DIY Cedar Raised Garden Bed

Build an easy, inexpensive raised garden bed with this simple step by step tutorial!

garden bed collage

A couple of weeks ago I hauled my 3 boys to Home Depot determined to get the supplies I needed to build my own cedar raised garden bed. I had an hour before meeting some friends for a much needed girl’s night so I was a woman on a mission! I somehow managed to maneuver three boys and two carts (in a dress no less!) and get my supplies. I had intended to use Ana White’s $10 raised bed plan but when I took a closer look at my wood the next day I realized I had purchased 6′ cedar fence slats rather than 8′.

If you don’t want to build from scratch, check out my experience with raised garden bed kits, and also my garden planning calendar, and be sure to also read my tips for beginning gardeners!

A little quick improvising and in less than an hour I had made my own raised bed, albeit a little smaller than I originally planned!

To make the bed I bought a total of 6 cedar fence slats for under $3 each. I started by cutting two of them in half to create the end boards. I used 1.5″ wood screws to attach the boards to scrap 2 by 4s I had on hand to brace the corners. It seriously took me about 35 minutes to make one. I was so excited-such an instant gratification project!

raised garden bed

When I had it all built I removed the weeds underneath and turned the dirt over as deep as I could (this area of the yard has a lot of clay and not so great dirt due to the construction of the house last year as you can see from the not so pretty grass around the garden…the dirt is super hard!) Then I filled it with six 40 lb bags of 99 cent topsoil and 2 large bags of miracle grow garden soil.

I am really excited about what I planted-my intent is a salsa garden so I put in two tomatoes, jalapeno, bell pepper, 4 cilantro plants, and then I also added a banana pepper, zucchini, lavender, and my son’s strawberry plants that weren’t doing so hot in another part of the yard.

So pretty right? And easy!

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30 Comments

  1. Cool!~ I always wanted a raised bed but I can’t seem to get my hubs on board. Maybe this will do it.

  2. Looks great! I’ve been wanting some raised garden beds too and these look like I might be able to handle them! Thanks for sharing!

  3. Great job, Melissa! It looks so good. Hard work, but worth it when you don’t have to break ground to garden.

  4. I love raised gardens! We inherited one when we bought our house and can’t wait to fill it up with veggies! Your kiddos will love the one you made! Great work!

  5. They look awesome! My mom had some raised bed when we were kids and she built corner seats on them! Super handy! Thank you for linking up to Monday Funday!

  6. I really need to do this! We keep saying we are going to but so many other things get in the way…every weekend! Not sure how that happens! 😉 Thanks for sharing
    Nancy

  7. This is just beautiful! Definitely inspires me to get this house unpacked from moving so I can get outside and work on some gardening projects. Thank you for linking up to Inspire Me Wednesday! Featuring you in this week’s issue.:)

  8. I love this raised garden you built! We need to plant our first veggie garden yet here – I’m really looking forward to eating fresh salads! Thanks so much for sharing at Project Inspired! Hope to see you at tonight’s party 8 pm EST!

  9. I would be worried about chemicals from the stain or treatment leaching into the soil. Natural oils or wax could be safely used (esp. if it’s food grade).

      1. The nice thing about cedar is that it doesn’t really need to be stained, except for the color. I like the natural silver gray patina it acquires after a couple of years. Then, after I get the color I want, I seal it with a clear environmentally friendly product to protect it from unfriendly UV rays from the sun and normal rot. Great job on your bed!

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  12. You could choose to remove 1-2 feet of dirt below the raised garden or add a 3 or 4th layer of the cedar to the sides then place logs or branches on the bottom then topsoil.

    Less to no watering – called Hugelkulture

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  14. I saw this yesterday morning, went and got some cedar and made a 4′ x 4′ box for an ugly corner off my deck! My first solo power tool project and it’s really cute! Can’t wait to get it filled and start planting. Thanks for the awesome plan!

  15. In our area, the cedar fence isn’t real cedar, it’s made to look like cedar. Plus it’s treated and advises to wear gloves when handling. I wouldn’t plant anything in it l plan to eat.

  16. We made a fence with these same cedar boards and have some left over that I was thinking I will make into garden boxes when I found this. Where did you get your top soil? That seems to be expensive for us. To answer some concerns, these wood fence planks are not pressure treated or stained. They are completely natural and untreated. You can get them at Lowes or Home Depot. Cedar is naturally resistant to mildew, rot and decay which is why it wouldn’t need to be treated to be used outdoors, unlike other woods. This is why it is the wood of choice for outdoor projects.

    1. This post was a while ago so I don’t remember where I got the soil but for my current raised beds I used a mixture of compost, raised bed soil (miracle grow) and perlite for drainage.

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