How to Build a Raised Garden Box

If you don't have the space to put in a large garden, don't let that stop you from growing and enjoying fresh vegetables. Make a small, raised garden bed instead, which is nothing more than a planter box made with rot- and weather-resistant lumber to hold the soil and plants. Making a raised garden bed is not difficult, and it's a project most do-it-yourself homeowners can tackle with confidence. It can be made of varying dimensions to fit any size backyard and, more importantly, help give your back a break.

Tape measure

Landscaping spray paint

Flat-edge shovel

Carpenter's level, 4-foot

Landscaping fabric

Carpenter's pencil

Chop saw or circular saw

3 cedar boards, 8 feet long, 2-by-10

1 cedar post, 4-by-4

Galvanized deck screws, 3-inch

Drill with bits

Utility knife

Garden soil

Find a relatively flat area on your property for the raised garden. Measure and spray landscaping paint on the ground to indicate the perimeter of the box. Make the painted perimeter a few inches longer and wider than the box.

Remove the turf with a flat-edge shovel and compact the dirt with a hand tamper. Use a 4-foot carpenter's level and check several areas of the bed for level. Add or remove dirt as needed to level the area.

Spread landscaping fabric over the entire area. Allow a few inches to hang over the edges of the planting bed.

Measure and cut an 8-foot cedar board in half to make two, 4-foot sections. Stand two 8-foot cedar boards on edge, parallel to each other, and put one 4-foot section between the ends of the longer boards. Align the boards at each corner so they are flush with each other and attach them together with three or four 3-inch galvanized screws. Repeat the process with the two corners at the opposite side of the frame.

Cut four sections from the 4-by-4 post to attach to the inside of each corner. The length of each section should equal the height of the cedar frame. Don't assume 2-by-10 boards measure 10 inches wide. Take a measurement and cut the post sections to size.

Put one 4-by-4 post section on the inside of one corner. Position the section so the top is flush with the top edges of the 2-by-10 boards. Drive three or four galvanized screws through the boards on each side of the corner to attach them to the post. Repeat the process to attach a 4-by-4 section to the inside of the remaining three corners.

Ask an assistant to help lift and place the box on top of the landscaping fabric. Use a utility knife to cut and remove the excess fabric from around the box. Fill the box with enriched soil and plant your plants.

If you plan to have your garden next to your house or a fence, make it at least 3 feet from the structure to allow easy access to both sides.

Avoid using treated lumber because the chemicals could leach out into your garden bed.