raised bed vegetable garden

by Roselyne
(Bay of Arcachon,west side of France)

I am trying to design a vegetable garden which will make my life easier, as I am on my own to do it, and it will includes flowers or lavender to make it look nice as well

Doug says that he uses 6x6 (15x15cn( wood to build raised beds and buys them in 8 foot (2.4m) lengths.

The beds are constructed in multiples of 8' (2.4m) in length and 4 ft (1.2 m) in width so I can simply cut one length to make the ends.

Soil for these beds is purchased as artificial peat moss soil, compost and some real soil from the garden underneath the raised bed. It is dug and amendments added to make it into a raised bed (soil level to top of wood).

The only thing you'll have to do is brace the wood if you build higher than one beam. Drive stakes (I prefer reinforcing metal rods) into the soil every two feet to hold the beams in place. Without this, they will tend to bow out. The stakes can also be used to support a cold frame over top of them (see this page for pvc greenhouse/cold frame plans