DIY Garden Series: Raised Garden Box

 Ever since my husband and I have become homeowners, we have been looking forward to growing our own herbs, fruits, & vegetables. After having built our herb garden using a reclaimed pallet (tutorial here), the next phase of our growing garden was to build a raised garden box to plant fruits & vegetables. This project will only take you one afternoon (an hour if you decide to skip on the cement) & WILL ONLY COST YOU $25 to make! Now that is a steal compared to the prices of the pre-made raised garden beds we saw at The Home Depot - like this one >>  $45 for a 2ft x 2ft - Something that is a third of the size of the one we built & uses the same exact cedar material for nearly double the price?! Ridiculous!!

Lets get started :) You will need the following materials:

Safety glasses

Power drill

Power saw or hand saw

Gloves

Clamp
Level
 Screws of your choice

8 - 5/8" x 5-1/2" x 6' cedar wood fence panels - $2.55 each >> Link Here
2" x 4" x 10' plank of wood - $4.27 >> Link Here

Optional materials:
a) Cement to set the posts for additional added strength >> Link Here
b) Deck nails to resist rust

Link Here

c) Wood Waterproofing Stain to resist rot >> Example Link Here

Before starting, please keep in mind the area in which you plan to place your raised garden box - how much sun does it get? (morning sun vs. evening sun) >> Thus, what type of fruits & veggies will thrive there vs. what you want to grow? How do you plan to irrigate your box - by hand or via your sprinkler system?

Step 1: Take 4 of the 8 cedar wood fence panels and trim the tops off - these will be the front and back portions of your raised garden bed.
Then take the remaining 4 fence panels and cut each into 32.5 inch lengths - these will be the side portions of your raise garden bed.

Step 2: Taking your 2x4x10, cut into four, 1.5 ft pieces. These pieces will be the support posts.

Step 3 (optional): Since these posts are crucial to maintaining the garden's overall structure, they need to be able to resist rot over time. Therefore, I decided to paint them with this waterproofing wood protection stain. Now this was such a steal for us to find! The original price is $17.97, but it was on clearance for $6.83!! Follow the directions as stated on the back. I applied just one coat, and don't worry about painting them like an artist - they are going underground anyway ;)

Step 4: Place 2-6ft cedar pieces and 2-1.5ft support legs pieces on the ground, as shown. Drill 2 screws on each side of each cedar plank into the support posts. This will form the front panel. Repeat to form the back panel.
[**During our initial planning, we wanted to make our raised bed 3 wood panel pieces high, but when we placed it in the ground, we found that it was unnecessarily deep. So, we removed one panel. Thus, why you see 3 panels here despite my instructions saying 2 - you'll see at the end ;) ]

Step 5: Prop up your front panel. Then, taking one of the 32.5" side pieces - clamp & drill 2 screws through the support post, as shown.

Helpful tip: Before connecting the sides, use a triangle square to ensure the corners form 90 degree angles!

Step 6: Prop up your back panel as shown. Repeat step 5.

Step 7: Drill the remaining side pieces into the support posts.

Step 8: Start digging! Use a level to ensure everything is straight.

Step 9 (optional): Add cement.

Step 10: Set up your irrigation, plant your veggies, and you are done!

**Helpful hint** - We had a problem the first week after placement of stray cats using it as a litter box. We tried spices, coffee grounds, & essential oils to no avail. We also didn't want to resort to using chicken wire - so ugly!  So we placed mulch and rocks on top and it definitely works!!!

Close-up of irrigation

We loved it so much that we decided to build another :)

One month later...

I hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial & found it easy to follow! Please feel free to comment below with any questions & re-creations, and I'll see you in my next DIY adventure!