# Raised Beds Made From Cinder Block
Cinder block is a versatile building material that can be used to create affordable and attractive raised beds. The blocks can be used to create any number of styles and shapes for your garden including squares, rectangles and curved beds. The blocks are laid around the garden bed end to end and should not be stacked more than two blocks high. They are laid without mortar since the soil inside the wall will hold them in place. You can cap off the holes in the block or fill them with soil and plant spreading plants in them to keep them contained.
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Mallet
- 4 wooden stakes, 24 inches long
- Garden twine
- Shovel
- Bow rake
- 4-foot level
- Sand (optional)
- 2-by-4, as needed (optional)
- Plate compactor (optional)
- Cinder blocks
- Garden soil
- Crushed gravel
- Field stone
Instructions
-
-
1
Lay out a tape measure and mark out the space for the raised bed. Hammer a wooden stake at each corner and use garden twine to designate the perimeter. Remove the sod from the space using a shovel.
-
2
Spread sand around the perimeter to fill in any low spots. Grade with a level placed on a 2-by-4, then tamp the sand with a plate compactor. Strike the sand in an even up and down motion with the plate compactor to create a level and firm footing for the cinder blocks.
-
3
Lay the first layer of cinder blocks end to end around the perimeter of the raised bed area. Stack a second layer on top of the first layer. Stagger the blocks to create a stronger wall.
-
4
Fill the inside of the raised bed up to the top of the cinder blocks with garden soil so that the center is slightly higher than the sides. Rake the surface of the soil with a bow rake to smooth it out.
-
5
Fill the center holes in the cinder block with gravel. Cover the top edges of the cinder blocks with flag stone to add a decorative finish. You could also use landscaping pavers, natural stone tile or slate to cap the wall.
-
1
- How to Build a Patio Bar From Cinder Blocks
- DIY Cinder Block Patio Furniture
- How to Build a Simple Cinder Block Raised Garden Bed
- Driveways Made of Cinder Blocks
- How to Build a Cinder Block Bunker
- How to Make Veggie Beds From Cinder Blocks and Rebar
- Water Damaged Cinder Block Walls
- How to Install Cinder Block
- Is it Dangerous to Make a Garden Bed From Cinder Blocks?
- Cinder Block Recycling
- Building an Outdoor Oven Made from Cinder Blocks
- How to Deconstruct a Cinder Block Wall
