She's in Her Element

DIY-Raised Garden Beds : Part 1

As the warmer weather approaches and the days grow longer and a bit warmer, it brings with it the promise of new growth.

The Glory of Gardening: Hands in the dirt, head in the Sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.

Alfred Austin

I’ve never been much of a gardener until now. This year I’m really going for it using a couple raised beds and some containers.

Even though I live on 5 acres in the country, this is what I have to work with for garden space.. the grass is off limits so I’ll have to get creative, which is fine. I love a challenge!!

The picnic table will be moved and it is rather a larger size patio area.. it is what it is..

I decided that since this is what I have to work with I need to have some raised beds constructed. A friend of ours owns a local sawmill and we were able to get some beautiful ruff sawn pine to create the raised beds with. I know this will not survive the test of time but it WILL work quite well for a few years if not a few more. I may even end up staining them to help buy me some time with them.

My husband purchased four 2”x10”x12’ pine planks and two 4”x4”x12’ Douglas Fir pieces which will be the legs. This is enough to create 2 raised beds… I need 3 so he’ll have to go back for more supplies to build the third one.

This is gorgeous!! I love the details and characteristics in the wood.
Even the legs are beautiful!
The guys took the measurements needed and began the construction of the first raised bed. The end pieces are cut at 3′ intervals so that two planks could be stacked together on each end. The sides are cut 6′ long and each side will also take two planks stacked to complete.
The planks measured 20” together. And the legs measured 3’. The interior of the beds will be approximately 17” deep once the supports are added and the finished dimensions of the beds are 3’x6’.
They used 5” Lock Tite decking screws purchased at a local woodworking business. You need something substantial to handle all the weight of these materials and in the soil and stone contents. No corners were mitered making this an easy project to complete in less than an hour.
2”x4” supports were added at 6” intervals on the bottom of the raised beds. They were then covered with 2”x1” galvanized mesh fencing purchased at Tractor Supply.
Landscaping fabric was added to the top of the galvanized mesh. This will allow for maximum drainage with minimum soil erosion.

Having this garden space is important to me on many levels. I want to be able to walk outside and harvest something I’ve cultivated to provide my family with. I also want to teach my grandchildren the value and joy of growing their own food, the satisfaction of delicious self reliance, large or small. Gardening is a lost art that is making a comeback in popularity. It’s trending now with the uncertainty the world is facing and the various food shortages we’ve all experienced.

Because of my space limitations, I had to modify my wish list of vegetables to grow. Since my space is precious I’m going to be quite thoughtful in my selections based off my family’s existing food habits. I’m going use vegetables I know will produce well in my creative space as well as be truly enjoyed by my family. I do not want to set myself up for failure. I’d rather start slow and steady and possibly move up a bit more each year as I gain experience and confidence in my green thumb abilities.

All that’s left now is deciding on their exact location and getting my soil proportions ready to condition the soil for optimal growing. It’s time to move on to Part 2 of this project. Stay tuned!!

XOXO ~ Shawn

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shesinherelement
I’m a stay-at-home Wife and Nana curating a beautiful home through creative homemaking one thrifted transformation at a time.
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One response to “DIY-Raised Garden Beds : Part 1”

  1. Planting Garlic for my Summer 2023 Harvest – She's In Her Element

    […] As many of you know, this past year was my first year in a very long time to once again have a garden. And as many of you also know, even though I live on a generous 5 acres, I actually do not have the option of having a garden directly in the ground. So, all of my gardening is done in containers. My husband actually built me two large, rugged and sturdy garden beds that measure 3′ X 6′ and are quite deep. You can read about them here: https://shesinherelement.com/2022/04/14/diy-raised-garden-beds-part-1/ […]

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