Build a Raised Plant Bed

Take your backyard gardening to the next level.

Photography by Colin Peterson

Good To Know

Before tackling any garden project that requires digging, call 811, which serves as the nationwide number for locating underground utilities.

With a bit of planning and perhaps a weekend of work, you can create a raised bed that takes the strain out of gardening and also solves simple maintenance issues.

Make It Easy

Raised Plant Bed A raised bed lets everyone garden more comfortably, and it gives more access to those with physical impairments. If you construct 18- to 24-inch-high walls, you’ll be able to plant, weed, and water while seated. Consider a maximum width of about 4 feet to allow gardeners to reach completely across the bed.

Control Your Soil

Rather than trying to amend existing soil, you can create the perfect soil mixture from scratch for a raised bed. Plants will get off to a healthy start, and weeds will be much less likely to sprout from a fresh concoction of equal parts topsoil, compost, and soil conditioner.

Discourage Diggers

If your garden falls prey to digging animals, a raised bed is a great choice. To block burrowers such as moles, voles, and pocket gophers from snacking on your bulbs, place a layer of multipurpose mesh (#92202) on the bed location, and build on top of it.

Enjoy the View

Raised Plant Bed A raised bed can also add visual interest to your yard. Choose a block style that complements your home and provides color and texture. You’ll want to site the bed for optimum sun exposure, but also consider the view from your home’s patio or windows. Watching the plants flourish can be a welcome reward for your work.

Step-by-Step

Determine the location and dimensions of the raised bed. Select a site that is as level as possible. For easier building, make the bed length and width divisible by the block length. This will minimize the number of blocks you must shape or split for corners. Check block specifications to determine whether adhesive is needed and if there is a recommended number of courses, or vertical rows.
Mark the dimensions using spray paint or string and stakes. Along the markings, dig a trench that’s about 4 to 6 inches deep and wide enough to accommodate a block. Keep the floor of the trench level and compacted. Add 1 or 2 inches of paver base (#100166) to the trench, and tamp it down.
Lay the first course of blocks (#73455). Make sure this layer is as level as possible. Check for level from block to block and from front to back. If necessary, apply adhesive (#153974) as you lay each block. Use a chisel and a sledgehammer to shape and split blocks at the corners, if necessary.
Lay the remaining layers of block, alternating the gaps so they do not line up from one layer to another. If necessary, apply adhesive as you lay each block.
Add the soil ingredients, and mix them using a shovel. Plant with your favorite flowers or vegetables.

Let it Rain!

These native plants won’t cower when the forecast calls for wet weather.

bee balm (Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’): Zones 4–9
cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Zones 2–9
blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium): Zones 3–9
crinkled hair grass (Deschampsia flexuosa): Zones 3–8
false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides): Zones 3–9
‘Moonbeam’ threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’): Zones 3–9
New England aster (Aster novae-angliae): Zones: 3–9
purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Zones 2–10
goldenrod (Solidago rugosa): Zones 3–9
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia): Zones 5–9
smooth aster (Aster laevis): Zones 3–8
smooth penstemon (Penstemon digitalis): Zones 3–9
corkscrew rush (Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’): Zones 4–10
spike blazing star (Liatris spicata): Zones 3–10
swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): Zones 3–8
switch grass (Panicum virgatum): Zones 2–9
white turtlehead (Chelone glabra): Zones 3–8
wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): Zones 3–8
wild geranium (Geranium maculatum): Zones 3–8

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