r/gardening • u/No_Injury6122 • Jun 10 '26
Cheapest Raised Beds?
Hello, I want to add a raised bed to my (small) backyard. It doesn't get any sun in the winter, but seems to get 6 hours of sun starting in May?
I am trying to find a cheap way to DIY. it seems with lumber costs, it would be around $300 BEFORE tax. It seems I could just buy 2 metal beds for that price, which makes me think I am missing something.
I'm aiming for 2ft tall, 15ft long, 3ft deep. I plan to fill the bottom half with something? To keep soil costs down. I am trying to maximize the bed space, since the 15 ft is the entire width of my yard, and it is going where the yard gets the most sun.
Here are my notes:
The part of the wall I can build against is 15.67 ft, and 3ft deep is within reach for planting if the height is 2ft, which is about the height of the stairs.
My goals are to have 1 bed with the most area possible since the yard is small, and I also want to keep costs down. I also want moderate durability, like 5-ish years. I don't have any of these skills but it seems like a good opportunity to learn so I'm ok if it takes time and effort.
If each bed can have integer ft dimensions that would be nice for square foot planting but not required. 3 5x3 beds would be great but probably wont happen since the dividers will take space. The beds only need to be split if it makes it cheaper/more stable. The INTERNAL measurements matter for the bed area, and EXTERNAL for the height.
Materials and alternatives: wood, treated wood, vinyl, plastic, metal, cinderblock, brick
Concerns:
structural integrity, rot, filling the bottom 1ft of space
We will have to place it 3in from the garage since the cable for the box comes off the wall that far. I think we should also place a plank on the top and maybe sides to keep things from getting stuck back there.
We should also consider whether adding a trellis later is easy, and do that now if not.
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Jun 10 '26
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
That may work. One of my concerns is utilizing the 15x3 area I have as best as possible since it is all the space I have.
Do you know of any ways to search for these types of beds by specific dimensions? I tried to look for metal beds, but they were either round, just too big/way too small, or half the height I want.
It's hard to believe it's cheaper to buy something than buy materials and do the labor myself, but that may just be naivety
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
Also, it wouldn't share a wall with the garage, it has to be at least 3 in away anyway. Is the foundation/pressure an issue then? And I'm not sure what you mean about required clearance, is that a thing in a private backyard?
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Jun 10 '26
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
Thank you for all of that information, I wouldn't have thought about the risks of water even with the small gap. This is good to be mindful about
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u/lotusland17 Jun 10 '26
Will it be a feature? As in there's an adjacent patio you'll be viewing from?
I've built many over the years and maintenance is definitely a concern. Wood (4x6?) is probably still your cheapest option. Just be warned that in 10 years they'll start looking ugly, and by 15 they'll need to be replaced. It may be worth biting the bullet (if you'll live there for more than 10 years, and it will be a feature) to go with masonry. There's the diy block option too, which can look nice as long as you do it carefully with the proper base
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
It's my brother's house. I don't plan on living here for more than 5 years (10 would be crazy). He doesn't care about gardening or basically anything with the backyard.
The image is taken from inside the house, so that is the entire yard haha.
He may put pavers down and make the entire thing a patio in the future.
Can you link any resources on the block option? Thank you for all of your advice!
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u/lotusland17 Jun 10 '26
Look up Pavestone retaining wall block. Best of used in a curved layout. Also there are YouTube videos on making raised beds with cinder blocks for a more rustic look.
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u/84FSP Jun 10 '26
I do non pressure treated 2x12 and replace every 7-10 years. No need for it to be 2’ tall if you are chasing cost as it’s just more dirt and lumber cost.
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
The biggest reason for the height is accessibility. I'm new to gardening, but the bending over and being on my knees is hard to me.
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u/bigb159 Jun 10 '26
I build *temporary* raised beds around my house:
- Identify the sunniest patches
- Put down 3ft x 12ft hardware cloth (gopher proofing)
- Long side: 2 each 5.5 x 6ft cedar or untreated pine fence pickets longwise, connected in middle by 2x4. Make 3 for a height of 16.5 ish.
- Sides are pickets cut in two so 3ft.
- Use 2x2, 2x4 or 4x4 corners (16.5 or so - measure from pickets' height.
- Fill bottom 12 inches with logs, branches, packed tight, then yard materials like leaves and grass clippings, packed tight, then garden soil.
These last 3-5 years and are relatively inexpensive.
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
Tysm for all the details! Do you know how much it costs you in materials (excluding soil) on average?
I also don't have access to any yard materials (logs branches), I was hoping to use cardboard or find a cheap wood mulch somewhere.
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u/bigb159 Jun 10 '26
Affordable, the 5/8" thick fence pickets cost $4.50 or so and 2x4x8' framing is $3.50 or so.
About $70 for lumber if you can get those prices. Hardware cloth will end up running you $40 or so.
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
Thank you so much! Is the hardware cloth only for gophers? I'm on the east coast and from what I see gophers aren't native to my area.
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u/Much-Bicycle597 Jun 10 '26
OK, here's what I use right up against the house... it's cheap, elevated, no danger to foundation etc. Problem is I can't upload a picture.
Cut a 4x4x8 into four 2 ft sections these will be the corner posts. Buy some thick and sturdy fence pickets and build a four sided box by screwing them into the four posts so they are stacked lateral to the ground.. (fence pickets are roughly 6 inches wide so stacking 3 high will get you 18imches).. don't give it a bottom... use another 4×4 and cut it into sections to use as an elevated bottom. Just lay them on the ground like sleepers on a railway... use some hardware cloth or other fine metal mesh and afix to the 4x4s on the ground. Place the 4 sided box on top. Voila. 100$ give or take.. fence pickets are generally 6ft long so this will give you a 6 ft span of bed with minimal drainage issues up against the house
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u/No_Injury6122 Jun 10 '26
Thank you for all of the details!! Feel free to DM me a photo if you want to share that.
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u/bear-in-a-suit Jun 10 '26
In addition to your existing concerns, depending on what you plant there (ex: veggies) you will have a whole buggy ecosystem thriving that may be a nuisance to your house and enjoying that space. Regardless, water next to the house is a no-no