Building a Timberframe Raised Bed
This is the third installment in the 5×5 Garden Challenge Series. Every Wednesday I’ll be posting about the challenge, covering topics that will help all the new gardeners get started. If you haven’t heard about the challenge head on over to the 5×5 Challenge Website, we’ll also be putting up a page here that pulls in all the 5×5 Challenge posts.
This past weekend, Mr Chiots built a raised bed for my 5×5 Challenge garden. Since I’m starting the garden on sod, I figured it would be best to build up and add soil on top. We debated making a simple raised bed from lumber yard pine, but then Mr Chiots got involved. Since he took a timberframing class a few weeks ago, he decided to use the techniques he learned to make the raised bed a little more decorative.
While we were on a hike last week, we found a downed pine in the woods. Instead of heading out to the lumberyard to buy lumber, he decided to use his Alaskan Mill to mill the lumber for the raised bed. This way he could make them nice and sturdy.
We have to put a few pegs in it to hold it all together, we’re thinking of using some small sapling instead of wooden dowels. Building a raised bed doesn’t have to be this complicated, it can be as simple as connecting four boards. You can even have the friendly people at your home improvement store cut it for you.
Have you ever gardened in a raised bed? Do you have any advice for newbies doing so?
