Raised Bed

[ellen&dan]

Hi there
 We are thinking of making a large raised bed in the front garden. We are looking for advice on what material to make it out of.

[David Shaw]

I like to use natural stones. In our case this means rounded boulders of all sizes taken from the heaps in farmers fields (with permission, of course). I am very selective of what I take and try to ensure at least one flat surface. The rounded shape can make for some construction difficulties but the soil/compost behind helps to hold them up.
The picture, taken from a presentation we are giving to a garden club next week, shows the construction of a raised bed doubling as a boundary wall under construction. You can see the stones clearly.

[mark smyth]

I used broken paving stones that come free from the local DOE Roads Service yard

[ellen&dan]

Thanks for the replies, and the photo, this is turning out to be a big project and needs some serious thought, so thanks for the suggestions, Dan

[tonyg]

I think the most attractive is the natural stone approach that David shows.  Trouble starts if natural stone is not available from local sources.  Here in Norfolk the 'natural' stone is flint.  No good for raised beds.  Anything else needs to be shipped in which pushes the cost up. 
Old railway sleepers are OK if not treated with creosote.  Some hardwoods are available here which will last a lifetime untreated.
I have seen concrete slabs (whole, upended) used by Ian Young.  They need to be 'joined' at the corners but are reasonably cheap.

[David Shaw]

Thank you, Tony. I agree with your comment on cost. My stone comes free, I just have to pick it up. Use what is available locally or within your daily driving area. I used to drive all the way up Speyside and over beyond Banff in Grampian so this gave me plenty of opportunity to uplift a whole range of rocks.