13 Easy DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas (2024)

Many home gardeners prefer the accessibility and other benefits a raised garden bed provides as opposed to a traditional in-ground garden. If you’re thinking about adding raised beds to your own backyard, these 13 easy ideas for raised garden beds include suggestions for planter beds, container gardening, vertical gardening, and more.

Do you want to grow your own veggies and design a garden that suits your personal flare and style? In this article, you’ll find ideas that give you flexibility and control to make your garden planters as big, small, or decoratively designed as you like, and even the ability to control the environment around your plants.

Raised bed gardening doesn’t have to be expensive. You can repurpose old pieces of furniture or other materials for this DIY project. Whether you’re reusing materials or buying new supplies, avoid pressure-treated wood, painted wood, and other materials that could contain harmful chemicals.

As a rule of thumb, if you don’t know for sure if the material is safe, do not use it. If you prefer pressure-treated wood or another potentially toxic material, only plant flowers and ornamentals in those raised beds, and leave your edible plants for beds made of safer materials.

It’s also important to make sure your DIY raised garden bed has holes for drainage or that you can easily create holes. With those basic parameters out of the way, let’s jump right into these 13 easy DIY raised garden bed ideas!

1. Bookshelf

If you have a bookshelf you don’t use anymore, knock out the back and use the shelves and frame as a raised garden bed. For wood bookshelves, make sure the wood is rot-resistant, untreated, and not painted. Lay the bookshelf down so that the punched-out side is on the ground.

This recycled garden bed design allows you to use each space between the shelves as separate beds for different plants if you like.

2. Stones, rocks, and tree parts

Use large stones and rocks to create a garden enclosure. You can probably find stones and rocks for free. Or, if it’s time to cut down some unwanted trees on your property, use the wood to make the perimeter or wall of your raised garden bed.

The best part about these materials for raised bed planter walls is that they are free and natural. Some, like a tree you’ve just cut down, are already in your yard. You could even offer to take tree parts off a neighbor, friend, or relative’s hands.

3. Pavers and concrete bricks

Use leftover pavers or bricks from another project, like building a patio or walkway, to build a raised garden. Local stores may even allow you to take their old pavers or bricks. Try Facebook, Nextdoor, and other local sites to source free or cheap materials. Homeowners or businesses may advertise that they are giving away materials you can use if you’ll just come and pick them up.

4. Leftover fencing wood

Why let that leftover fencing wood go to waste? Build a planter box out of it. Measure the height to ensure you build it tall enough to grow the herbs, veggies, and fruits you want to grow. See our article on how to build a raised garden bed DIY for detailed instructions.

5. Old tires

Let your old tires take you to new places. Don’t pay for tire disposal. Use those old tires to grow a beautiful array of colorful flowers. You may want to steer clear of planting edibles in this type of DIY raised garden bed planter, but it can give your yard a unique look and help you recycle those tires at the same time.

Paint the tires, add an assortment of wonderful-smelling perennials, and let those wheels take you and your yard to a self-created, exclusive, aromatic, and visually appealing oasis.

6. Plastic crates

Larger plastic crates can be lined with landscaping fabric, filled with dirt, and used for a unique garden look. You can skip the lining if you want. The holes will allow for drainage. So, if you happen to have some crates lying around, put them to good use.

Smaller milk crates can be stacked on top of each other, so you don’t have to bend down to tend to your plants. Place several stacked crates next to each other and plant different crop families in each.

Milk crates also fall under the category of portable raised garden bed ideas. If you have to store them in an area that doesn’t get enough shade or sun, you can move them as needed.

7. Cinder blocks and concrete blocks

Cinder blocks have holes in them, and the blocks are 16 inches long and 8 inches tall. These blocks allow you to maximize your garden space and plant different crop families. They’re also an easy way to do square-foot gardening. Each hole can hold a different type of plant.

Here’s an easy way to create a tiered garden design with cinder blocks:

• Step 1: Arrange the blocks into the shape you desire. Then stack the blocks until the structure is as tall as you want it (i.e., two blocks high, three blocks high, etc.). Make it at least two blocks high for a raised bed.
• Step 2: For the lower tier, build another enclosure one block tall, using the wall of the higher tier as one of the sides for the lower tier.
• Step 3: Fill each bed with garden soil and fill the holes of the cinder blocks, too.
• Step 4: Plant shallow-root crops in the one-block high box and deep-rooted edibles in the center of the second tier.
• Step 5: Outline the perimeter of both tiers with edibles by planting shallow-rooted veggies in the holes.

Cinder blocks offer temperature regulation, as they absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it slowly at night when it is cooler. But be mindful that you may need to adjust the soil pH if you have plants that require a more neutral or acidic environment. This is because concrete blocks make the soil more alkaline over time by raising the soil pH.

Interesting Fact and Safety Tid Bit: Today, cinder blocks and concrete blocks are pretty much the same, so the terms are used interchangeably. The cinder blocks of yesteryear, however, were made from ash. Most cinder blocks nowadays are made from concrete, which is a good thing, because ash can leach toxins into the soil.

To be on the safe side, make sure the cinder blocks you use do not contain any potentially toxic chemicals. As a general rule, if you cannot confirm construction materials are safe, line the planter box with fabric, only plant ornamentals, or choose different building supplies.

Concrete blocks without holes can also be used for raised bed gardening. However, you’ll lose the additional function of the cinder block holes, and solid concrete blocks may be a little more expensive – not to mention heavier and harder to transport.

Multiple corrugated metal containers can be used for different crop families. You can build your own and outline it with a wood frame to secure the sharp edges, but the easy route is to buy a pre-made container. They come in various shapes, designs, and sizes, and you can easily find them online for under $100.

If the corrugated metal is made of corrugated steel and pre-painted, like galvanized corrugated steel, it may leak cadmium and zinc over time, so research the safety of using these containers for a vegetable garden.

9. Hoop house

Enhance your raised bed vegetable garden by making it a hoop house. You can do this by draping cloth over PVC pipes to create a cover over your garden.

Place the ends of curved pipes in the holes of cinder blocks and drop cloth over the pipes. Use clamps or clips to secure the cover to the hoops. Rocks, stones, or pieces of lumber can be used to weigh down the bottoms of the cloth.

Brackets can be used to attach a PVC hoop to garden beds made of wood. If you’re placing the hoops into the soil and you have compacted soil, use rebar stakes to secure the hoops in the ground.

The row cover or garden fabric protects plants from pests and can also extend the growing season. It can protect your plants from heavy wind, strong rain, and frost. Learn other ways to winterize your raised garden beds to protect them from harsh cold.

10. Fabric planters

Another option is to buy grow bags or fabric planters that you unfold and place where you want them in your yard. They are designed with materials that help plants thrive, and they come in multiple sizes, including dimensions large enough for a raised garden bed.

Fill them with garden soil and plant your seeds. Stack grow tubs of different sizes to get a multi-tiered look.

You can also purchase fabric or reuse old fabric and make your own planters. But don’t expect these to be as big or as sturdy as the grow bags.

11. Portable and small garden beds

A plastic container with holes can be placed on a structure that has wheels or attached to the side of a window so you can move your plants as needed to get more or less sun and water.

Build a small 2’ x 4’ x 6” garden bed and add legs to it to give it height. Add wheels to make it portable.

Turn a garden bed kit into a DIY project. You can purchase a small premade planter and fill it with containers of your choosing. Get creative! Add containers you’ve made out of fabric, other unconventional vessels (such as mason jars or a cute watering can), or a few decorative pots.

12. Container gardening

Container gardens allow so much versatility. They create opportunities for gardens in small spaces or other situations where you may not otherwise be able to garden easily. They can also add curb appeal to your front yard. Any vessel that can hold soil and that has holes in the bottom for drainage can be used. Choose containers that allow enough soil depth for your desired plants.

Container gardening and raised bed gardening are similar. A container garden is raised above ground and typically enclosed by some type of material like wood, metal, or concrete. A raised garden bed is open at the bottom, so it has contact with the soil in your yard.

Containers may be made of the same types of materials as raised garden beds, but containers are closed at the bottom. Many of the garden bed plans discussed in this article are technically containers, but they can still function as raised garden beds.

Container gardening is great for people in apartments or urban settings. It’s also great for people who need a portable garden.

Tips for Container Gardening: Plants may dry out faster in dark-colored containers because dark colors absorb and retain heat. Contrarily, light colors reflect light, creating a cool, moist environment.

Here are some containers you can prop on a table, stand, or leave on the ground:

• Glazed ceramic pots
• Smart pots
• Terra cotta pots
• Large baskets
• Hanging baskets
• Milk crates
• Fabric planters
• Wheelbarrows
• Whiskey or wine half-barrels

13. Vertical gardening

If you have limited space or live in an urban environment, vertical gardening allows you to grow fruits, veggies, and herbs without needing ground space. You can buy a multi-tiered garden planter box, place it on your apartment balcony, and grow a magnificent herb garden, even without a backyard.

You can also attach a trellis, fence, pallet, or chicken wire to the side of your house or the wall of your apartment’s balcony. Climbing plants, like tomatoes and peas, will thrive in this vertical garden design.

Safety Tip: Pallets can be used for vertical gardening, but they may have been treated with methyl bromide. The letters “HT” stamped on a pallet indicate the pallet was heat-treated instead of treated with chemicals. Do not use pallets without this stamp unless you can verify they have not been treated with harmful chemicals.

Mix and match different ideas

Lastly, mix and match! Combine raised bed garden designs and containers to maximize your planting and aesthetic appeal. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Add a trellis to a corrugated metal garden.
• Place raised garden beds made of the same material as your fence against your fence for a built-in, cohesive look.
• Use pieces of wood as a base to attach two trellises or two pallets for a triangular-shaped vertical raised garden bed.
• Attach trellises to the side of your house or the wall of your apartment’s balcony and place hanging containers along it for a vertical garden with herbs and plants in multiple crop families. You can secure pots to the trellis with strong garden twine.
• Build shelves on your fence and place plant-filled containers on them.
• Place stakes or poles at the ends of your raised garden bed and stretch chicken wire from one end to the other, securing it tightly. Use it for climbing plants.
• Chicken wire is also good for keeping certain critters out. Use it around the perimeter of your vegetable garden and over the top.

Once you’ve decided on a design idea for your raised bed, our article on how to start a vegetable garden can guide you through the process of planting and growing veggies successfully.

FAQ about DIY raised garden beds

How to hire a pro gardener

These are all easy DIY raised garden bed and container gardening ideas to help you get started with your very own raised garden bed!

Vegetable gardening can be delicious and creative. You can design a garden that satisfies your pallet, aesthetic preferences, and health goals. But, while gardening can be fun and rewarding, not everyone has the time to give veggies and flowers the attention they need. That’s where Lawn Love can help! Connect online with trusted gardening services in your area to get the assistance you need for a successful garden.

Main Image Credit: Maria Sbytova | Canva Pro | License