DIY Raised Garden Beds

I have a gorgeous garden.  It’s full of beautiful flowers, herbs and vegetables.  I’m talking about the garden I have on my garden Pinterest board, that is.  Do you have one of those, too?!  Everything is perfect, weeded and beautiful there, isn’t it?!

In real life my garden is coming along.  I’ve spent hours and hours outside this spring.  I have ripped out dead plants, relocated them, planted new shrubs and gotten rid of some types that were taking over the world and needed to go.  

I’m particularly happy with how my little kitchen garden is coming along.

It’s not much to look at right now, but it makes me happy every time I see it.  It’s clean, it’s tidy and it’s full of potential.  

This part of my yard was beyond overgrown (sorry, no before pictures…I spontaneously started clearing one morning on a whim).  I could barely even get to the herbs that were growing there, much less plant new varieties. 

I decided I wanted to make two raised beds to keep things tidy and easier to maintain.  I didn’t need them to be tall…I just wanted them to help define the space and give me ample room to walk around to weed, clip and pick as needed.  

My DIY raised garden beds were so easy, I made them myself in 30 minutes.  

To make 2, 3′ x 6′ boxes you will need:

Materials:

• 6, 6-foot long, 1 x 6 cedar fence pickets 
• 16, 1  1/2 inch galvanized screws
• drill

Directions:

• Cut 2 boards in half so you will have 4  3-ft boards
• Place the boards on a flat area on the ground in the form of a box.
• Butt up two ends together and drill two pilot holes where you want the screws to affix the two pieces together.
• Screw in the screws 

When the boxes are put together, place them on the ground where you want them to go and fill with dirt. (If the ground is uneven, you may need to dig a little here and there so the box itself is level.)

Before I filled my boxes, I tilled the existing soil and then added some compost and then topped it off with some bagged garden soil.  After I planted I put a layer of weed block on the walking paths and covered with a heavy layer of mulch.  

The area looks so much better now and I love how it functions!

I already harvested some of my herbs and the seeds I planted are coming along nicely.

Maybe someday I’ll have a Pinterest-worthy garden, but for now, I’m thrilled with an easy to access, functional garden.

How about you?  Do you have a kitchen garden?

Thanks for stopping by today!