Raised garden bed ideas are SO much more than just a box for plants: they’re design statements in their own right! They have so many upsides over a classic in-ground garden.
Raised beds are a total game-changer if you have back issues or want to keep annoying critters away. The only tricky part? You’ve got to build it first.
In this guide, I’m sharing some of the most stylish ideas to inspire your project.
Simple Wood
A simple wooden box is probably the most common and easiest design out there for a raised garden bed. When you’re picking out your wood, just make sure you go for cedar. Cedar is the top choice for garden beds because it’s naturally rot-resistant.
Water Trough
Honestly, if you can find an old water trough, they make *such* great raised garden beds. This is the perfect solution for anyone who doesn’t really want to build or DIY a project.
You just set it in place and fill it up. It’s such an easy option but looks incredibly pretty!
Recycled Pallets
Using recycled pallets is a fantastic material for a raised garden bed, and you know the best part? It’s free! I see companies trying to get rid of pallets all the time, often stacked by the road for trash.
A quick tip though: if they’re on a retail or manufacturing property, it’s always smart to ask before you take them.
You can take a pallet apart and end up with perfectly sized boards to build your bed. Feel free to try out different styles and shapes. I personally think these pyramid-style pallet beds are such a cool and contemporary design!
But you don’t even have to dismantle the pallets. You can use them just as they are! Take a look at this idea:
Paint the pallet a bright, fun color and add a spot of chalkboard paint. That way, you can label what you’ve planted. This is just a perfect idea for an herb garden. You’ll never forget where your favorite herbs are!
Tiered Raised Garden Bed Ideas
Why not take your raised garden beds to new and decorative heights? Stacking them on top of each other is a great way to do it.
Adding tiers will give your garden and backyard some lovely dimension, all while creating beds that are really appealing to the eye.
You can experiment with different shapes and layouts, or pick a pattern that fits perfectly within the scope of your backyard.
Add-In a Bench
If you’re already making a raised garden bed, why not add a place to sit? A raised bed with a bench built right in gives you a spot to rest while you’re weeding. It also adds a nice bit of decor to what might otherwise be a plain cedar box.
Concrete
Concrete is a really great material to work with when you’re building a raised garden bed. It comes in a bunch of different shapes you can use. Or, you can even form concrete into whatever shape you want by mixing your own cement and making a mold.
Cinder blocks are super easy to get and you can use them to outline a raised garden bed.
Hoop Raised Garden Bed Ideas
A hoop house is a specific kind of garden bed cover that has a “hoop” shape. The supports are bent over the top of the raised bed, which creates a dome-like space inside. This shape is what holds up the cover material, whether it’s plastic, netting, or fabric.
The Space Saver
If you’re really tight on space, you have to make sure you use the area *under* a raised garden bed. Here’s a really clever idea: a raised garden bed built with storage underneath for trash containers. This also gives you a pretty space to store items that aren’t so pretty.
Slick and Trendy Garden Bed Ideas
Raised garden beds don’t have to be just boring wood. You can try adding a trending design or something simple that elevates the whole style of your backyard.
I really like this simple black striping on the light cedar wood. It just adds a little bit of style without going overboard.
Bricks
A lot like the concrete cinder blocks, bricks make an excellent material for a raised garden bed. If you’re making a short bed, you can just stack them 3-4 bricks high without using any adhesive to secure them.
Be aware that unsecured bricks can get bumped out of place by critters or even intense rain. For more stability, build the bed with a thickness of two bricks all around.
If you’re making a larger garden bed, you’ll definitely want to secure them and make something more stable and fixated in place.
Corrugated Metal
Corrugated Metal is a super popular material to use for raised garden beds. It gives you a great contrast between the metal and the wood frame.
You can also add your own personality and style to this project by painting or staining the wood frame a color that you love or one that matches your home’s exterior decor.
Trellis Raised Garden Bed Ideas
If you’re going to plant climbing plants, you should definitely add a trellis to your raised garden bed. I love this idea of bending a cattle panel over to connect to another raised garden box.
Get Creative with Shapes
You don’t have to stick with the traditional rectangular shape for a raised garden bed. Go for something a little more modern! Try making your bed in the shape of a hexagon to add a little dimension to your backyard.
Landscaping Timbers
Landscaping timbers are just a wonderful material to use for a raised garden bed, mostly because they are made to be outside in the garden anyway. They are typically used for edging a garden, but you can stack these timbers to form a raised bed.
Self-Watering Veggie Table
This is so great for lettuce! A self-watering veggie table is ideal for people who don’t have the space to plant a garden or maybe just don’t have the right soil.
It’s a system where you let water at the bottom of the container get drawn up to the roots as they need it. There’s an overflow hole in the side, near the top of the water reservoir, that overflows when the water hits the top.
Simple Stand
Raised garden beds don’t always have to be massive. Sometimes, a nice little two-tiered plant stand is all you need. Something like this is just perfect for a tiny herb garden. It’s great for people who live in apartments or are short on backyard space.
Add-In Dividers
For those hard-to-manage plants and veggies, try adding dividers into your raised garden bed. This will really help you keep your garden organized.
Elevated Table Style Garden Beds
You can build an elevated, table-style garden bed by repurposing old table legs or even entire old tables. I used to have one of these for my herbs! These garden beds are great for herb gardens or are really popular for growing lettuce.
Enclosed Raised Garden Bed Ideas
If animals are a huge problem where you live, you should definitely think about an enclosed raised garden bed. You can build all kinds of frames and enclosures around your bed.
These can range from super elaborate setups all the way down to something as simple as wrapping the box in basic metal fencing.
Think Resourceful
Work with what you already have! If you want to make a raised garden bed as inexpensively as possible, just look around your home and see what you can come up with. Even an old bathtub can make a wonderful raised garden bed!
Repurpose Something Old
Not everything has to be built brand new. If you have an old dresser that’s headed for the dump, why not use it in the garden? I just love the idea of using the drawers of an old dresser for a succulent garden.
Just be careful with this one, though. You want to make sure your dresser isn’t in an area where it will get too weather-worn, since most interior furniture isn’t built to withstand the outdoor weather.
Straw Raised Garden Bed
A straw bale can make a fantastic growing medium. A straw bale garden is basically a raised bed where the potting soil, compost, and plants are all housed right inside the straw bale.
This is a great way to grow herbs and vegetables, and you can also use it to grow ornamental plants.
