Raised Bed Garden Design: How To Layout & Build - Garden Design (2024)

How to lay out and build raised beds for growing delicious vegetables at home

Raised bed gardens are one of the most productive ways to grow your own food. They give you better control over the soil conditions and allow for quick and easy harvesting of your crops. Raised beds can be simple or quite elaborate depending on your needs and the overall aesthetic you wish to create. Use the information below to determine what type of raised beds you would like in your own garden.

HOW TO BUILD A RAISED BED

Building raised beds is an excellent DIY project for those wanting to grow their own food. You’ll just need a few tools and some hard workers. See a step-by-step slideshow of one of our columnists creating a raised bed garden.

  1. Pick the perfect spot

  • Full sun is an absolute must for growing vegetables.
  • Level ground will make installation a breeze.
  • Tuck veggie beds away so they don't detract from the rest of your garden when out of season.
  • Choose the material for your raised bed

    • Untreated rot-resistant wood is the most popular choice.
    • Avoid railroad ties because they are treated with creosote, which will leak toxins into the soil.
    • Here are some of our favorite options:

    Photo by: Susan Seubert.

    Stacked Stone.

    These raised beds, shown at the height of the growing season, are made from stacked stone. Some gardeners prefer stone to wood for their beds because there is less maintenance. Others chose stone because they love the way it looks. The only downside is that the upfront investment is typically more with stone.

    See more of this garden: Portland Garden by a Dream Team of Eco-Friendly Designers

    Photo by: Marion Brenner.

    Recycled Redwood.

    These eco-conscious raised beds hold eggplant, squash, tomato, and herb plants. Redwood is a good choice for planters like these because it is more resistant to rot than most types of wood. In fact, this wood has held up so well that it has found a second life in this application. A small shaded table provides an idyllic spot to sample produce at its freshest-straight from the garden.

    See more: Eat, Play, Lounge

    Photo by: Tim Gainey/Gap Photos LTD.

    Woven Wattle.

    Nothing is ordinary about these raised beds. First, they veer from the norm with their circular shape. Second, they are made of twigs woven together in a basket-like fashion. To complete the look, handmade tepee trellises add vertical support for climbers.

    Learn more: Arbors, Trellises, and the Edible Garden

    Photo by: Gemma & Andrew Ingalls.

    Redwood Box.

    If you’d like to grow veggies on your deck or patio, try a redwood planter box like this one. Much like raised beds, self-contained planters, offer better soil control and easier harvesting, plus they can be moved around if necessary.

    See more of this garden: The Path Less Taken: A Silver Lake Garden

  • Determine bed size and layout

    • Don’t make your beds wider than 4 feet, this way you can easily reach to the center.
    • The ideal depth is between 12 and 24 inches.
    • Leave at least an 18-inch path between beds, more if you want wheelbarrow access.
  • Build your raised beds

    • Wooden beds can be easily secured together at the corners with galvanized screws (corner posts are optional) or use planter wall blocks for the corners and joints.
    • Stone or block beds can be installed with or without mortar.
    • Want instant gratification? Try galvanized stock tanks or prefab raised beds that go together in no time.
  • Line the bottom of your beds

    • Corrugated cardboard or newspaper will prevent weeds or grass from growing up through your raised bed.
  • Fill your raised beds with soil

    • A great soil recipe for raised beds is 1 part top soil, 1 part composted manure and 1 part sand.
    • Bagged soils can also be used.
  • Plant your veggies

    • Digging will be easy in the soft dirt and your back will thank you come harvest time.
    • If you have more than one bed, rotate your crops each year.

    HOW DO YOU WATER RAISED BEDS?

    The best way to know when it is time to water is to feel the soil. You want it to feel slightly moist, like a towel that’s been wrung out. Vegetables don’t like their soil to be too dry or too wet, so find the right balance. You’ll have more success watering in the morning so that the soil has all day to dry out.

    Hand watering.

    Although it can be time-consuming, many gardeners prefer to water their raised beds by hand because they like being in the garden and use this time to check in on their plants. In fact, you may even find the process therapeutic! Some people prefer using a watering can because they don’t have to worry about hose problems, such as kinks, and plant damage. However, watering cans can be heavy and you may have to make many trips back to your water source. A watering wand attached to a hose is a nice alternative that will speed you up and easily get water to all the plants in your beds.

    Automatic irrigation.

    For those that don’t have the time to water their raised beds daily, soaker hoses or drip irrigation are good options. Soaker hoses, which slowly seep water into the soil, can be laid throughout your beds to provide consistent water to all your vegetables. Drip irrigation features small emitters that deliver water at the perfect rate directly to each plant’s root zone. Both options can be set up to run on a timer so you don’t have to lift a finger. Check out this video from Laura at Garden Answer: How to Install a Drip System in Raised Beds.

    Also, see Irrigation for Your Garden for more on garden watering.

    Want to get your kids involved? Check out the kid-friendly raised beds included in these three backyard projects.

    Related Reading

    How to Grow TomatoesFew summertime pleasures are better than biting into a tomato right from the garden. Learn how to grow delicious tomatoes.

    Growing Potatoes in Raised BedsLearn how to plant and grow a bountiful potato harvest in raised beds.

    A Guide to Growing PeppersTips for choosing, planting, and growing the right peppers for your garden and taste.

    Design Ideas for Raised Vegetable Gardens

    Raised Bed Garden Design: How To Layout & Build - Garden Design (2024)

    FAQs

    Raised Bed Garden Design: How To Layout & Build - Garden Design? ›

    In your raised bed, you divide the space into a grid of 1- x 1-foot squares. Then you follow his plan for how many plants or seeds should be added to each square. The density is based on the plant size. So that might mean one tomato or several carrots.

    How to plan a raised bed garden layout? ›

    In your raised bed, you divide the space into a grid of 1- x 1-foot squares. Then you follow his plan for how many plants or seeds should be added to each square. The density is based on the plant size. So that might mean one tomato or several carrots.

    What is the most efficient garden layout? ›

    As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

    How far apart should I plant vegetables in a raised bed? ›

    The 4-inch spacing is for bush beans and spinach. A 6-inch spacing is needed for Swiss chard, leaf lettuce and parsley. A whole 12-inch square is required for each broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, corn, eggplant, muskmelon and pepper plant.

    What vegetables should not be planted together? ›

    14 Vegetables You Should Never Plant Together—Gardening Experts Explain Why
    • 01 of 14. Beans and Onions. ...
    • 02 of 14. Tomatoes and Potatoes. ...
    • 03 of 14. Corn and Tomatoes. ...
    • 04 of 14. Tomatoes and Brassicas. ...
    • 05 of 14. Cucumber and Squash. ...
    • 06 of 14. Lettuce and Celery. ...
    • 07 of 14. Fennel and Tomatoes. ...
    • 08 of 14. Peppers and Cabbage.
    Jan 16, 2024

    Can you plant tomatoes and cucumbers together? ›

    The short answer is YES! Tomatoes and cucumbers can be grown together successfully, and there are actually some benefits to planting them together. Both plants have similar growing needs when it comes to sunlight, soil conditions, and watering.

    How many bags of soil do I need for a 4x8 raised bed? ›

    For a 4x8-foot raised bed with a 6” height, using Mel's Mix: about 5 cubic feet each of compost, peat moss, and vermiculite is needed. It usually takes about two to three bags of purchased fertile mix (1.5 cubic feet each) to cover the bed surface to a depth of 2 inches.

    What is the basic pattern in garden design? ›

    Grid lines drawn at 45 degrees can be used as a guideline to design the garden. Rectangular themes are the most popular and widely used. They are adapted to give a formal look to the garden. Long or narrow gardens can be easily divided into even sections using this particular theme.

    What should tomatoes not be planted with? ›

    Companion Plants To Avoid Growing Near Tomatoes
    • Cabbage. Planting a member of the brassica family, like cabbage, can stunt the growth of your tomato plant because they out-compete them for the same nutrients. ...
    • Corn. ...
    • Broccoli. ...
    • Fennel. ...
    • Dill. ...
    • Potatoes. ...
    • Eggplant. ...
    • Walnuts.
    May 4, 2024

    What is the most common garden layout for growing vegetables? ›

    The most basic garden plan consists of a design with straight, long rows running north to south orientation. A north to south direction will ensure that the garden gets the best sun exposure and air circulation. A garden that runs east to west tends to get too shaded from the crops growing in the preceding row.

    What 3 vegetables grow well together? ›

    Which Vegetables Grow Well Together?
    VegetableCompanion PlantDon't Plant Together
    OnionsBeets, carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, peppersAll beans and peas
    PeasBeans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radish, turnipGarlic, onions
    PotatoesBeans, corn, peasTomatoes
    SquashCorn, melons, pumpkinsNone
    11 more rows
    Jun 26, 2021

    What is the easiest thing to grow in a raised bed? ›

    If you're looking for high-yield veggies, you can't go wrong with cucumbers, pole beans, radishes, squash, zucchini, peas, and tomatoes. These vegetables are easy to grow and have been known to produce a large amount of produce per plant, providing you with a bountiful harvest that lasts for weeks.

    Can tomatoes and peppers be planted together? ›

    Tomatoes. Although it's usually recommended to not plant tomatoes and peppers right after each other in the same bed every year, they can be grown together in the same garden bed (and then rotated to another bed next season).

    In what order should I plant my vegetable garden? ›

    You can grow a successful vegetable garden whichever way you run the rows, as long as you pay attention to where you plant taller and shorter growing vegetables. Always plant the tallest vegetables to the northern side of the garden and the shorter growing vegetables to the southern side of the garden.

    How many potatoes can I plant in a 4x4 raised bed? ›

    Q: How many potatoes can I plant in a 4×4 raised bed? A: A 4'x4′ garden bed can house a total of 16 potato plants using this method. They may be a little smaller than if you were to grow potatoes in a larger garden bed, but they'll still be good to eat!

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