Building a raised garden is the ideal way to beat poor conditions in your garden, so if you have poor soil conditions in your garden, build above ground and this way you get to choose the soil texture and ingredients.

Raised beds not only give you the freedom and control to garden with better soil conditions but offer many more advantages as well. There is far less maintenance involved in the upkeep of the garden as you can ensure that the soil you are growing in is healthier and richer. Another advantage is that in the spring you’ll find that your raised bed will warm quicker, basically allowing you to plant a lot earlier.

You don’t have to have a large garden to build a raised bed either. Raised beds can be built onto existing soil in your garden, or onto paving slabs or concrete if you have a yard. You just need to ensure your raised bed is deeper to enable the roots of your plants to have sufficient depth to grow strong and healthy. One misconception about growing in raised beds is that they are only suited to growing vegetables. You can actually grow a number of different plants:

1. fruit
2. vegetables
3. herbs
4. bulbs
5. bedding plants
6. shrubs
7. perennials

The most popular materials used to construct a raised bed garden are wood, railway sleepers, stone, concrete or brick. Wood is more preferable because it’s easy to work with and is cheap compared to some other materials but can become damaged through changing weather conditions and can rot if not treated through continued contact with damp soil. Stone, concrete and brick are definitely on the more expensive side and will take a lot more effort to set up but will last a lot longer as they are more durable.

If you are looking for as little cost as possible and even wood is out of your price range then an option some gardeners go for is using bales of hay or straw as the edging. The major problem with this is that it won’t last long as it will decompose quite quickly and will need replacing. Alternatively, you could look for recyclable wood if people are throwing away old fencing panels, wooden flooring or even doors in skips. You would need to ask their permission to retrieve the items however.

Related posts:

1. Planning a New Garden or Outdoor Area Part 2 – Choosing Your Plants
2. Preparing Your Garden For Summer – Seeking Out Pests
3. Preparing to Lay a New Patio – Choosing Your Flag Stones
4. Planning A Hanging Basket
5. Different Types of Hanging Baskets and What to Plant in Them