Vegetable planting season is upon us and this year we decided that we wanted to have our own garden this year! I started looking at different options and the simplest and most affordable way that we came up with was to do a raised bed garden. After looking at multiple designs on Pinterest, we decided that a U-shaped structure would work best. I spent a couple of days drawing out the different dimensions that we could do and after we decided what plants we wanted to plant I knew exactly how much space we would need. Here is the layout!
The Plans
This layout is in no way to scale, but it is still helpful when you need to buy wood! We bought all of our materials from Lowe’s and here are the costs!
- 2 – 2″ x 10″ x 12′ = $20
- 1 – 2″ x 10″ x 8′ = $7
- 1 box of wood screws 8 x 2-1/2-in = $6
We laid all of the pieces out on the driveway and put two screws in each board to attach them to each other.
The Finished Product
We picked a spot for the garden that was easy to reach with our water hose, but also in direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day. Most vegetables, if not all, require direct sunlight for optimal growth. When we picked the spot we raked all of the weeds and grass out of the bottom. You could also use a weed killer solution as well to help keep them from popping up in your garden. Then we added 8 bags of vegetable and garden soil (2 cu ft bags). We also added two bags of cow manure to the top to fertilize it. Overall, with our vegetables that we planted, soil, and materials to build the bed, our total was $185. But the amount that you spend on your garden depends on the type of plants that you buy, the number that you buy, and where you buy them from.
Let me know if you guys would be interested in more gardening updates throughout the spring and summer months!
