I need to know the best way to make a raised bed in my patio.?

Question

My raised be will be approx. 32' long, around part of my patio wall. 18" high. I got a quote for a concrete wall of $1000. This seems to me to be very expensive. Anyone know how I could do it less expensively?

Answer 1

Let me ask you a couple of questions first. Why do you want it to be 18" high? Normally I would suggest 12". Is this going to be for vegetables or flowers. Either way with the exception of just a couple of vegetables the roots are in the top 6" of the ground. Flowers rarely have roots longer than 4". Are you sure you want a solid 32ft wall? I would make four beds of 8ft. each with about 2 to 3ft between them to allow space to walk through. If you leave 3ft you would only need three 8ft. beds to cover the distance. Consider something like three beds 4ft X 8ft. They are very easy constructed using landscaping timbers which are available from Home Depot, Lowes or most home improvement shops. Stack them just like a log cabin. Drill some 1/2" holes thru and drive pieces of 3/8" rebar to hold them in place. By stacking them three high you will have roughly a 12" high bed. Be sure to put some landscaping mesh on the ground before filling with a good compost and top soil. This will smother out the grass and weeds from underneath. Good luck

Answer 2

preformed concrete costs less than that, but if you want it to last , at 32 feet long and 18" raised, concrete or stone is the only way to go.. you can use wood but you have to replace it every few years, even if it is cca treated .. a grand actually is a good price for a 'turn-key' 32' x XX x 18" high bed.. and , if it is preformed you can get it so that you have panels that slide out to easily dig out the old dirt