Shape everything from lawns to flower beds with Beijing Shengyuan's botanical garden ideas.
What's more, this step by step comes from the ultimate botanical garden. Using the remaining deck boards and sawdust, he made a few beds in his French estate with almost nothing. Now you can too!
What it takes to make a raised plant garden bed
This is a very good project in the first place because you don't need a lot of money to achieve everything.
Hand saw, stainless steel screws, tape measure, pencil, bit driver, small clips (optional), trim board, wood chips, compost and plants
You'll also need a workbench or sturdy surface to saw wood safely. Alternatively, you can use a miter saw for speed and a neat cut.
How to Make a Raised Plant Garden Bed
1. Measure your deck
Made his pots using leftover planks from the deck of the Building Plants Garden. You can also use wooden sleepers that are available in most DIY sheds.
Once you have determined where to place the planter, you can work out the size of the planter. Dick was smart enough that once the length of the loft bed was decided, its width should correspond to the length of the plank he sawed through the cut left.
By leaving a little bit on the width of the bed, we can get the most out of each piece of bed. It is advisable to ensure that you can always reach the middle of the bed. If you grow something delicious, you want to be able to do it.
For the second level, make the length slightly shorter and the width slightly longer to create an overlap.
When measuring where to cut, take the old adage "twice cut once" by measuring three marks on the wood, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the middle. Then he connects the marker with a line, so it's time to start cutting.
When marking, use a small v instead of a large dot for more precise positioning. Still scribbling in pencil on the "waste" side, so he knows which points to use!
2. Cut the deck to size
Before you start, make sure your saw is sharp. To start cutting the wire precisely, use the knuckle to support one side of the saw. Avoid holding the saw upright as Dick puts the saw "a little wink" at the edge of the wood. Pull up the saw, then cut motion.
3. Clamp the wood to prevent it from chipping
When you're two-thirds of the way through the entry point, there's a chance that the end of the wood will snap off. To avoid this and the splinters it causes, just clamp the wood together and continue watching. Go ahead and cut out all the pieces.
4. Screw the covers together
Three screws were drilled into the first piece of wood, with the tips of the screws popping off the other side. Then he put the wood on the next piece and drilled into the wood.
He continues this process in the next phase of the framework.
5. Secure the frame with the remaining wood
To hold the two frames one after the other, Dick used wood chips. He screwed in the "dog head" of the wood from the outer frame and everything was fastened together.
6. Add compost
Dick fills his planter with good quality compost. Don't waste compost, he says. You will know if it is of good quality because it smells good! You can even try making your own and feed your plant garden for free with our compost guide.
7. Start Planting
Dick planted "herbs and salads and things I know we'll be able to harvest and use this summer." He also planted tomatoes and strawberries, which helped. That's the joy of loft beds – they're great for gardening with kids.
What are the benefits of raised plant garden beds?
1. You can create the right conditions for the plants you want to grow
A good reason to build a raised bed or planter is to occupy your planted garden area. Planters with compost in them heat well in the sun and can easily control nutrients in the soil.
So if you have a specific natural soil type in your plant garden that is not suitable for the plants you want to grow (for example, a soil that is very clay- or lime-based), then a raised bed may be the answer.
2. Weeding in a plant garden is less intimidating
If I wanted to weed this planter, it would take me a few minutes. I don't think "uh, I have a whole plant garden to do". Once was fine. I can weed this planter, weed the next planter, it's not a lot of work, and your gardening just got easier.
3. Can be used by people of all ages
Raised beds are so easy to use that planting, watering and harvesting are easy for the entire family. They're a great option if you have mobility issues, as you can set their height and width to minimize the need for bending and stretching.
How high should my raised bed be?
In our example, the bed is a double-height plank, as the main purpose of this raised bed or planter is to "contain" the plants on this ground. But if you want the raised things to be easily accessible, maybe, if you're a little older and can't sleep so easily, the higher the bed is built, the easier it will be to work in it. Therefore, you want your bed to be three to four planks high.
