10 Raised Garden Bed Ideas Anyone Can Build

Cultivating a home garden is one of the most meaningful ways to

connect with nature while reducing your environmental footprint. Not only does growing your own cut down on emissions—both those produced by a trip to the grocery store and your food's journey from the farm to you, aka

food milage—it also allows you to grow only what you need, reducing your

food waste. And one of the easiest means of starting a miniature family of your very own? With one, or several, of these raised garden bed ideas.

Planting and tending to your garden eliminates the large

water footprint of traditional agriculture, provides a useful resting place for your kitchen counter

compost, and helps to foster an appreciation of nature. The mindfulness that comes with gardening will make you a better environmental steward, raising awareness around daily habits.

Raised garden beds are enclosed garden beds constructed above ground level with ample drainage, making them easy to incorporate into any outdoor space regardless of size and soil viability. Not only are raised beds easier to create and access, the format also limits water waste, provides higher yields, and makes for a great DIY.

From vintage bathtubs to reclaimed bedrock, these ten raised garden bed ideas will have you thinking outside the planter box.

Rustic and relatively easy to create, bricks are an ideal material for raised garden beds. Stacking bricks allows you to adjust the size and even shape of your beds to suit your needs—plus, as with Alice de Araujo's example, brick beds provide the perfect opportunity for some upcycling.

Convert a vintage or tired bedframe into a whimsical raised garden bed. Either use the head and baseboard for decorative purposes or transform an entire metal frame into a planting plot with the help of some plywood and an open mind.

Transforming stock tanks into raised beds is a sleek and aesthetically pleasing means of growing your garden. This DIY is more of a repurpose than a build, but the clean and contemporary look of the end result speaks for itself.

Rather than donating that outdated dresser, use the drawers to create a series of tiered garden beds. As an alternative (or addition), lay the de-drawered dresser on its side for the beginnings of a sectioned bed.

For an out-of-the-box garden hack, a used tire lends to an easy DIY. The rubber can be painted, decoratively cut, stacked, or left as is to give your flowers and personal

crops a little lift.

Similar to a dresser frame laid flat, a bookshelf comes with the segments and structure you need for a series of raised garden beds. Head to your local

thrift store—you'll find no shortage of possibilities.

Love the idea of brick garden beds but prefer a more minimalist color palette? Stack stones instead! Do some research and track down reclaimed stones from local builds for the most eco approach.

Wooden raised beds are a classic, and building with wood that would have otherwise gone to waste is always best. Fence posts are crafted to withstand the elements, and untreated cedar provides natural

insect repellent.

Photo:

Garden Betty

More whimsy, please! A vintage clawfoot tub has all of the qualities that you want in a raised bed including height, depth, and drainage.

Pallets are cheap and easy to find, making this the quintessential wood for an affordable DIY. Simply dismantle the pallets and reassemble them to your raised bed specifications.