Easy DIY Raised Garden Beds

Easy DIY Raised Garden Beds

Follow along our progress as we add these easy DIY raised garden beds to create the perfect small vegetable garden for our patio.

Many of you have seen our DIY Stone Paver Patio that we added to our home a couple of years ago, along with my cute little Vertical Pallet Herb  Garden. This year I decided that I really wanted to finish my version of an urban garden and add in some easy DIY, raised garden beds to house a small vegetable garden. I only really need enough space to grow some items for me and the mister, so adding in three raised beds approximately 4’x 5′ should be plenty of space. As you can see above we decided to add the planters between the stone bases we added during our patio paver project and allow those to be part of the design. You may also notice that particular project took place back in the early spring before the grass had even started to green up, but do not let that detour you.  It literally took less than a day to complete. I honestly think it took longer for the paint to dry on boards than it did to assemble the beds.Seriously all we did was buy the correct number of these stackable blocks and cut the 2×6 pressure treated boards to the desired length and paint to match our trim paint. Then you just assemble them together. I know some of my neighbors that added the exact same raised beds to their yard as well, and reused some old shiplap boards they had removed from there home which were already white, and it saved them from even having to paint, which was lucky. We also opted to add a top edge board as well, which gives a nice finished look to the boxes and to provide an area to sit while planting. It also makes a nice idea for a sandbox for kids too. If you find yourself needing one of those.  

Before adding the dirt I added a water proof liner just to hold the dirt and water in to prevent washout around the base edges. You may notice that I only painted the the inside of the top boards, that is because the liner will be stapled to the base of the lower board so there was not a need to seal those boards or paint. As you can see once the dirt and plants are in you do not even see those lower boards or the plastic liner. I will also say, I love that the top board also prevents the dirt from splashing out during watering too. You may notice all the speckles underneath but it keeps it all inside the and not on my patio which I was not even thinking about at the time.

My planting season also took a little longer this year since we had all that unseasonable cold weather which was unexpected. However, I did start a lot of my seeds in pots in the basement to jump on some of the plants. I was also really lucky that my garden center ran tomato plants for 99 cents a piece trying to sell them prior to the polar vortex and I was able to snatch up a bunch and winterize them.

Now those same little tomato plants are beastly huge and already covered with tomatoes. So I see a lot of Caprese Salad in our future, which my simple recipe is attached if you want to check it out, you will love it.

We have also taken advantage of the porch columns to run string, for our beans. Even though they are just now starting to climb I have no doubt they will head right up those strings. Plus some of the plants already have a few beans on them. This was also my first attempt at lettuce from seed, and I have to admit I am pretty surprised, considering the amount of bunnies we have in our yard. I guess since the beds are raised they have not found the lettuce yet, or maybe they are just eating all of my blueberries at the moment, lol.  Which are further down the hillside, since they prefer a more boggy type of soil. I have to say they are doing really well t0o.Although I will say I am a little sad that I opted out of adding blackberry bushes, but for good reason. I love blackberries but apparently according to the local garden center attendants so do rattlesnakes. Eek! What? Yes folks, apparently blackberry bushes tend to draw in rattlesnakes, or maybe things that rattle snakes like to eat? Which in my area we are known for two deadly snakes, the Copperhead and Timber Rattler, so I opted out of blackberry bushes, I can just buy blackberries at the store. Plus we also already have the native Georgia  wild blackberries that grown in along the wood line and in a specific thicket area we created. Just so we are aware of  what might be lurking in those areas, but just a friendly heads up if you decided to go picking wild blackberries….don’t, or take a shovel…or shotgun!
My pepper garden is doing well and already has a few peppers for picking too.  I did the usual jalapeños, cayenne, Thai chili peppers, and added in some poblanos this year. They will mix nicely with those blackberries in some jam, if I get enough nerve to go picking. Of course I have six different varieties of tomatoes, including your basics like Beef Eaters, Sunny Girls, Romas, Heirlooms, Grape and Cherry’s.  These are perfect for making my Easy Peasy Caprese Salad, a delicious summer time treat. You can also mix this with my Avocado Toast recipe from Cinco de Mayo which is pretty delicious too.

Plus my entire herb wall is growing like wild fire, so I will have any kind of fresh herb I could possible need this summer and I can restock my freezer supplies again like I showed you previously in my Herbivores’ Harvest post.
I can not even begin to tell you what a difference my fresh herbs made in soups and stews this past season. You really could tell a freshness factor that was undeniable. Plus it saved us a ton of money at the store from having to buy them during the off season, and using my organically grown produce.  

On to our next project…. You can be the first to know what the Gainer’s are up too! Sign up for our monthly Designer Notes to stay in the know about all of our upcoming projects. 

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Easy DIY Raised Garden Planters JENRON DESIGNS

53 Comments

  1. This is such a great idea! They look so much better than simple wood garden beds, and the process seems quite simple! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Raised planters are the best! Love the tip to add a liner and the top board, anything that makes it easier and neater the better for me. And there is nothing better than picking fresh veggies from your own yard to make a salad or add fresh ingredients to a meal.

  3. This is a BRILLIANT idea! Now I just have to convince my husband to make one for me.

  4. Sarah

    I love how cute they turned out! Most raised garden beds you see are so plain. What a creative idea, I really like the placement location too.

  5. Bri Adams

    My sister and I need to try this!!! They looks so classy!!!

  6. This is amazing! I am actually not into gardening; however, when my husband and I get our dream home, I definitely want to get into it! and I love the way this looks 🙂

  7. Those look amazing! We are a little late to the game but we just put in some raised bed as well! Looking forward to our first garden experience….and I had NO IDEA about the rattlesnakes and blackberries! That’s scary! Thanks for the warning!

  8. The most perfect activity to do during this time! We also planted a lot in the last few weeks 🙂

  9. Elicit Folio

    I wanted to plant some herbs this weekend. This was just the how-to guide I needed to get me started!

  10. Grady Winsor

    Hi. I’m glad he found jenron-designs.com website, I really like it, the article is very useful and I shared it! Wishing you great success with this site!

  11. I love this idea! And they look so cute!! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  12. You have such an amazing garden. We also have a raised garden but it’s not as beautiful as yours. It’s great to get out there and after a few weeks see the fruits of your labor. You have planned your garden so well. it’s an inspiration to all non-gardeners like me.

  13. I would save this post and show it to my parents. They have a big garden and this will prove very useful.

  14. These are some unique ideas. The best part is that the process is quite easy. THANKS FOR SHARING!

  15. idara Joy

    I love your posts. I learn so much from them. I am going to attempt a more scaled back version of this garden.

  16. 4blessingsandus

    You always have such great content. I needed this motivation,‘cos I’ve been thinking of planting some herbs for cooking and for use during the winter season.Thanks for sharing!

  17. Ravina

    Such a great idea. And This looks so beautiful.

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  19. Well… that is a plus, we can see them coming for sure, however since we live so close to water, along a creek and the woods we tend to have a lot of those kind of visitors, so I always keep a watchful eye. In fact, I like to keep large garters, black racers and king snakes in my yard since they are all territorial, and will keep the poisonous copperheads, water moccasins and timber rattlers out. We have watched a few epic battles with my 6 foot king snake and copperhead to which my king snake I loving call “King Louie” won. I. tell it is not for the squeamish or faint of heart, LOL!

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  32. You are right following your blog post step by step you can say that it is really easy to get something that is very convenient for your own small garden cultures. Wonderful!

  33. Mary

    Wow! Those flower beds are gorgeous!! I love raised flower beds! Great job!!

  34. I love the idea how you utilize every space in your porch, even in between columns. Since the weather is starting to get warm, I think it is time to get these hands dirty.

  35. Digitaldaybook

    Oh such a fun gardening idea! Keeps your mind and hands busy during these tough times

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  39. My former neighbor had raised flower beds like these. I especially loved it when she shared her tomatoes with us! Don’t think we’ll ever have the space for a project like that, but I definitely see how these can be beneficial to anyone who enjoys gardening.

  40. Amber Myers

    How cool! I might have to make some of these. I’m terrible with growing things but my daughter might be better than me.

  41. Such a great idea and a perfect way to grow one’s personal veggies. I don’t have a raised garden, but lots of people in my neighborhood do. Glad you’ve laid out how easy it is and I think this might be the year to start one. Cheers.

  42. Tisha

    This is incredible! I love raised garden beds!

  43. These garden beds look really easy to make and even easier to use to grow fruits and vegetables.

  44. These turned out great! I need to put some of these in for my garen!

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