Raised garden bed ideas are the one planting trend that isn't going anywhere. Their visual appeal and ease of construction make them top of people's most-wanted lists when it comes to doing a garden revamp.
Designs go beyond linear timber structures too. Raised beds can be key to your garden design, offering a chance to zone your outdoor living spaces, add interest at different heights, bring in extra seating, as well as provide weed-free containers for growing your favourite plants.
Options range from budget-friendly DIY jobs to bespoke designs that form the basis of many top-end landscape designer's projects.
11 raised garden bed ideas
The raised garden bed ideas to go for totally depend on your space and garden style.
"For a more contemporary garden, powder-coated metal raised beds add a modern and more formal twist. Whereas, if your garden is more ‘cottagecore’ it may be best to build raised beds out of wood, brick or corrugated metal to suit your outside space," says Stephanie Harrod of Harrod Horticultural.
These 11 ideas will hopefully serve as inspirational reminders of what raised beds can do for your garden landscaping.
Stephanie is a keen gardener with a vision to transform outdoor spaces into havens of beauty and functionality. Combining her love for nature with innovative design. Harrod stock a large range of raised beds to suit all garden needs.
1. Reuse materials like gravel or scaffold boards
For sustainable and cheap raised garden bed ideas the trick is to reclaim existing materials. Scaffold boards are one of the cheapest materials for creating raised beds.
'I used scaffold boards to create my raised beds in my vegetable garden," says Beth Murton, editor of Homebuilding & Renovating. "They were cheap, sturdy and easy to put together. I then painted the outside of the boards in a black timber paint for a smart finish."
Shop materials for raised beds
These sleepers have been pressure-treated, making them long lasting. Each piece weighs around 23kg so bear this in mind when ordering large quantities.
For a more budget option, these gravel boards will do the job for a thin raised bed, which is perfect if you don't have space for the chunkier sleepers.
These darker brown sleepers will be suitable for everything from raised beds, to steps and retaining walls. Extremely robust, with a 15 year warranty.
2. Use corrugated metal for industrial style
"Metal raised garden beds have become more popular over recent years and offer a more contemporary style for the modern garden. They are available in different colours and are very long-lasting," says Stephanie Harrod.
It's possible to create your own budget DIY raised garden bed using sheets of corrugated metal. Reclaimed sheet metal can be bought from reclamation yards or online.
3. Railway sleepers are robust and easy to create
For a robust and easy-to-construct option choose to lay railway sleepers. You will need a chainsaw or circular saw to cut them to size and you should lay garden sleepers that are screwed in place.
If you want a higher raised garden bed, perhaps to make it easier to access without having to stoop down or kneel on the floor, you can simply stack railways sleepers on top of each other. Offsetting each layer slightly will create a stronger structure.
4. There are kits available for DIY novices
'If you don't fancy sourcing materials like scaffold boards or cutting wood to size, there are plenty of DIY kits available online or in store at DIY and garden retailers," says Beth Murton. "They come as a pack with all the timber you need, already cut to size, plus you'll have the right fittings to ensure you can assemble it easily too.
'While it might be a slightly more expensive way to create a raised bed, if you're not as confident in your DIY skills, this is a good approach to take."
Shop ready-made raised bed options
If your DIY skills are lacking then this trough will make a perfect raised bed. Buy multiple and line them up along a path, or create planting pockets in different areas.
The advantage of an open bottom raised bed is that it can be placed on existing flower beds and you know that you have a great amount of depth for plants needing deeper roots.
This option is ideal for those who are looking for a sleek, contemporary look. The dark grey and black options are particularly statement. Drainage holes are essential for containers like this and they have them.
5. They can be used to create zones in your garden
Raised beds are also great for zoning and can help to create different areas in a larger garden.
"Raised beds can work really well edging a patio as they can help to separate the space and even screen it from view to make it more private," says Beth Murton. "They can also bring any flowers closer to eye level when you're sitting down, ensuring you get to appreciate the blooms at their best."
Raised beds are also a very effective way of breaking up a long garden into zones, creating different areas of interest throughout the space.
6. Plants can be displayed at different height levels
Raised garden bed ideas are particularly useful in small gardens, where you want to bring in lush planting to a small space. Even more so if you have high garden walls that look extremely bare.
If your garden is on a gradient, raised beds can be a way of landscaping a sloping garden to make it flow better. They can also help to add interest to a basic rectangular outdoor space.
You could try, for instance, having two-tiered corner raised beds. In the back section go for tall plants, such as dwarf tree varieties or climbers, whilst in the front bed plant mid to low-growing shrubs and/or seasonal bulbs.
7. Add bricks to create flow with your house and garden
"Brick is an ideal material for creating raised flower beds as it offers strength and durability," says garden landscape expert Tom Clifford.
"Bricks can be shaped into different designs using curves, unlike wood, to add visual interest. It is important to use the correct type of brick to ensure the health of your plants, engineering bricks are a good choice as they are highly weather-resistant due to their low porosity," says Tom.
Brick raised-beds are a great budget garden idea if you're using up surplus bricks from an extension or renovation project. Using these materials in the garden can help to create a sense of cohesion with your indoor and outdoor spaces.
Tom has been in the garden landscaping business for over 13 years making him an expert in garden design. He is the director of Gardenstone Limited a garden landscaping materials company.
8. Simple raised bed ideas can be created on a budget
"When creating raised beds on a budget it's important to think outside the box. Galvanised tubs can be a visually interesting yet effective structure for a raised flower bed," says Tom Clifford.
"The galvanised steel has a zinc coating that prevents rusting and ensures the healthy growth of plants. These tubs also have good drainage which avoids water gathering in the bottom of the container preventing plant rot," says Tom.
9. Sleek and contemporary designs are available
The type of raised bed that looks best is a matter of personal choice. Some people will only use timber while others prefer to make stone or brick raised beds that are more permanent.
Timber may seem like the most popular choice for raised garden bed ideas, however that's not to say it's the only option, particularly if this more rustic look does not fit with your style.
Whilst metal is more expensive it will last longer and certain types, such as corten steel, will improve over time, developing unique patinas as they're exposed to the elements.
10. They can be incorporated into your decking
To give a seamless look to your raised beds, try using them in the same material as your raised decking or patio.
Use the opportunity when you're creating a deck to factor in raised beds as part of the design. Rather than adding them in later and trying to shoehorn them in. You can even create wide edges which will work as extra seating.
Raised beds are a neater way of displaying your patio planting than single containers.
11. Seating areas can be surrounded by lush planting
As a way to add plants at head height, where they can be enjoyed whilst seated. Position some raised beds behind a seating area. Ideally in an area that isn't too shaded, in order for any plants you're growing to receive as much sunlight as possible.
Bear in mind that raised beds that are close to fences or other structures won't receive much rainfall. So any plants will need to be watered more frequently.
"It's a good idea to position your raised beds near a water source, this will be more convenient when it comes to watering," advises Tom Clifford.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of raised garden beds?
"Raised beds dry out faster than level flower beds, this means that they require more consistent watering. For busy or forgetful homeowners this could be a hindrance and may result in poor quality flower beds," says garden landscaping expert Tom Clifford.
"The initial construction of a raised bed may be significantly more time-consuming and costly than a regular flower bed."
What is the cheapest way to make a raised garden bed?
"Wood is an affordable yet durable material which makes it ideal for raised beds. In particular, recycled wood pallets are a sustainable and budget-friendly choice of wood that is a popular choice amongst homeowners for simple garden ideas," says garden landscape expert Tom Clifford.
"However, pallet wood may have a shorter lifespan than woods such as timber, to extend its lifespan ensure that you use a coat of wood preservative," he says.
Raised garden bed ideas aren't just for back gardens. They can spice up your kerb appeal too by making them part of your front garden ideas.
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this article included a quote from a purported expert whose credentials we have not been able to verify. The quote has been removed. We regret this lapse in our verification process and have updated our internal protocols to reduce the risk of recurrence.
