Here is a small diagram of my intended raised bed vegetable garden layout. It will have 4 larger beds. Two of them will be 6 feet long and the other two will be 8 feet long. Each of these will connect to each other through the middle bed that is 4′ x 4′ square. Having several beds should allow me to rotate the vegetables from year to year. A center 4’x4′ bed will be for starting perennials. The dimensions are subject to change but I’ll try to stick close to the plan. Each bed will be made of 2″x8″ or 2″x10″ lumber and fastened together with deck screws. The walkway in the middle will be at least three feet in width to allow for easy walking and wheelbarrow access. Extra beds could be added later.
Yesterday I put together one 4’x4′ raised bed with one 6′ raised bed. Hopefully I’ll get another chance to work on it soon, my cordless drill kept running out of power. It’s a good drill usually but the battery pack has seen better days!
Edit: For 2009 I decided to redesign the vegetable garden. Here’s the new vegetable garden layout.
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Hi Dave,
It looks as if you will be growing lots of veggies in these raised beds.
I’ll enjoy watching this project coming to fruition.
I can’t guess your shrub, but maybe that’s because I’m about to fall asleep and can barely keep my eyes open!!
I am so envious of your veggie beds. You have lots of flat land it seems. I got rid of the cordless drill, not enough power. Extension cords, however many you need and a regular drill make it easier.
Frances at Faire Garden
Dave,
When do you reckon the first crops will be ready for harvesting? Maybe I can plan a trip to coincide with it. There’s nothing like homegrown vegetables and being a vegetarian, I would be in heaven.
I am so envious of your big veggie plot ( can you tell ?) because in the city I am lucky to have a tiny side yard which I cram with as much stuff as I can !
dave, i like the rectangular lines of it. my beds are odd shaped, though raised, due to hubby’s parking area in my garden! looking forward to seeing what you grow and it looks like lots of room!
carolyn, judging by your posts you have lots of veggies! i notice you are in indiana. my husband and i own a home in evansville so i also garden up there a bit. it is two hours from me here in tennessee. we have a GREAT grape vine. i don’t post about indiana on my blog because that is information i don’t want out. but i love the climate up there. i keep joking with my husband that if the fire ants ever reach us we are moving there!
Very nice layout. You’ll be able to plant a lot of “good eats” in those beds. I also grow my vegetables in raised beds and tell everyone it’s the way to go.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
oops! i got carolyn mixed up with carol of may dreams. SORRY! the comment about indiana was meant for carol of may dreams, though i see carolyn also gardens in the general area-illinois.
Kate,
you’re right, I’ve got lots of veggies planned I can’t wait till these beds get done and I can start sowing. I’ll be posting a step-by-step post with pictures once I get these complete so check back!
As for the shrub, if your talking about the plant of the week I haven’t updated that! It’s a honeysuckle.
Frances,
we do have a good bit of relatively flat area. Of course we have some slope also. The area that these are going in has a slight slope to it. I may have to heel in one side of the beds to level them once I get them finished. A drill with a cord is be on my wish list!
Carolyn,
Well depending on when I get the beds done some radishes should be ready in march or so. I have some windows to use for a cold frame. I may get a few more cold season stuff started. I gardened in pots on our back porch for several years before we had our current yard. I guess I’m going crazy now that we have all this space, but I understand those small limitations. You can still grow a good variety of veggies in pots in small areas!
Tina,
I figured that the rectangular shape would make the most of the amount of space. I should be able to easily get a tomato plant for every 2’x2′ area. Not that I will! That’s too many tomatoes. But there should be plenty of space for smaller veggies in around them. If you ever take some grape vine cuttings let me know! what kind of vine do you have?
Carol,
Thanks for your comment! I saw your raised beds and they looked great! I helped my parents build their raised beds and they grew more vegetables than they ever did in the ground. Definitely the way to go!
hi dave,
i AM going to take some grape cuttings and i will be sure to get a few for you. hubby wants that on an arbor over the garage door versus my long climbing rose which i started from cuttings two years ago. it is now 10 feet and still growing. i figure i will put the grape at one end for him, and it will meet in the middle with the rose.
we inherited the grape vine. it is so gorgeous! we had to install a new privacy fence and when we did so hubby spend hours untangling it from some trees we took out. then i came and pruned it down to almost nothing. should’ve seen his face. the grape vine came back HARD last year. we did not have grapes as they shriveled on the vine due to the drought. i am sure it is a table grape variety, light green. the vine must be 50 years old as the house is that old. anyhow, i will be happy to save you some cuttings. when should i take them? i figure when it starts budding and leafing out.
Dave,
As always when ever I stop by your blog I am impressed. Can’t wait to see your vegies progress.
Gail
Tina,
From what I can tell, although I haven’t done it yet, you can take hardwood cuttings during dormancy and greenwood or semi-ripe in late spring. You need about four nodes for a reliable cutting but it can be done with only one. Vines root pretty good it seems. That sounds like an impressive vine!
Gail,
Thanks! I can’t wait to taste them!
That’s a very attractive layout. Are you going to have lawn in between the beds?
Your vegetable garden layout looks pretty and neat. It’s good that you have planned your layout design very well. It’s like you are planning to grow a lot of vegetables, aren’t you? It will also be helpful to look out for resources that could help you decide what’s best for your garden. Cheers and good luck!
I love the comment about your cordless drill. I am in the middle of constructing 2 VERY LARGE bins out of 100% salveged materials (no photos yet). All the screws I am using are from the jumble box that everyone has, left overs from years of projects.
I am across to 840 from you, in Murfreesboro.
Hey Dave, i am happy to find this site. I have decided that i need to create some raised beds for my physical needs. Your raised beds layout is much more ambitious than my needs, available space or budget. But i am inspired to try it. My ideas are for “sectional” raised beds to prevent kneeling or bending. Ideally, waist high with a soil depth of 12″ and, here’s the twist, on casters(wheels) so each section is portable and can be easily moved according to the seasons sun position.
some questions i have are:
1. if treated lumber is used:
(a) will paint adequately separate chemicals from soil?
(b) is latex or water based paint toxic?
I am planning on taking pictures of the process and progress. see: http://www.mesquite411.info/gardening/
Any thoughts, comments or suggestions are appreciated.
Johnny
Hi Johnny,
Thanks for commenting! There are non-toxic options out there for paints but I don’t know how convenient they are for purchase. I can’t officially tell you if latex or water based paints are toxic but you can check out the EPA’s website for that information. I would recommend either using a cedar wood for your project or using plastic to line the inside of the beds. The plastic should effectively protect against any possible leaching that might occur form pressure treated lumber. You could then paint without worrying too much about leaching. That may add an extra layer of protection for your wood.
The caster idea is a great one especially if you have a good area for rolling them around. You can move them into the sun or out when ever you need to.
Good luck with your raised beds, it sound like a fun project!
Got alot of cool ideas for my garden "remodel" this spring from this. Thanks!