I’ve always liked the idea of raised beds in a garden. It just seems neater than traditional rows of vegetables. The area within a bed can be planted with more things, and weeds can be picked out without too much trouble if the bed is still narrow enough.

In my experience a typical garden bed should be about 2 feet wide, maybe 2.5 feet wide at the most. More than that and it gets harder to reach into the bed without stepping in it. And you don’t want to step in it! For the most part I’ve used scrap lumber to define my garden beds, and kept them at about a 6-8 inch depth.

Over the years, I’ve tried a few different materials and methods for building raised beds. Here are 3 of the most popular options I’ve worked with:

Corrugated Metal Garden Beds

Corrugated metal, commonly used for roofing panels, can be framed by wood to make an industrial-looking raised bed look modern and fresh. The sheets are made of steel and are safe to use in edible gardens. They are not known to leach any harmful substances. The metal is also considered reflective, so it doesn’t absorb more heat or sun, keeping the temperature of the soil cooler than many other types of raised container materials.

I built a single metal raised beds a few years ago out of some old roofing panels we had leftover from a shed project. They’ve held up great over time. The only downside is they can get hot to the touch on really sunny summer days (the metal was painted dark brown). But the soil itself stays cooler. And they look pretty neat!

I probably wouldn’t do another garden bed this way, only because they require a lot more soil. Most designs run 2-3 feet deep. That’s a LOT of soil to backfill, no matter how long the bed is. Putting down some sticks and wood first to fill the bottom helps a bit, but over time that’ll break down. If you have access to cheap soil (like if you live on a farm) then this wouldn’t be a concern.

Corner Connector Kits

You can purchase raised garden bed kits these days that make it really easy to throw together a tidy looking bed. Many of them use a corner connector system so you don’t have to figure out joinery of boards. You just slide boards into the corner connectors, sort of like Lincoln Logs from when we were kids!

It’s nice not having to measure and cut boards or screw everything together. The connectors help make square corners. Just slide the boards in and fill with soil! My only complaint is these kits can get pricey if you want larger beds.

I use something similar on my main vegetable beds: deck hardware. There are so many different kinds of hardware for building decks you’re bound to find something to hold corners together. You use these either on the outside or inside of the bed corners. I’ve tried both.

Just make sure to NOT screw into wood to clothes to the end of a board. Screwing in 1-1.5″ from a board’s end will help prevent cracking and the hardware pulling out.

Cinderblock Garden Beds

Cinderblocks make sturdy, inexpensive raised bed walls. You do want to use newer concrete blocks rather than old cinderblocks, which may leach minerals into the soil that can affect plant growth. Concrete blocks work well to edge gardens because they’re so heavy they don’t shift around.

I actually used some cinderblocks to make a u-shaped raised bed area this year to divide my vegetable garden from a new perennial garden space. They were quick to stack and work perfectly as an edging. I did add a top dressed cap to mine just to smooth out the top visually. But not necessary.

Awhile ago I did try cinderblocks for a vegetable garden bed, and then decided to take it down at the end of the season. For a garden bed that needs nearly daily work in it I found knocking my knees and elbows and palms on the block edges just wasn’t sustainable. But for a more permanent perennial bed they work better, IMO.

There are so many options when it comes to raised garden beds these days. Whether you make your own from scrap materials or purchase a premade kit, raised beds can add lots of functionality and visual appeal to gardens big and small. They provide neat definition between growing areas and keep planting beds tidy. Happy gardening!