Spring is the perfect time for that victory garden! We started this garden before our area was placed on quarantine in April 2020. It is filled with produce we always end up buying at the grocery store, so why not skip the produce section and head to your own backyard for fresh veggies? Make your own DIY garden bed using the following techniques that worked well for us for the entire spring harvest.
Supplies
- (3) Untreated lumber 2×6, 8′ long
- #10 x 3″ Construction screws
- Fill material (topsoil, compost, etc.)
- Flattened cardboard boxes (optional)
Tools
- Circular saw or handsaw
- Drill (and driver if available)
- 9/64″ Drill bit
- Level
Notes
This project uses untreated lumber to avoid chemicals leeching into the plants that will be placed in the raised bed. The cardboard used in this project is optional and is used to aid in weed prevention. The boxes should be removed of all tape and labels before placing them in the bed. Also, care should be taken to use cardboard without too many colors. Remember anything planted or placed in the garden could potentially end up in your produce.
Instructions
Step 1
Plan and mark the space in which you would like to place your garden. Make sure the location is suitable for the plants that you plan on using with attention to how much sunlight the area will receive. We chose to place our garden in our backyard because there is a good amount of shade during the day to protect the plants from the harsh Georgia sun.
Step 2
Once you have your location marked, prepare your lumber in the area with (2) of the 2×6 placed on the ground for the long side and the remaining 2×6 cut in half to create the two end caps.
Step 3
With one of the 4′ 2×6, place it on the inside of one of the long sides and use a drill to bore a hole at the top and bottom of the frame. After the holes are drilled, drive the construction screws in place. Repeat this step for the 3 remaining corners.
Step 4
Check that the box frame is level on all four corners. Add or remove dirt underneath the frame members to adjust the level.
Step 5
Once the frame is leveled in place, use the cardboard (if desired) at the bottom of the open frame. This is used to aid in weed prevention. Start filling the bed with your chosen material, either topsoil or compost. We used all compost from our local nursery.
Now you are ready to start planting your flowers, fruits, and/or vegetables! We decided to grow tomatoes, squash, zucchini, green peppers, red peppers, orange peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumbers and cilantro.
Here are the before and after photos from our spring garden (you’ll notice we ended up adding a fence to protect our crops from the deer in the neighborhood):
