HOW TO BUILD A RAISED BED

If you’re looking forward to the warm summer months when you can spend more time in your outside space, you’re likely to have gardening plans on your mind right now. If you’re looking for a low maintenance, high impact solution, raised flower beds are a great option.

Raised beds are really stylish and, with the right planning, can be really easy to maintain. If you’re searching for a low maintenance garden that looks fantastic.

Here are just some of the reasons to consider building a raised bed in your garden:

Comfort and control

There’s less chance of flower beds getting out of control as you’re keeping everything in a compact space. And what’s more, because they’re raised, any weeding and dead-heading that you do have to do is less strenuous on your back. In many ways, raised beds are one of simplest landscaping ideas to consider, but are also incredibly effective if you plan them right.

Structure and style

A great way to create structure in your garden and become a feature in a way that normal flower beds won’t.  Using our timber sleepers to create your raised beds will ensure a modern and on-trend finish to your garden.  When it comes to flexibility, the only limiting factor is your imagination. There’s no reason why you don’t use raised beds for planting ornamental grasses, vegetables or even small shrubs. This way of using raised flower beds means that you can cut your maintenance to the absolute minimum and achieve a great looking result. And if you choose pretty vegetable plants like rhubarb and artichoke, you can even eat the fruits of your labour.

What do I need to build a raised bed

• handsaw or circular saw
• drill
• railway sleepers
• 150mm timber screws
• 250mm timber screws if building more than one layer
• weed suppressant membrane
• top soil or compost

What size should a raised bed be

There is no fixed size for a raised bed, it depends on the intended use or the space available, but you should be able to easily reach the middle of the bed without stepping on the soil. The standard method is to use a full-sized sleeper (240cm) for the long sides, with half sleepers (120cm) making up the short sides.

A single sleeper depth raised bed is suitable for flower, shallow rooted crops such as salad vegetables, whereas a double or triple layered bed allows room to grow root vegetables and larger shrubs.

How to cut railway sleepers

Cutting softwood sleepers is possible with a handsaw, but a circular saw (which can be hired for the job) is an easier option and will definitely be required for oak and reclaimed sleepers. The blade of a circular saw is not deep enough to cut all the way through a sleeper, so you will need to cut from one side, turn the sleeper over then cut from the opposite side.

Be careful when cutting reclaimed sleepers to avoid any nails or bolts that may still be present in the sleeper.

Assembling a raised sleeper bed

If assembling on soft ground, remove any weeds and level the surface with a rake. If the ground is sloping you may need to use ballast to properly level the space.

Lay the sleepers out with the short side on the ground, interlocking in the pattern below. Fix each corner with two 150mm timber screws – you may find it easier to pre drill the holes for these.

Further layers of sleepers can then be added to raise the bed to the required height. Lay the next layer of sleepers on top, ensuring the corner joins overlap as with bricklaying. Join the sleepers together as before, then attach the two layers by drilling down through each corner with two 250mm timber screws.

Finally, line the bottom of the raised bed with weed suppressing membrane. This will prevent any weeds from growing up from the soil below, whilst allowing free drainage of water from the bed. If laying the raised bed on a hard surface such as a patio it is also advised to add a layer of gravel to assist drainage. Then fill with your chosen soil or compost, lightly water and leave the soil to settle for at least a week before planting.

For an added touch you can cap the top edges of the bed with a layer or wider and thinner timber, creating a seating surface around the edges, or even construct an integral seating area with additional sleepers like in the picture below. Finally, treat the outside surfaces with timber paint or treatment, or simply enjoy the natural texture of the wood.