Photo: istockphoto.com
Elevating a garden solves numerous problems. Raised garden beds warm up faster in spring for an earlier start to the growing season. They offer total control over the soil makeup, fertility, and moisture. They reduce or eliminate bending and stooping for ground-level tasks like planting and weeding. In areas where the soil is loose sand or heavy clay, elevated gardens address water retention and drainage issues. Raised bed gardening also helps to reduce weed competition—and the list goes on.
Whether your garden is limited to a patio or if it expands over several acres, this type of bed could be a good fit. Building a raised garden bed is an easy DIY project that you can complete in a day or two. Raised bed garden plans come in all shapes and sizes to fit almost any space, and they can include conveniences like benches, trellises, or cages to support and protect sensitive plants. Follow along as we take a look at some of the best elevated garden bed plans available.
1. U-Shaped Cedar Raised Garden Bed
Photo: Stewart Landing Co. via Etsy
Cedar is known for its natural rot resistance, making it an excellent material for garden bed construction. This U-shaped raised garden bed is an ideal design to maximize your growing space in a smaller area. The easy-to-follow instructions integrate three boxes to form a compact garden with an open center for easy access from every side.
Get the Stewart Landing Co. U-Shaped Cedar Raised Garden Bed Plans at Etsy for $12.99.
RELATED: How to Build a Raised Garden Bed
2. Set of Three Raised Garden Beds
Photo: Verdura Gardens via Etsy
Designed with durability in mind, these raised bed frames are made of double-height 2×6 lumber that should go the distance for many years. The simple pattern offers a finished look that accentuates the appearance of your flowers, veggies, and herbs. This digital plan set includes instructions for building three different sizes of raised beds: 4 feet by 4 feet, 4 feet by 8 feet, and 4 feet by 10 feet.
Get the Verdura Gardens Digital Plan for a Raised Bed Garden Frame at Etsy for $16.95.
3. Corrugated Metal Raised Garden Bed
Photo: Knottalotta Acres Craft via Etsy
This waist-height elevated garden bed minimizes rabbit damage and weed pressure while eliminating bending and stooping. The 4-foot by 8-foot box is constructed so that the wooden frame does not contact the garden soil (and possibly rot the wood), extending the life of the planter by many years. Plans for additional planter sizes are available through the link.
Get the Knottalotta Acres Craft 4×8 Corrugated Metal Raised Bed Plans at Etsy for $5.94.
RELATED: How to Make Gardening Easier for People With Limited Mobility
4. Stand-Up Planter Box
Photo: Overall Makerworks via Etsy
Here is the perfect spot to grow herbs or flowers on the deck, patio, or balcony just outside your door. The elevated 36-inch by 14-inch, 10-inch deep planter box stands 33 inches high at the rim. The shelf beneath the box offers a convenient storage location for pruners, fertilizer, garden gloves, or other small gardening equipment.
Get the Overall Makerworks Raised Cedar Planter Box Plans at Etsy for $5.
5. Raised Garden Bed With Deer Fence
Photo: Matt Builds It via Etsy
What’s the use of building raised beds, if all you’re doing is providing Bambi a salad buffet? If there are lots of deer in your neck of the woods, consider this schematic for a sizable, formidable deer-resistant raised garden. This digital download from Etsy seller Matt Builds It provides all of the specs for building a 16 foot-by-16-foot garden bed with a 6-foot deer fence.
Get the Matt Builds It Raised Garden Bed With Deer Fence Plans at Etsy for $14.99.
6. Greenes Fence Raised Garden Kit
Photo: amazon.com
For gardeners who are not interested in buying supplies and following a plan to measure, mark, and cut lumber, a raised garden bed kit is just the thing. This 2-foot by 8-foot, 10.5-inch deep raised bed kit comes ready to build. Just slide the side rails into the slotted corner posts and screw the tops in place and your raised bed frame is ready to fill with soil. These kits can also be double stacked for a 21-inch deep garden. Raised bed garden soil is sold separately.
Get the Greenes Fence Raised Garden Kit at Amazon for $135.99.
RELATED: 10 Tips for Planning a Raised Garden Bed
7. Garden Bench Planter
Photo: Horizon Design Studios via Etsy
This sturdy garden bench planter is made with strong 2×6 and 2×4 lumber, and includes an integrated full-length bench along one side. The strong, linear form and elevated garden surface make it perfectly suited for adding an element of privacy at the edge of a patio or defining a garden border. The overall dimensions are 74 by 39 by 18 inches.
Get the Horizon Design Studios Garden Bench Planter Plans at Etsy for $6.25.
8. Raised Planter With Protective Enclosure
Photo: Knomad Design via Etsy
Gardening with rabbits, squirrels, deer, and other wildlife pressure calls for extra protection. Many of the best raised garden beds are still susceptible to animal damage, but this 3-foot by 6-foot, 14.375-inch deep bed can be protected easily with the matching wood-framed wire cage. Plans for the raised planter and protective cover are sold separately.
Get the Knomad Design 3×6 Raised Planter Plans at Etsy for $15.99.
9. Cedar Planter Box
Photo: Stewart Landing Co. via Etsy
Have just a balcony, but still want to give your space that “raised garden bed” vibe? A cedar planter is a natural alternative to glazed pottery for container gardening. Build your own with these easy-to-follow plans. If you’re not sure what size you need, don’t fret. Each order comes with complete plans for three different sizes: 14 inches square by 12 inches, 18 inches cubed, and 24 inches square by 18 inches.
Get the Stewart Landing Co. Cedar Planter Box Plans at Etsy for $12.99.
10. 18-Foot Raised Planter and Trellis
Photo: Stewart Landing Co. via Etsy
When you need to grow more, you need a bigger garden. This extra-long planter offers plenty of growing space, along with a built-in trellis system to train climbers like beans, cucumbers, or even roses. The planter box measures 18 feet by 3 feet and 22 inches deep, and the trellis rises 5 feet above the box. Build it with cedar boards for natural rot resistance.
Get the Stewart Landing Co. 18-Foot Raised Planter and Trellis Plans at Etsy for $12.99.
RELATED: The Best Wood for Raised Garden Beds
11. Cedar Raised Bed Garden Box
Photo: Shovel & Sage via Etsy
This 4-foot by 8-foot, 24-inch deep cedar raised garden bed is made with heavy-duty 2×6 lumber for natural beauty and excellent durability without paint, stain, or varnish. The surface is high enough to eliminate most bending and stooping, and the box offers plenty of soil depth for all kinds of plants.
Get the Shovel & Sage Cedar Raised Bed Garden Box Plans at Etsy for $20.
12. Elevated Garden Planter
Photo: Wolf Spirit Woodwork via Etsy
Build this versatile elevated cedar planter for the patio, deck, balcony, or further out in the garden. The elevated surface saves fatigue to your back and knees while tending your plants, while the generously proportioned planter box offers ample room for roots to spread. Its overall dimensions are 51.25 by 22.25 by 28.25 inches.
Get the WolfSpiritWoodWork Elevated Garden Planter Plans at Etsy for $6.98.
13. Raised Garden Bed With Wood Trellis
Photo: Stewart Landing Co. via Etsy
If you’re tired of fooling with cheap metal tomato cages or string trellises, these plans from Etsy seller Stewart Landing Co. provide a more permanent, attractive way to support your plants. Downloadable instructions include a tools list, cut list, and step-by-step instructions. Plans make a box that’s 6 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 12 inches deep, with a trellis that reaches 70 inches off the ground.
Get the Stewart Landing Co. Raised Garden Bed With Trellis at Etsy for $9.99.
RELATED: 12 Climbing Vegetables Perfect for Compact Gardens
14. Potato Planter Box
Photo: Horizon Design Studios via Etsy
Potato growers who like to monitor the progress of their russets and fingerlings can opt for more sturdy containers than fabric grow bags with windows. These instructions from Etsy seller Horizon Design Studios will help you build a planter that’s 28 inches high by 24 inches wide by 24 inches long. We love the planter’s locking, hinged door that you can open to check on your spuds’ progress, either visually or by getting your hands dirty.
Get the Horizon Design Studios Potato Planter Box at Etsy for $6.50.
