Raised Bed Garden Design Tips
Raised-bed gardens are a popular option for starting a garden. Correct raised-bed garden design helps maximize the productivity of the available space and adds beauty to your yard.
Gardening with raised beds has several advantages:
- The soil mix you fill the beds with ensures the best growing conditions for gardening from the beginning, rather than dealing with existing soil issues such as rocky or compacted soil.
- Drainage issues improve because the growing surface is above the ground level, and water drains out easily.
- Raised beds warm up earlier in the spring, allowing you to get a jump on planting. Read this post to see if metal beds heat up more than wooden beds.
10 Tips for a Successful Raised-Bed Garden Design
Once you’ve decided to add raised beds to your space, follow these ten tips for designing a raised-bed garden to have the best layout for your garden.
1. Pick the best spot in your yard for your raised-bed garden
Look for an area of your yard that gets morning sun; it’s less intense than late afternoon sun. Ideally, the location for your raised-bed garden receives at least 8 hours of sun (you can provide shade if it needs it, but you can’t add sun).
Other considerations are level ground, good drainage, and access to water.
Choose your location carefully. Once you have an idea of the dimensions of the garden area, you’re ready to move to the next step.
Tired of your lawn’s high maintenance and water demands? Consider these low-water-use ground covers as lawn alternatives.
Read this post for more information about how to remove Bermuda grass without chemicals.
2. Maximize available space when designing a raised-bed garden layout
Decide how many and what size beds you have room for within the available space. As you choose the size of beds to install, here are a few principles to consider:
- The beds should be no wider than 4 feet across so you can reach into the center. Beds against walls or fences should be 2 feet across or less. Keeping beds to this size eliminates the need to step in the beds, which causes soil compaction.
- The length of a bed doesn’t matter – keep in mind you will need to walk around the bed to get to the other side.
- Ideally, the depth of the bed is from 12-24 inches deep. Almost all crops can be grown in this depth of raised bed. Most of my beds are 15 inches deep.
3. Allow enough space between beds in your raised-bed garden design
It’s tempting to fill the entire space with raised beds, but paths around the outside of your beds will make planting, maintaining, and harvesting your beds easier. The distance between raised beds should be at least 3 feet wide (4 feet is even better).
Allowing as much room as possible gives plants room to grow, and also gives you room to get by. Think about if you will need access for a wheelbarrow and plan accordingly. Plants grow quickly, and many plants will overflow and fill in the open space between the beds.
4. Add vertical elements to your garden design
Training plants up a trellis gives you more space to garden, and being off the ground is better for vining plants.
To maximize sunlight, position trellises on the north edge of your garden bed or next to a fence or wall. Alternatively, shade sun-sensitive plants in hotter regions by having a trellis on the south side, filtering the sunlight for plants that need relief from the sun.
5. Take time planning your raised-bed garden design layout
When I was planning my new garden area, the first plan I sketched out seemed all right. However, when I spent time in the space and tried to visualize my plan, I realized it was too crowded and didn’t allow enough space between beds.
- Make a scaled version of your beds and move them around graph paper.
- Use an online planning tool to get ideas of the design.
- Use weed cloth (pictured above) cut to the size of the raised beds to help visualize your design.
- It is much easier to move the raised-bed garden layout design around using any of these methods, rather than moving the beds once they are in place. The axiom of “measure twice, cut once” certainly applies here.
Curious how a raised bed layout fits into an overall backyard plan? See how I’ve arranged mine for sunlight, function, and flexibility.
6. Choose the best type of material for your beds
Research different types of beds and building materials to understand your options. Always use untreated wood. Beds made with redwood or cedar will last much longer than those made with pine. Rebuilding or replacing your beds every few years is not ideal.
Several factors go into choosing which type of material to use for your raised bed, and the cost is certainly a factor. My advice is to buy the best type of beds you can afford. If you have a garden plan in place, start small and add beds as finances permit.
Thinking about adding a metal raised bed? I love my metal garden bed (it comes with watering grids!) from Garden in Minutes.
7. Add the beds to your space, but wait to fill them
Once the raised beds are in place, walk around the area (what worked on paper may not work in real life). Make adjustments while the beds are empty if necessary. Take time to ensure the beds’ distances are even and the beds are level.
8. Fill the bed with the best type of soil for raised-bed gardens
Regular garden soil is too dense for raised beds. A mix of compost, peat moss or coconut coir, and vermiculite (Mel’s mix from Square-Foot Gardening) is ideal for raised-bed gardens. This post about the best soil for raised-bed gardens explains how to make my favorite soil blend and how to determine the amount of soil each bed will need.
9. Set up your watering system before you plant
Adding a watering system after the fact may disrupt seeds or transplants, and it’s crucial your seeds and transplants don’t dry out. The best way to water a raised-bed garden will provide consistent and even watering, be easy to use and maintain, and ideally be simple to install.
I use garden grids from Garden in Minutes in all my raised beds. Read this post to learn more about the best way to water raised-bed gardens.
10. Decide what to plant in your new raised-bed garden
Consider the size of plants when they have fully grown, along with the growth habit of different plants. Vegetables that like to grow vertically should be grown near a trellis, and plants that sprawl should be grown on the edge of the beds so they have room to grow. Find a reliable planting guide for your area to help you decide what to plant.
Taking time to carefully go through each of these steps will help your garden not only be productive but look great too. A well-designed vegetable garden adds beauty and bounty to your yard.
Thanks so much. Glad it was helpful.
Hi Angela – I have been wandering your site all weekend. Excited to start my garden in Phoenix! Thanks for all the helpful tips. Yesterday, I was served your amazon purchase list, but can’t seem to find it again. Can you link your Amazon lists for me?
Yay! Best of luck with your garden. Here’s a link to my Amazon Favorites: https://www.amazon.com/shop/growinginthegarden You can also click on the “Amazon Favorites” link in the sidebar
Love this! What are the dimensions of yours?
Most of these beds are 15 inches tall, 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.
I want to start a vegetable garden, my backyard is all paver’s, no dirt. I live in Arizona and I am new to gardening. Will you please walk me through the first steps to getting started? Thank you for your help.
Hi Jessica, I’m glad to hear you want to start a garden. There is an article on my website “How to Start a Garden in 8 Simple Steps” that you may find helpful as you get it started. Here’s a link: https://growinginthegarden.com/gardening-for-beginners-how-to-start-a-garden-in-8-simple-steps/ You can also look under the getting started tab. There are a lot of articles there too.
Angela,
Just found your site. I live in SW Fl. ( Ft. Myers- Zone 9 B) so I’m hoping your growing tips suit my area. I love your heavy Duty trellises and arches. Where can I order them or did you make them?
Excited to watch more videos Mara Clark
Hi. So glad it’s helpful. The heavy duty trellises are from twobrothersmetalworks.com If you find a welder locally they may be able to make one for you.
Did you seal the wood before planting? Or line it with plastic?
I used a whey based sealer on some of my beds before planting. No I don’t line it with plastic.
This is my first time trying to grow a garden in Arizona. My backyard is on the North side of my house, if I have my raised bed along the patio on the west side will an indirect sun spot work? It would still get the light just not the sun beating down on it directly (I am worried about my first garden not surviving because of it)
Don’t be afraid of the sun. Plants do best with sunlight. You can always provide some shade with shade cloth during the hottest times of the year, but most plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight to grow well. Make sure your beds are deep enough (at least 12 inches) and you fill them with good soil.
Hi Angela,thank you for the valuable advice and tips on home gardening. You are truly an inspiration.
I’m ordering the 15″ high cedar garden beds from Gardeners Supply and would like to apply some natural protection to the boards. I would appreciate your opinion on Gardeners Supply’s Cedar Garden Bed Oil.
I have another question, I live in Southern California, planting zone 10a. What’s your planting zone in Mesa, AZ?
Thank you in advance for getting back to me on the above.
Thank you. I haven’t used the oil, but it seems like a good option. I trust and have been happy with the garden bed products I’ve used from Gardeners. My planting zone is 9b – but our extreme heat in the summers makes our planting dates different from a lot of zone 9b climates.
What is your opinion of using metal troughs for garden beds?
I think they are a good option. I like the ones with no bottom – otherwise I think drainage could be an issue – even if you drill holes.
Hi Angela i am from England and due to my health i managed to build two raised beds that are 6ft long, 3ft wide and 22 inches deep.
These were made from 6×2 Pressure Treated timber which after 2010 were fine to use, as there were bad chemicals in the wood before then, but plenty of veg growers say it’s ok to use now.
I presume it’s what suits you best and cost really, plus i always line my Raised Beds always have done, always will.
Stay Safe over there.
Barry.
Hi Barry – Thanks for commenting. Love hearing what you are doing in your garden. Thanks for sharing and happy gardening!
Hi Angela it’s Barry again, i forgot to mention in my last comment, that i fill my beds with Compost, Cocoa Coir and Perlite. I don’t use any Peat in my beds so i use the Coir as a replacement, and the Perlite i use as i live in England and as you know it’s always raining over here, well not 24/7 everyday but it does rain, and the Perlite is better in rainy areas as it keeps the water in, and releases it when it’s dry and also airates the Compost as well, plus at the moment we are having an Indian Summer, unusual weather we are having over here at the moment with Flash Floods, Thunder and Lightening and now this Indian Summer. Stay Safe.
do you use weed cloth in your garden bed? if so, does it hinder worms in and out of the soil?
I used weed-cloth below my beds that I put over Bermuda grass, but not in other areas. It would block the worms in the locations where it is used.
Hi Angela, it is Lillian again..
i am first time gardener (2021)!
My garden is small and the only “sunny” part is close to my neighbour’s tree by the fence and i did see some tree roots 6 inches below the ground when i first worked on the soil (without knowing the no dig gardening) but my swiss chards were still thriving.
i am going to redo my bed (with cedar, not treated wood), do you recommend me putting weed under the bed to prevent tree roots coming up onto the bed? or should i just leave it and take the benefit of having worms into the bed?
i saw the difference in growing in the beds vs container gardening, the plants were doing better than in containers, hence i would like to keep that one bed i have
thanks
Did you till the ground below your beds? Our clay soil is so hard I worry about plants with deeper roots not being able to penetrate it under the beds.
No, I don’t. The soil on top will begin the process of loosening up the clay.
Hi Angela. Can you tell me about the buckets you have buried in some of your beds? Are they meant to release liquid fertilizer? If so, how many holes per bucket and how many per bed do you recommend? Thank you!
They are vermicomposting bins, here is an article with more information: https://growinginthegarden.com/vermicomposting-made-easy-in-bed-worm-composting/
In section #4, first picture – where did you get those wooden arched trellis’ from?
A local welder, Two Brothers Metalworks made them for me.
Do you use landscaping fabric under your raised beds? I want to be as weed free as I can be.
I used landscaping fabric under my beds in areas with Bermuda grass. A thick layer of woodchip mulch helps to keep most weeds down.
Thanks for the great info! Can you explain the difference between choosing a quality wood material, like those cedar boxes, versus metal ones? I’m unsure what the different pros/cons are. Thanks! Also, can you explain what differences you’ve seen with using deeper boxes rather than the size Mel recommends (in SFG)? I trust your experience, I just wanted to get an idea before I have to spend extra on bigger boxes and more soil. Thank you!
Good question. I’m planning on doing a blog post with more information about the differences between wood and metal beds. I use both and like both. It may depend on where you live for the soil depth. My climate is very hot and dry and the extra depth helps regulate temperature better and retain more moisture.
Hello. I’m planning the placement of my four 4×8 Garden in Minutes metal raised beds. I’m in zone 9a also in AZ. Does it matter if I orient the beds so the long size faces south or the short end faces south? This will be my main vegetable garden. Thank you for your invaluable website.
Typically beds are positioned with the short side facing south. Best of luck with your garden. I hope you like those beds as much as I do!
I was wondering if you could tell us what online planning tool you used to do your plans?
Hi Angela, just getting started with raised beds. We live in Cave Creek and have to have the garden fully enclosed to keep the critters out. I noticed you have bark or mulch between your beds as pathways. Can you tell me why you use this material and have you tried gravel or other materials with less success?
Thanks,
Marry
Hi Marry. I did have rock between my beds at one point and felt like it heated up the garden more. I have the wood chips quite deep so my beds are buried a few inches in them for insulation. Gravel could work too, it is personal preference.
Hello! I haven’t been able to find anything on your site about raised bed liners. If I am using a pressure treated would to make my beds, is a liner necessary?
It’s generally not recommended to use pressure treated wood for garden beds. If you are using it, I would use a liner.