Bailey Van Tassel

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20 Jul 2021
DIY, Garden Design, Gardening

Building a U-Shaped Raised Bed

Ah, the lovely U-shaped bed. I maybe sort of kind of pushily pushed my husband on building this before we were really ready. However, he is so detailed and great at going with my flow that he did an incredible job.

This U-shaped raised bed is on a slope, so we actually had to adjust quite a bit for that. Lots of time with the level, but so worth it.

We will be tearing this guy out as we redesign the garden, but before we do I want to share how we built it!

Building a u-shaped raised bed

The bed we have is 12 feet by 9 feet on the outer edges, and then 3 feet in on all sides, with a 6 foot center.

I’ve drawn it out for you below. It’s 18” deep in most areas, and if you’re building this on a flat surface, plan for that. On the two ends ours is actually 12” deep since we adjusted for the slop and excluded an entire board to make things level.

The boards we used are untreated redwood, cut to size but starting out as 2”x10”s. We also then have 2”x2” supports in each corner, 1”x1” along the inner edges, and some rebar on the outside to reinforce the longer sides. There is a prettier way to do this, like create bracings on the inside that run horizontally between the sides of each arm of the bed. We did this as an after-thought and it’s worked out just fine.

Some tips:

  • Milling your own wood is cheaper. We used a miter saw and clamps to hold things in place.
  • Coated screws keep them from rusting
  • Untreated wood is a must – no chemicals in that garden bed 🙂
  • If redwood is too pricey, I’d consider cedar as a next best, and then pine after that. Pine rots fastest, redwood slowest.
  • Consider getting lumber from a local supplier – they may be able to work with you on cost.
  • Another cost compromise is shallower beds. 12” deep is just fine.

A raised bed of this size took 3 cubic yards of soil – that’s a lot. We bought in bulk. However, the quality of the soil was mediocre. Do big research on this, but if need be fill your beds halfway with cheap soil and amend the heck out of it with compost.

Happy raised bed building my friends! If you have any other U-shaped raised bed questions, let me know!

 

TAGS:building raised bedsraised bed gardenu shaped raised bed
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    […] end-all be-all. We have a brick home and will do some brick accents, but primarily have wood beds (like this U-shaped bed), or like figure four above (that is the famed Joanna Gaines garden BTW). I love the look of a […]

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Hi I’m Bailey

Hi I’m Bailey

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Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing! 

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here! 

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh. 

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails
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Edible flowers are a garden staple for me. I’ll grow any and ALL of them.

Up first in this little series: flower ice cubes. As simple as putting flowers in the ice cube tray, filling it with water, and then freezing!

It’s making mocktail hour very festive around here!

Flower featured: dianthus. I grow it as a perennial and while I love it, the petals get separated when you destem them and they’re a bit fragile so I prefer to use them this way or fresh.

#edibleflowers #eatyourflowers #dianthus #mocktails

1 day ago
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I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around. 

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front. 

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#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
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A tiny pollinator garden! In the dead heat of summer ☀️

I planted a meter lemon (which, yes, will be great in this pot forever) and some fennel for the giant swallowtail butterflies. Then parsley which attract the black swallowtail butterfly, and Pentas which will give nectar to all the hummingbirds and bees and butterflies.

I filled the very bottom of this pot with some rocks, then added a bag of citrus mix soil (good drainage) and potting soil above that. It’s just what I had laying around.

I chose to place the parsley behind the citrus for a little shade and then the fennel on the sides and the pentas up front.

Hope this is helpful for any of my small spacer gardeners – there’s so much you can do in one pot!

#pollinatorgarden #gardeninginspiration #smallspacegardening #urbangardening #urbangarden #urbangardener #gardendesign #gardenlife

2 days ago
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It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds. 

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun! 

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough. 

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general. 

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it. 

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

It started on a dead patch of lawn, which I turned into two raised beds.

And now after *years* of research, trial, moves, waiting on global pandemics to end (♾) we have a garden with 10 beds, an arch trellis, a potting bench, and 8 hours of sun!

Honestly, my husband has pushed me to not half-ass it. I like progress over perfect, and without his help and nudging I’d just have thrown some seeds in the ground and called it a day. Which is totally fine, and so very good enough.

But he knew I wanted a specific place. A room. A setting for my dreams. A location that beckons visitors and creates admirers not for the sake of ego, but to inspire into appreciators of the garden in general.

So, go all in on yourself. Don’t half ass it.

#gardendesign #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #liveauthentic

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Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best. 

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Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one. 

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply
baileyvantassel
baileyvantassel
•
Follow

I love this plant. Calendula is an edible and medicinal flower that self sows quite well. I haven’t had it growing in my garden in about 6 months, and yet here she is!

She likes a cooler season, but apparently end of July works too! Once I saw this volunteer pop up, I immediately started the rest of my seeds.

Follow natures queues to best learn your own garden. Mama 🌎 knows best.

Hoping for a big calendula year to make salves for friends and family. We love it for cuts, burns, and irritated skin.

Oh and then there’s the pure unadulterated joy of calendula flowers adorning a cake or salad. She’s a queen, this one.

#calendula #edibleflowers #medicinalherbs #herbalism #slowliving #livesimply

6 days ago
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