How to Make Raised Flower Beds

by DoItYourself Staff

what you'll need

Skill saw
Measuring square
Lumber pencil
Drill
1/8 inch pilot bit
Tin snips or diagonal wire cutting pliers
Staple gun
Rake
3,2x6x8 feet
One handful3 inch deck screws
Wood stakes
One Pieceof 1inch poultry wire,5 footx9 foot
9/16 inch staples
42square feet of ground fabric
16 cubic feet potting soil
Flower bulbs or starts

Raised flower beds have many advantages. One is that you don't have to depend on the existing soil to provide the nutrients that your plants will need. With a raised flower bed, you don’t have to dig and till, and you can protect your flowers from burrowing critters. You can create a 4 foot by 8 foot flower bed in one afternoon.

Step One - Pick a Spot

Choose a place where you will see your flowers and where they will get appropriate sun exposure.

Step 2– Choose Your Lumber and Soil

Choose lumber that fits your budget and preferences. Treated lumber will last the longest but has toxic chemicals associated with it. Avoid inhaling saw dust from treated lumber while sawing it. Cedar and Redwoods have natural bug and fire resistance and are very beautiful. Fir is the most economical choice. Select a planting soil that is ideal for the flowers you want to grow. You will need 16 cubic feet of soil.

Step 3- Create a Frame

Cut one 2x6x8 feet in half and create two, 2x6x4 feet. Arrange the four boards into a rectangle with butt joint corners. Pilot drill the holes then screw together the butt joints. Position the frame on your spot and stake down the corners if necessary.

Step 4- Weed and Animal Control

Spread the poultry wire out in the frame so that you have 6 inches sticking out over the edge of the frame, all the way around. Start at a corner and miter cut the wire. Stop at the inside corner of the frame. Push the wire down into the frame and staple the edges into the frame. This will keep unwanted animals out. Repeat the wire treatment with ground fabric for weed control.