12 Raised Garden Bed Ideas We Love

Use the Right Wood

"When we build raised beds for our clients, we always recommend using untreated cedar wood that can last for 7 to 10 years without rotting," says Gala. "Cedar wood also emits a natural scent, which helps repel certain pests and is also a sustainable material choice for a vegetable garden. We also coat the outsides of the raised beds with either juniper oil or a clear water-proofer stain to protect it from the elements like sun, rain and snow"

Though you may have heard that pressure-treated wood was the way to go when building your own raised garden bed, Gala says these aren't the most recommended for an organic garden since it can leach chemicals into the soil. 

Add Texture With Wicker

To spruce up the visuals of your garden even more, get playful with the texture of your raised bed, especially the ones growing herbs. These beautiful woven wicker baskets have the same rustic feel as wooden beds do with more visual dimension.

Arrange to Visual Perfection

If you're planting a considerable garden, consider spacing the beds out for a neat arrangement. This keeps your garden area neat and tidy while also preventing what you grow from getting out of control. Also consider laying down gravel around the garden beds to provide better drainage.

Blend With Surroundings

These raised garden beds with ornamental grass looks serene and tranquil in this mini backyard courtyard. The dark green of the grass and hedge contrasts beautifully with the light stone raised beds to create a peaceful nature setting.

Grow More than Vegetables

Who said raised garden beds were limited to just vegetables? Perennials enjoy the same benefits of the higher elevation while also popping beautifully against the stain of your garden bed like in the picture above. "When choosing a stain, always read the label and ingredients to make sure it's food safe, non-toxic, and non-VOC," says Gala.

Add Ambiance

"If there's one thing that will make your garden look luxe and enhance it to the next level, it's lighting!" Gala says. "Depending on your budget, you can opt for string lights, solar lights in the corners of your raised beds or pathways, post cap lights on fence posts or even hard-wired LED lights."

One expert tip Gala suggests gardeners think of when installing hardwired LED lights to garden beds, it's to plan ahead before building the beds so that the wires stay hidden and electrical boxes can be placed close to the garden area. "I like to install hardwired LED lights under the raised bed trim so they look discreet yet beautiful as the light shines down."

Decorate a Privacy Hedge

Add more life, texture, and color to your privacy hedge (or screen) by arranging a couple garden beds nearby. This adds more visual interest from the wood grain and flower colors you may have since the hedge acts as a perfect "wall" to decorate!

Enjoy the Views

We love this little garden sitting area designed by Gala. Not only can the table be functional to trim flowers or examine your harvest, but it can also be functional for an intimate meal or daytime reading session.

Build With Brick

Brick is another excellent material to consider building your raised garden bed out of (sorry, wood). The bricks provide strength and durability to your garden area while also enhancing the aesthetics that you can customize since bricks come in an array of different colors and washes.

Create One Backyard Focal Piece

Working with limited space or just want to create a backyard focal piece? Create one long raised raised to steal the show. This garden bed in the picture above is outlined with bricks while the entire center is full of plants that will be ready to harvest soon.

Center With a Fountain

How peaceful does this backyard garden look? Not only is symmetry taken into account by the arrangement of the beds, but the dark stain of the wood highlights the light stone fountain beautifully.

Play With Length & Shapes

Lastly, have fun with the arrangement and design of your raised garden beds by playing with length and shapes. Extend the ends of longer beds or create L-shaped beds like the homeowner did in the picture above to provide more room for plants while also maximizing space in your garden area.