Bracing a Raised Bed

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-810 -- More Projects » (Continued from Page 1)

Figure D

"Also, I prefer my beds to be at least eight feet long, so imagine my surprise when I came across two incredibly innovative items aimed at addressing both issues," he says.

The first tool is a ready-made, easy-to-install corner connector (figure D), and the other is an in-line connector designed to prevent warping (figure E). The corner connector comes with a stake, which you drive into the ground. The slip brackets fit over the stake to create the corners (figure F). These brackets are made for six-inch dimensional lumber, and the lumber slips right into the brackets along the outer edge. If you want, though, you can actually reverse the process and stack the brackets vertically to create a 12-inch-tall raised bed.

Figure E

Figure F

Figure G

But before building the frame, you need to prepare the site by leveling the ground where the raised bed will be. Lay landscape fabric over the area, and fasten it to the ground with landscape-fabric pins (figure G). Or, you can cover the area with at least five layers of newspaper. Either method accomplishes the same goal: to help prevent grass and weeds from growing up into the bed.

Attach the boards to the brackets by sliding them into the bracket channels (figure H), and attach them with galvanized screws (figure I).

Figure H

Figure I

Figure J

With the boards securely fastened to the brackets, lay the raised bed frame on top of the landscape fabric (figure J) and verify that it is level.

Slip the stakes through the round ends of the brackets (figure K), and place a supplied cap on each stake. Hammer the stakes into the ground. Fill the frame with improved soil mixed with plenty of compost, and plant away.

Figure K

Figure L

Figure M

That takes care of connecting the boards, and to solve the other problem, namely the tendency of long side boards to warp, Paul uses the inline connectors. For a bed 16 feet long, attach two 8-foot boards to the in-line connectors with the screws provided (figure L). You can attach a board perpendicular to the sideboards to divide the bed into two sections (figure M).

There are two more interesting things about the corner connectors:

Figure N

Figure O

Figure P

The brackets rotate on the stake, so you can turn them to form any desired angle, from wide (figure N) to narrow (figure O) for more interestingly shaped beds.

Another cool trick is to flip one of the brackets over so you can create a terraced bed on sloping ground (figure P).

These gadgets (which are available from several different manufacturers) aren't only for raised beds. For instance, you could use them to construct a raised-bed frame and then fill it with sand instead of soil for a quick sandbox. Or you could stack them on multiple stakes to create anything from a planter box to a compost pile.

"In all my years of gardening, I've learned a few lessons, very often the hard way," Paul says. "One of the most important lessons I've learned is that the surest way to successful gardening is to grow things in raised beds. And with the help of those two handy little gizmos, you too can become a successful raised-bed gardener."

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Charley's Greenhouse and Garden
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Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-810
•	Bracing a Raised Bed
•	A Peaceful Streambed
•	Curbside Gardens
•	Pablo's Chair

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