Raised Planting Bed & Cover

Raised planting beds solve a number of gardening challenges. A raised bed is much like a container garden in that it offers total control over the soil content and quality, without the worry of compaction from walking through the garden. Containment of the soil also prevents erosion, helps with weed encroachment, and improves water drainage. For many urban gardeners, a raised bed is the best—and often only—way to grow vegetables and other crop plants in tight spaces.

Another advantage of a raised bed is that the frame around the bed provides a structure for adding covers to protect plants from cold, wind, and snow, or to erect netting to keep out pests. The simple cover frame shown here is much like a hoophouse structure used by farmers to shelter rows of crops on a temporary basis. Ours is made with PVC pipe and is easy to disassemble for storage at the end of the season. The lightweight frame is perfect for a canopy of plastic sheeting (for warmth in colder weather), spun fleece (for insect protection), or deer netting (to deter deer or any other hungry critters).

The raised bed frame is made with a single course of 2 × 10 lumber. You can use smaller lumber for a shallower bed, or go higher with more courses and taller corner posts. Unless your bed will be used strictly for ornamental plants (not food), don’t use pressure-treated lumber, due to the risk of chemical contamination. Instead, choose a naturally decay-resistant species such as all-heart redwood, cedar, cypress, or Douglas fir.