Does anyone here make their own garden beds?

[ilovemybabychickies]

hey guy! I want to start a tea garden! All of the garden beds that I saw were VERY expensive and I don't want to spend that kind of money! Do you have any ideas for upcycling or making a DIY raised bed? AND does anyone here have a tea garden? if so, what kind of plants do you suggest!? I was thinking:

lemon balm
mint (in a separate container because it SPREADS)
stevia
chamomile
pineapple sage
calendula

Thanks! Have the best day ever!

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

What sort of bed are you looking to make? If your soil is decent you could always just put the plants in-ground. Or if that isn’t workable and you have the space and are good with a hammer you could try building a raised bed out of pallet wood.

For me my cheap option was to wander around the edge of the woods pulling out pots the neighbors had dumped when the original plants had died, then cleaning them out and reusing them. I have some wheeled raised boxes, but I bought those. City Pickers was the brand name I think.

 

[PrettyBirdRocky]

We just used 2by6s and laid on ground and blocked it off. Know it isn't fancy but it helps keep compost in it when we muck the chickens out.

 

[RubelliteRose]

A tea garden sounds lovely
I have used both pallet wood and concrete blocks for raised beds. Due to occasional flooding, planting a garden in ground is not an option here. The pallet beds are cheaper, but the wood does not last more than a few seasons in our climate. If you build from pallets, short vertical boards seem to last longer than horizontal boards.
This year I am going to build a couple of small beds using double stacked pressure treated wood to see how they work for us.
The concrete blocks are more expensive, but the blocks should last for years and years. They are also easy to disassemble and move if needed.
Side note - if you grow your mint in pots, do not place it next to a bed. The mint will find the smallest crack in the side and infiltrate your bed

 

[Sally PB]

This thread has a lot of ideas!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-me-your-pallet-projects.1541562/

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

What sort of bed are you looking to make? If your soil is decent you could always just put the plants in-ground. Or if that isn’t workable and you have the space and are good with a hammer you could try building a raised bed out of pallet wood.

For me my cheap option was to wander around the edge of the woods pulling out pots the neighbors had dumped when the original plants had died, then cleaning them out and reusing them. I have some wheeled raised boxes, but I bought those. City Pickers was the brand name I think.

Great idea! thank you! My dirt is primarily clay, so it's not the best for planting.

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

This thread has a lot of ideas!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/show-me-your-pallet-projects.1541562/

Thank you so much!

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

A tea garden sounds lovely
I have used both pallet wood and concrete blocks for raised beds. Due to occasional flooding, planting a garden in ground is not an option here. The pallet beds are cheaper, but the wood does not last more than a few seasons in our climate. If you build from pallets, short vertical boards seem to last longer than horizontal boards.
This year I am going to build a couple of small beds using double stacked pressure treated wood to see how they work for us.
The concrete blocks are more expensive, but the blocks should last for years and years. They are also easy to disassemble and move if needed.
Side note - if you grow your mint in pots, do not place it next to a bed. The mint will find the smallest crack in the side and infiltrate your bed

Thank you!!!!!

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

We just used 2by6s and laid on ground and blocked it off. Know it isn't fancy but it helps keep compost in it when we muck the chickens out.

great! thanks for the idea!

 

[gtaus]

All of the garden beds that I saw were VERY expensive and I don't want to spend that kind of money! Do you have any ideas for upcycling or making a DIY raised bed?

I know someone already shared the link to the Show Me Your Pallet Projects thread, but specifically to your concerns, here is my 4X4 foot 16-inch-high pallet wood raised bed v2.0 that I make for less than $2.00 each, using free pallet wood but new nails and screws...

These pallet wood raised beds are going on 5 years now and still holding together well. Notice that this is v2.0 of my pallet wood raised bed design. There are a number of improvements in this latest design, such as the 2X4 frames on the outside, 2X4's in the corners for additional strength, and all the sidewall boards are inside the external frame which has basically eliminated sidewall blowouts.

I don't know how long that pallet wood will last, but it is super easy to replace any rotted boards, or at $2.00 per bed, just build a new one.

If interested, you can read about the project on the Pallet Projects thread along with other ideas that may interest you.

If you can get some pallets or reclaimed lumber, you don't need to spend a lot of money on some good quality raised beds. Well, at least I am very happy with my pallet wood raised beds. Good luck in finding what works for you.