:40, or 70:30 topsoil:compost mix. If using leaves, it is best that the leaves are chopped and composted for at least one year before using to avoid anaerobic activity.

Flexible Design: The bed design above is modular. Feel free to get creative. Make the beds longer, taller, add a ledge to sit on while working in the bed. Whatever your design, just be sure to adjust the materials list accordingly.

Selecting Lumber: Select untreated wood to avoid leaching chemicals into your soil. Hardwoods such as cedar and locust have good rot resistance and insect resistance but can be pricey. Softer woods such as ﬁr and pine are also good options; they are more affordable, though they are slightly less rot and insect resistant. A cedar bed may last 10 or more years; a pine bed may last 3-5 years.

Nominal Dimensions: The lumber that you choose for your raised bed will be sold or marked with a nominal dimension, this differs from the actual dimension of the wood. For example: