Raised Garden Bed Ideas

Raised garden beds are great options for bringing both functionality and style to outdoor space!

Raised beds are very beneficial for gardeners as they allow for:

• Greater soil quality control
• Have more significant drainage
• Enable you to start planting earlier in the season
• Have fewer weeds
• Prevent critters from having easy access to your plants

Because these barriers are removed, raised garden beds can be great for beginners. While raised beds might involve a bit more investment upfront depending on the design you choose, they can bring excellent gardening success while also adding some visual appeal.

There are many raised beds that you can consider ranging from small to large and understated to creative. We will walk you through various styles of raised garden beds to help you find one that best suits your gardening and outdoor design needs:

Square Foot Raised Beds

We are starting with a fan favorite for functionality. Square footbeds are famous for their ability to neatly divide the garden area into different sections, making these perfect candidates for growing vegetables! 

These square foot raised beds to allow you to take advantage of a small space and create an organized and easier to manage garden. 

Spiral

The spiral-raised garden bed is beautiful and great for making a statement. Shaped like a snail shell and built up vertically, you can implement this garden bed nearly anywhere, all while adding an architectural element to your space.

As much as this garden brings style, it is also very logical for gardeners to want a diverse array of plants as its unique structure has micro-climates that offer various niches. While many people like to plant herbs in this bed because of the spiral’s superstar growing capabilities, you can also choose most other types of plants.

Sheet Metal Raised Beds

Sheet metal raised beds are great for our eager gardeners who are ready to start planting earlier into the spring. The sheet metal absorbs the heat from the sun, retaining it in the soil. 

This heat absorption makes sheet metal raised beds perfect for plants that enjoy warm soil such as sage or lavender, which are used to the Mediterranean climate. In addition, sheet metal beds can bring a great rustic or industrial feel to your outdoor space.

Hoop House

Hoop houses are great for people who want to avoid frost and prolong the growing season with a headstart in the spring or get a few more vegetables on the table into the fall. Think of the hoop house as your mini makeshift greenhouse! 

The sheet of heavy plastic draped over the hoops will hold in heat which will, in turn, keep the soil warmer for longer. This sheet can also prevent the plants from experiencing damage from weather or less suitable conditions.

Multi-level

Some people may feel limited in their options for gardening and designing a beautiful yard when dealing with a sloped yard. However, if your yard has a rather steep slope, you may find multi-level raised garden beds to be of interest. 

Capitalize on the layers of beauty that a multi-level garden can bring to a sloped yard. With these garden beds, people tend to choose large plants like shrubs to fill in the space and then add more small, more colorful plants in front to add dimension and personality. 

Galvanized Trough Gardens

Galvanized trough gardens can turn any corner in your backyard space into an attractive and productive space. In addition, trough gardens are great for bringing style, as their metal texture compliments the natural elements.

Like the metal sheets, the metal of the trough provides heat to the soil, warming up the bed more quickly in the spring and appealing to plants that enjoy warmer soil.

Arbor / Trellis

Arbors and trellises are a great idea if you want to add some genuine character to your gardening space! These well-liked garden elements can serve as a visual anchor and provide a more “storybook” feel for your raised garden, all while still serving their function.

By adding an arbor or trellis to your raised bed, you are providing space for your fast-growing climbers to extend upwards. In addition, covering an arbor or trellis with life can transform your gardening area into a unique and visually appealing space.

Informal Stone Raised Bed

An informal stone-raised bed is an attractive option for a more natural-looking raised garden. Hugelkultur, German for hill mound, is a long-standing method of building a raised garden from natural materials. 

With large rocks stacked around creating a foundation, the center is developed with bulky organic material such as tree trunks and branches, where it is then topped with soil and plants. The organic material’s added nutrients and optimal conditions below allow the plants to mature faster than traditional beds and require less watering.

Each raised garden bed brings along its unique attributes to consider. So whether you want creative or more functional, there are plenty of options to choose from, and try out your green thumb!