Lessons Learned from a DIY Backyard Garden Bed Builder

It’s that time of the year again….no, it’s not the start of fall, but rather, the planning for next year’s garden season, and often in our house that means building more garden beds. Gardening is typically Ashleigh’s domain, but she keeps me around for my muscles and rugged good looks. What do those have to do with gardening? Well, new homemade garden beds aren’t going to put themselves in and it may require a little (or a lot of) hard work.

Can You Build Your Own Garden Beds?

You sure can. Over the decade-plus of our marriage, I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of backyard garden bed building. It probably amounts to about 15 garden beds if you add it up. I have been able to:

Shrink a garden’s footprint and put in newer materials when the existing garden walls were rotting away
Put in smaller, more easily managed pre-fab raised beds
Add structure to existing garden beds
AND devise plans to avoid having to put in more garden beds

With all of these garden bed opportunities, I’ve tried to get smarter each time. That may be asking a lot, but you don’t want to repeat the same mistakes and want your next garden installation to go easier and faster than the previous ones.

One of my favorite books says that there is nothing new under the sun. Garden construction has been going for a long time so we might as well learn from the past.

Basics of Building Garden Beds

Know before you dig – Safety first

There may be more than earthworms and moles lurking beneath the surface. It’s good idea to call 811 to make sure you don’t damage utility lines or more importantly injure or kill yourself. In addition to utilities, other obstacles to be aware of include sprinkler systems, drainage pipes, and any other items you or previous homeowners may have buried (watch out for old pets).

Encountering obstacles doesn’t necessarily mean the selected site is a no go, but rather you may have to modify your design to suit the space. One DIY garden bed I built resulted in having to notch out a board in two spots to accommodate both a sprinkler and drainage pipe. It wasn’t an insurmountable challenge but definitely added to the time to finish the project.

Where to build you garden bed

Site selection: Look for a flat (and sunny) spot to place your garden bed if you can. This makes the whole process easier. If there’s a slope where you want your raised bed, then you have a few additional choices to make. Do you want to dig DOWN, build more structure UP, or split the difference and make a tiered garden to have all of the garden walls level?

A level garden will keep your dirt from shifting when water is introduced. You’ll need a good level, string, wood stakes, and a sledgehammer in this process. Sometimes in determining the answer to the down, up, tiered question, you may be balancing material cost (building up and tiered may require more materials), labor effort (digging down will generally be more work as you have to remove dirt), and aesthetics (this can favor any of the options).

The basics for building garden beds:

Mark corners and sides of garden bed footprint
Skim off sod or put down cardboard to kill grass/plants
Place boards, stones, or pavers around the perimeter (we have also occasionally opted to use these pre-fab raised beds)
Backfill with a compost/mulch/topsoil combo

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There is also the no-dig method, which does seem to be the easiest route if you can swing it. No digging up grass, just laying down cardboard and topping it with compost and mulch. This is a great option if you don’t have to worry about having distinct edges to the bed. We have an HOA and have to maintain at least a little order.

Correct tools/Correct form

Use the right shovel for the job and practice the correct shoveling technique. The work that you are doing will determine the type of shovel you will want to use. Who knew there was more than one shovel type? Bob Vila did – let him tell you all the details about shovels.

You use Digging shovels for breaking ground and digging down.

Trenching shovels typically have narrow, rectangular blades and are used for more specific digging where the focus isn’t removing a lot of dirt, but rather creating crisp edges around your site.

We use Scooping shovels for moving loose material that we might encounter during a project.

A pickaxe will also be useful in rocky soil or if roots are present.

a shovel sticking up in the dirt for a garden bed

No matter the type of shovel, make sure you use it as intended. Shovel handles are designed to provide leverage, and give you mechanical advantage, hopefully making the work easier. However, that leverage can wreck your back and arms if you use improper technique. Unfortunately, I have more than one story about having a tweaked or sore back after a garden project. Trust me – focus on proper form. Having a hurt back in the 30s doesn’t heal as fast as it used to.

Sometime Less is More

Don’t be afraid to take the easy way out. Sometimes doing nothing, not building a new bed in this case, may be just the solution. Assess what your garden goal is and determine if adding more potted plants gets you what you want from a planting option, aesthetic, and cost perspective. Check out what the Almanac has to say planting in pots.

I’m not going to lie, this is usually my default preferred option. It might make sense for a particular space; it is less permanent than building a bed if you’re still figuring out what you want to do; and it can be relatively inexpensive (or free if you’re resourceful). I’ve relied on this too much lately because my back patio is filled to the brim with potted plants and nowhere to put the grill!

I hope you can learn from my past experiences and save yourselves some time, costs, and pain. Don’t be afraid to get out there and build or expand your garden space. While I may complain when asked to put in more garden space, I’m usually more than pleasantly surprised with what eventually springs forth from a produce and flower perspective.