How to Create Raised Flower Beds

Raised flower beds can add curb appeal to your home, hide unsightly spots, and highlight other plants or trees in your yard. Homeowners often prefer raised beds because the beds give them the ability to improve drainage and soil for their plants. Raised flower beds also make it possible to have a flower garden in less-than-ideal locations. You can create raised beds from a variety of materials, and the project can usually be completed in a short amount of time.

Block bed:
Wooden stakes
String
Shovel or flat-bladed spade
4-by-4 block of wood
Gravel or coarse sand
Rake or hand rake
Interlocking blocks
Fiberglass stakes
Soil
Wood bed:
4 4-by-4 wood posts
Electric saw, handsaw or hatchet
8 2-by-6 boards (length should be based on bed dimensions)
40 3 1/2-inch galvanized screws
Drill
Hammer or mallet

Instructions

Interlocking Block Bed
- 1
  Mark off the area for your bed using stakes and string or a length of garden hose. Remove all grass, roots and weeds from the area using a shovel or flat spade.
- 2
  Flatten the perimeter for your blocks using a hand tamper or a 4-by-4 block of wood. Lay 1 to 2 inches of gravel or sand along the perimeter for the base of your blocks. Keep the surface of the sand or gravel 1 to 2 inches below the surrounding grass level. Smooth the surface using a rake or hand rake.
- 3
  Arrange the first layer of blocks around the perimeter. Check to make sure that they are level, and make any necessary adjustments. Pound the fiberglass stakes through the outermost holes in the blocks. Lay the second level of blocks to overlap the first layer in a staggered pattern, but match the holes to fit over the stakes.
- 4
  Line the bed with several inches of gravel or coarse sand for good drainage. Fill in the rest of the bed with soil.
Wood Framed Bed
- 5
  
  Wood is one of many materials you can use to create a raised flower bed.
  
  Sharpen one end of each of the 4-by-4 posts using an electric saw, handsaw or hatchet to a point for stakes. Attach a 2-by-6 board to two of the posts by screwing them together; make sure that the board is flush with the top and side of the stake. Attach the second 2-by-6 just below the first one. Repeat the process for the other two stakes and 2-by-6 boards.
- 6
  Stand one assembled side with the post end facing up. Attach another 2-by-6 board to the other side of the stake with screws, keeping the edge of the board flush with the stake. Attach the other end of the board to the second side in the same way. Screw the second board to each stake just above the first board (you should now have three sides of your bed). Repeat the process for the fourth side of your bed.
- 7
  Turn the bed over so that the stakes are facing the ground, and position it properly. Place a piece of scrap wood over one of the corner posts, and hammer it a few inches into the ground. Move on to the next corner, and do the same. Drive each corner post in a few inches at a time until the bed is flush to the ground.
- 8
  Line the bed with several inches of gravel or coarse sand for proper drainage. Fill the bed with soil.

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Instructions

Interlocking Block Bed

Wood Framed Bed