Easy Raised Garden Bed From Pavers

When my wife asked for more edible plants, it was time for me to add more space to the garden. Raised beds have many benefits for gardening, such as deeper soil, easier weeding, and faster thaw in the spring. But to me the most important benefit is that they look nice. To be friendly to the environment, I wanted the beds to last for a long time, and also be cheap. Concrete is not very eco-friendly, but if it lasts for long enough, it may be a bit better than replacing rotting timber every few years.

1. Concrete pavers (you can use the cheapest, thinnest pavers you can find, or better yet, reuse old ones)
2. Wood boards
3. Wood oil
4. Screws
5. Plastic film or dimple board (optional)

The goal of the design is to minimize the use of concrete, while keeping the construct sturdy enough to withstand time. The pavers are places side by side on even ground, and the soil keeps the bottom of the pavers in place. Since the soil likes to move around (especially in the freezing winter months here in Finland), the pavers need a bit of room to move up and down too. That's why they are not attached to anything, but are held in place by a wooden frame, and the frame also hides any unevenness of the top that may result over the years.

1. Dig a hole for the bed, use a level to make the floor even, especially the edges. (picture 1)
2. Lay out the pavers. I used a small dab of concrete to keep the pavers in place while I worked, but I think that was a useless step. (picture 2)
3. Dig out the middle a bit deeper. This part is optional, but useful if your pavers aren't very big. (picture 3)
4. I used dimple board to protect the pavers from roots. If you don't have trees or bushes near, that part is optional. (picture 4)
5. Note that if you plant bushes or trees in the beds, and live in freezing temperatures, you may need to add some insulation to the sides.

1. Build the frame. I sawed a board in half for the vertical section, and used a whole board for the top. (picture 1)
2. I attached the frame sides with metal fittings, but you could also do some wood joinery, a half lap joint for example. (picture 2)
3. Note that the frame is not attached to the pavers in any way, the pavers are free to move around as the soil moves, and the frame just rests atop of them.
4. Fill out the bed with soil. I didn't have good free soil available, so I made my own by mixing the sand from the hole I dug with some compost and rabbit manure. (picture 3)
5. You can oil the wood parts to make them last a bit longer. I didn't want to use treated wood because I'm growing food in the bed.

My beds are now filled with different edible greens, peas and strawberries. They have lasted one whole winter with the pavers moving hardly at all, so the wooden frame is doing a good job keeping them in place! I hope this project can inspire you to make your own garden beds, I can fully recommend the design!