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In southwest Missouri, we do not have dirt. We have rock. Lots of rock. You can dig down 6 inches and hit bedrock. This is not conducive to gardening. We have been trying to eat more healthy and organic and so I challenged my husband to design a garden where I can go out back and pick my salad for dinner. He researched and labored over the plans for two months. (I’m not even kidding. He loves to research.) The Raised Garden Bed design he created is so easy to put together and I can’t wait to harvest some fresh veggies!
Lumber needed:
(1) 4 inch x 4 inch x 8 foot for corner posts
(4) 1 inch x 8 inch x 12 foot cedar boards (sides)
(2) 1 inch x 8 inch x 8 foot cedar boards (ends)
Hardware needed:
(16) 3/8-in-16 x 6 in Hex Bolts
(16) 3/8-in-16 Hex Nuts
(32) 3/8 in. x 7/8 in. washers
Kyle adapted these plans from the University of Missouri Extension Lawn and Garden.
Most state universities have something along these lines. You should consult your own state’s lawn and garden recommendations since climate and geology play a large role in optimal growing conditions.
** We had to improvise on the sides because they did not have any 1x8x12’s left in stock. We substituted (2) 1x6x12’s and (1) 1x4x12.
Cut each 1 inch x 8 inch x 8 foot cedar boards in half. These are your end pieces.
Cut your 4 inch x 4 inch x 8 foot into two feet sections for a total of four. These are your corner posts.
Measure out the space.
Once we had a general idea of where we wanted the garden placed, we dug the holes for the corner posts.
Each post was sunk into the ground eight inches deep. We filled the hole back in with the dirt, squared and leveled it.
To attach the cedar boards, we drilled a hole through the cedar and corner post.
Place a washer on the outside and thread the bolt through the washer, cedar board and corner post. Once bolt in through, place another washer and secure on the inside with the nut.
Continue this process for attaching each corner post.
It was that easy to put together! The overall process did take about 6 hours.
We purchased compost top soil from a local nursery. You will need approximately 2.37 cubic yards of soil to fill a garden of this size.
I can’t wait to harvest our veggies! We planted tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, bell peppers, anaheim peppers, okra, onions, dill, thyme, oregano, and cilantro.
If you’re looking for more gardening ideas, check out our DIY Compost!
And here are some tips and ideas to make your garden grow!
