Depending on whether you want it to be a permanent or temporary bed will determine the foundation material you use. Some typical materials used for the base of your raised garden bed can include cardboard, newspaper, concrete, straw, mulch and wood scraps, leaves, grass clippings, rock, burlap, wool, landscape fabric, and plastic. If you have a large raised bed, you might want to line the bottom with large stones, plastic bottles, or straw so the water drains and doesn’t pool or make the soil soggy. Plan for drainage holes at the bottom of your raised bed planter. You don’t need to line a planter—brick or otherwise—however, it is recommended because it keeps burrowing animals away from your plant roots and allows for good drainage while not allowing the soil to drain away.
Benefits of Raised Garden Beds
Raised beds have a lot of benefits, such as better soil drainage, bringing the planting depth up, so there is less stooping down, and temporary structures can be removed if you change your mind about keeping them. Here’s a list of the advantages:
Easier on a gardener’s backLooks niceFewer pest invasionsImproved drainageFewer weedsBetter soil temperaturesIt can be temporary or permanentLess concern about soil contamination
Bricklaying is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience and precision to get it right. Choose bricks that will survive well in continually wet conditions. Most red brick raised beds are built using mortar to keep the walls intact. The material used for your beds makes a difference here: metal holds more heat from the sun. But grow bags are a good option as they don’t freeze solid, and the soil in them defrosts rather quickly. Also, it is a great way to provide the heat needed to grow Mediterranean plants like sage and lavender. Grow bags may seem too easy, but within minutes you could have a great raised bed garden. The unusual shape and swirl of plants make for an eye-catching focal point in your garden. Herbs are the plants of choice in this photo, but you can grow anything using the spiral design. You can use new or used troughs, depending on availability and your desired look. Depending on what you choose to grow, the plants may need a bit of extra water during the hottest part of summer. Using a raised bed for growing vegetables allows you to control the soil quality and prevent it from becoming compacted. Vegetable roots can grow unimpeded. The beds do not have to be very high off the ground to benefit from being in a raised bed. Even 6 to 8 inches can be enough. Be careful, though—concrete blocks leech lime. Lime can raise the soil’s pH. To be safe, use plants that thrive in alkaline soil. These sturdy succulents and sedums are hardy and not too fussy about soil, so they’re a good choice for these planters. You don’t need mortar, but you can make the structure last longer if you use masonry adhesive to hold them together if stacking taller than four bricks (or levels) high. For more stability, build a wall with an inner and outer layer, with a thickness of two bricks or stones all the way around. Seating is lovely for enjoying the garden, but it also has a practical use. If you’re constructing a raised bed garden box from wood, several feet tall, seating will make weeding, pruning, and other maintenance issues easier to handle. A bale can hold 3 to 5 gallons of water. Anything beyond that amount will drain away. You don’t even need soil in most cases unless you plant tiny seeds.
