Follow these easy steps to building your own raised bed garden and start growing your own delicious herbs and vegetables. It’s such a fun and rewarding experience!
Growing your own herbs and vegetables is easier than you think. We planted our first little garden several years ago and I was immediately hooked. To me, there’s nothing like walking outside and pulling a tomato off the vine and then serving it with a meal. It’s so satisfying! Here’s how we built our simple little raised bed garden. It’s really not a lot of work and the rewards are year after year. By the way, if you don’t have a yard or space in your yard, you can also grow herbs and some vegetables in pots on your balcony or patio!
You will need:
- 2 pieces of 2×12 treated wood planks. One 16 feet long, the other 12 feet. Have the store cut each of them in half.
- A staple gun
- 2 1/2 in decking screws
- 25-35 cubic feet of garden soil (you’ll only need this much the first year)
- Fertilizer (or make sure you buy garden soil that is already enriched with nutrients)
First, find a flat, level place where you want to have your raised bed. Set the 4 planks on the ground in the shape of a rectangle with the same lengths opposite each other. Now, screw them into each other using decking screws (they are treated and won’t rust). You will do two screws for each corner.
Now that you have your big rectangle frame, cut 3 6 ft long sheets of the weed mat. Lay them on top of the rectangle across the width of the garden, overlapping them by about 6 inches. Using a staple gun, secure these sheets all the way around. This will stop most, if not all weeds, from coming up through your garden.
Now, flip the entire frame upside down and place it wherever you want it. Fill with 25-25 cubic feet of garden soil. (Probably about 25 bags for the first year).
Finally, you are ready to go buy some plants and get started on your garden! I usually do tomatoes, basil, parsley, rosemary, mint, jalapenos, habaneros, bell peppers and sage. But I’ve also grown cucumbers, green beans, and zucchini (beware – these two are vines and tend to take over if you don’t direct them to grow upward. We grow garlic over the winter that has to be harvested around the end of May, so we have something growing all year long!
In addition, a couple of things that I usually do. First, is plant marigolds around the perimeter of my garden. They deter a lot of insects, rabbits and deer. Plus, they are really pretty! Second, is to buy some shiny pinwheels at the dollar store and place them in the garden. This helps keep the birds away. They like nothing more than to take bites of my tomatoes and I do not appreciate that.
Comment below if anything is unclear and I will answer your questions! Or better yet, let me know what kinds of things you grow in your own space!
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