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Building Unique Raised Garden Beds

Unique raised garden beds are creative, one of kind piece of work. Using recycled material is a thrifty way to construct raised vegetable beds. Utilizing natural resources for building raised garden beds minimizes the use of man made material, which is ideal for our lifestyle.

unique raised garden beds

A garden is a space which continually gives back. Food for substance. Therapy for the tired soul. Prettiness for the eyes view.

The garden will slow you down in a harried and hustling world. It doesn’t run on anyone’s time but its own. You bow to it, and take graciously what it will give you.

Gardner’s world wide dedicate hours, upon hours in this space. And because of this we’ve learned to beautify the space. But better yet, we’ve learn to construct unique raised vegetable beds to showcase the life we live.

Raised Vegetable Beds

Raised garden beds have become a preference for many gardeners around the world. Not only are they ideal to grow food, they create an organized space.

Building raised garden beds are ideal for many reasons. As mentioned, some love the organized look of them, whereas other individuals find raised beds to be purposeful.

  • Save on back pain
  • Hard pan issues
  • Rocky terrain
  • Renting
  • Erosion issues
  • Under ground springs
  • Cooler Climates
  • Vole or mole issues
Utilize fallen trees for firewood and to construct raised beds

Unique Raised Garden Beds

Constructing raised beds out of recycled and reclaimed material serves a purpose. Not only does it save money, it prevents items from ending up in a landfill. However, building raised beds (or anything for that matter) is a challenge. Material must be collected months ahead of time to ensure the project can be completed in a timely manner.

Luckily a garden space is always growing (pun intended). And in truth it doesn’t need to be picture perfect. Using multiple types of material allows for raised beds to be, well, unique.

Rocks, Broken Cement, Bricks, Pavers

First and foremost, use what you have. Every property has rocks, why not put them to use? An herbal spiral garden is perfect for perennial herbs.

Are you planning on taking out an old concrete deck, drive, or sidewalk? Save the pieces. They are expensive to haul off, why not use them for building raised garden beds?

Utilize Fallen Trees

As the property is cleared of trees much of it is used for various projects. Unless the wood is being used for firewood, why not utilize fallen trees to construct raised beds.

The idea to use first cuts of lumber is brilliant. Lumber yards consider first cuts to be unusable. However, this is not true. First cuts are perfect to use for walkways, as well as, for raised beds.

building raised garden beds

Photo credit – Melissa, Sweet Bee Garden

Raised vegetable beds are perfect for those with back issues. Convert an old playground set into waist high garden space. Not only is this creative, but it also brilliant.

Photo submitted: Erin Rumsey

Unique Raised Garden Beds | Container Gardening

As growing food is becoming more popular among those who live in townhouses, condo, and even apartment container gardening works well.

Utilizing kiddy pools and tires work very well for those who rent homes.

Growing vegetables in a container is not a new concept for gardeners. The following items are ideal gardening beds:

  • Food grade buckets
  • Galvanized containers
  • Terracotta pots
  • Burlap bags
  • Tires
  • Kiddie pools
Richelle of The Humble Rented Homestead

Gutter Gardening

Growing food in gutters maximizes the use of space. Place gutter along fencing, barns, and shed. Building an A-frame structure to place multiple gutters allows for a plethora of food to be grown in a small space.

Gutters are ideal for growing short root vegetables. Lettuce, herbs, garlic, leeks, and bunching onions grow quite well in this space.

Vertical Gardening | Unique Raised Garden Beds

Gardeners with minimal space will grow vertically. Utilize a vertical garden for vegetation which vines. Foods like peas, beans, cucumbers, winter squash, and melons do very well on trellises.

Adding a trellis does not require the purchase new material. Constructing a trellis archway using old cattle paneling is a great option. Make sure to maximize items on the property, like an existing fence line for growing grapes.

A trellis using natural items is just as ideal. Allow green beans to trellis on sunflowers and corn.

Photo credit: Tracy of 7 Tree Farm
Photo credit: Elizabeth Loupe LeMarr

An old swimming pool ladder is an excellent trellis to grown vining fruit such as small melons and winter squash.

building raised garden beds
Photo credit – Sarah Jane, from Valhalla Rise

Left over lumber makes great A-frame trellises.

We used recycled lumber to build a A-frame trellis photo 2015

Unique Raised Garden Beds

As homesteaders we strive to create a zero waste product by using free or recycled items.  As you can tell, these homesteaders were able to items which would have normally been discarded.

Instead, a desire to grow food, in combination of being creative, created a unique garden space.

Think Like a Homesteader

Are you new to gardening or homesteading? Learn how to set yourself up for success by planning, and executing, sound homesteading goals.

Constructing raised garden beds using reclaimed and recycled material is perfect for the homesteading lifestyle.

unique raised garden beds

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11 Comments

  1. This was wrote beautifully and love all the other ideas. Thank you for letting me be a part of this. I’m truly honored

  2. Hi there, Great tips by the way and thank you. I did have a question though.
    I’m hoping you can answer it for me since you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about gardening.

    In a garden, how can you kill unwanted plants (e.g.
    weeds) without hurting other plants? If you had some insight
    I would greatly appreciate it.

  3. lovely article – inspiring!
    I have cement blocks & old tyres available but I am worried about the plants taking up poisons from them.
    What do you think??
    Thanks!
    Deb

    1. We have used cement blocks for as long as I’ve been gardening. As a matter of fact, I am getting ready to build new garden beds using broken cement from a patio.

    2. HI, I have read of gardeners using tires for planting, one gardener said her potatoes tasted like rubber! She threw all her potatoes away. toxins from the rubber will leach into the soil, just as treated lumber and treated railroad ties will leach out toxic chemicals into the soil, and fruits and vegetables.

      1. I personally do not use tires so I cannot state if the potatoes taste like them or not. However, I do know a few individual that have and there have been no complaints on using tires from them.

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