From DIY projects to store-bought kits, use these raised bed garden ideas to take your garden to a new height!
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10 Raised Bed Garden Ideas
Updated on Jun. 16, 2025
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Copper Raised Garden Bed
A copper raised garden bed would be elegant, but copper is prohibitively expensive. Instead, try this trick from @thekiwihome. She purchased a galvanized steel tub, then gave it a makeover with copper spray paint. Now it looks the part without the steep price tag! She also added drainage holes and casters so the bed can be moved as needed.
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Wood Raised Garden Bed
A professional woodworker created these raised beds from @tohavetohost. But you can build a wood raised garden bed yourself. Cedar or redwood work best because both are naturally rot resistant. Or purchase a wood raised garden bed kit to make it even easier—like this cedar VegTrug Planter.
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Cinder Block Raised Garden Bed
Make a raised bed garden like this one from @myfirstbackyard with concrete cinder blocks. Cheap, easy and no digging required — just build it on top of the ground. This is a great choice if you’ve got hard soil you don’t want to dig up. Decorate the blocks with outdoor paint to give your raised garden bed an artistic finish!
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Galvanized Steel Raised Garden Bed
“Galvanized steel is a good option for constructing raised beds,” Lisa McKeag, UMass Extension Food Safety Specialist says. “It is more durable than wood and resists rust so beds made with it tend to last longer. It is usually lighter than wood, so it’s easier to move around, and there are kits available that make construction relatively easy.” The steel also reflects heat, making your soil the ideal temperature for growing. These garden beds from @metalgardenbeds come with 26-gauge steel walls, corners and all the hardware you need to put them together.
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Tiered Raised Garden Bed
A raised garden on different levels, like this one from Plow & Hearth, lets you separate your plants for visual interest and easy identification. The tiers offer three planting depths to accommodate different root needs. And if your flowers or vegetables have different soil requirements, fill each box with the appropriate type of soil.
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DIY Stacked-Stone Raised Garden Bed
The natural edges of this rough-cut stone raised garden bed gives it an organic look that blends seamlessly into the rest of the yard. This project doesn’t require any special skills, just some muscle to lift the stones. The only specialty tool you’ll need is a diamond blade in your circular saw.
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DIY Corrugated Metal and Wood Raised Garden Bed
Here’s another raised garden bed you can build yourself with corrugated metal sheets and pressure-treated wood. “Be sure to use wood labeled for ground-contact and for residential use, since wood treated for other applications may contain different chemicals,” McKeag says. “A durable, if likely more expensive alternative to pressure-treated wood is a rot-resistant hardwood such as cedar or black locust.”
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PVC Raised Garden Bed
For a raised garden bed you can put together in minutes, check out this Deluxe Raised PVC Garden Bed. It features an easy snap-in-place assembly system, with no tools required! The high walls (15-1/2-inches), made of durable, maintenance-free UV-resistant polymer plastic, allow for deep-soil gardening.
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Brick Raised Garden Bed
A raised garden bed or path made from bricks or pavers is sturdy and long-lasting. As the bricks age with time, the material takes on more character, giving your garden space old world charm. The octagon shape makes an eye-catching statement and provides plenty of angles to tend to your plants.
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Woven Willow Raised Garden Bed
Woven willow garden beds and fences (AKA wattle) transform your basic garden into an enchanting English one. Aesthetically, the organic material blends seamlessly with the rest of the landscape. It’s great for your plants because the woven branches insulate the soil and allow good drainage and airflow.
FAQ
How deep should a raised garden bed be?
Keep soil depths in a raised garden bed between 12 to 24-inches for optimal drainage, ample space for roots and a convenient working height to access plants.
Do I need to line the bottom of the raised bed?
While not mandatory, lining the bottom of a raised bed with landscape fabric can cut down on weeds, while lining the bottom with wire mesh can deter moles and gophers from accessing plants from below.
About the Expert
Lisa McKeag is a Food Safety Specialist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Extension.
