How to Raise a Flower Bed With Wood

Raised flower beds are a welcome addition to the landscape that serve a functional and decorative purpose. While the beds prevent gardeners with weak backs from bending low, they also increase appeal and give the garden a rustic look. Raised wooden flower beds increase output since every square inch is meant for planting, and they also have fewer pest and disease problems. Make a 6-foot-long 4-foot-wide raised flower bed using three or four rows of landscape timbers on top of one another and secured with spikes to keep them in place.

Six 4-foot-long, 6-inch by 6-inch landscape timbers
Six 6-foot-long, 6-inch by 6-inch landscape timbers
Shovel
Hand trowel
2-inch by 4-inch lumber (optional)
Sand or gravel
Carpenter's level
Drill and drill bit
Twelve 1/2-inch metal rebars, 12 inches long
Hammer
Timber screws, 10 inches long
Copper pipes, 3/8 inch wide
Topsoil

Instructions

- 1
  Arrange the four timbers -- two 4-foot lengths and two 6-foot lengths -- in a rectangle over the selected planting site with the end of one against the side of the other.
- 2
  Slit the ground 2 inches deep around the outer and inner edges of the rectangular timber outline using the top of a shovel.
- 3
  Pull out the grass or vegetation between the marked perimeters by hand. Loosen the soil around stubborn grass plants with a hand trowel until they slide out of the soil. Form a 4- to 6-inch excavation between the marked perimeters to make room for the walls of the landscape timbers. Level the base with the back of a shovel or length of a 2-inch by 4-inch piece of lumber.
- 4
  Spread 2 inches of coarse sand or crushed gavel over the base of the trench to assist in drainage and prevent the landscape timbers from rotting.
- 5
  Lay the four landscape timbers over the gravel or sand in the excavation. Check that the tops of the timbers are in level using a carpenter's level. Add or remove crushed gravel or sand underneath if necessary.
- 6
  Drill 1/2-inch pilot holes through the tops of the timbers, spaced every 24 inches. Insert the lower end of a 10- to 12-inch-long metal rebar into a pilot hole and pound it until its top is flush against the surrounding wood. Insert lengths of rebar into the remaining pilot holes in the landscape timbers. Pound each rebar carefully into the wooden frame to ensure it stays level.
- 7
  Lay the second row of landscape timbers above the first row. Drill pilot holes through each length of timber in the second row -- two at a corner and one through the center. Drive a timber screw through each pilot hole that penetrates the landscape timber directly below.
- 8
  Drill drainage holes through the timbers in the second row to provide an outlet for excess water. Using a 1/2-inch spade bit, drill holes every 4 feet through the side of each timber, starting from the outside. Angle each hole slightly upward to provide an easy outlet for water. Insert a length of 3/8-inch-wide copper piping through each drainage hole to prevent them from clogging.
- 9
  Lay the third row of landscape timbers over the second row and secure each with timber screws.
- 10
  Spread 3 to 4 inches of gravel over the base of the raised wooden bed to improve drainage. Add quality topsoil until 3 inches from the top.

How to Operate a Commercial Greenhouse

How to Make a Bird Feeder That Will Attract a Chickadee

Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens