Spring is here. It’s the perfect time to get some colour into the garden. Take full advantage of the season and construct a garden bed from scratch. Plant the right flowers to create a year-round interest and attract beneficial insects, perfect for the nearby vegie patches.
WATCH: Charlie makes a raised garden flower bed
Raised beds make gardening so much easier on your back and brings your flowers closer to you. So lift your game! Head outside this weekend with your tools and construct these easy-to-make DIY timber garden beds.
Gather your supplies
- 200 x 75mm x 2.4m hardwood sleepers
- 2250 x 1220 x 2.5mm black Corflute
- Quality garden mix
- Plants of your choice
You’ll also need
- Stringline
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Mitre saw
- Spirit level
- Drill
- Countersinking drill bit
- Long 5mm drill bit
- 150mm galvanised batten screws
- Circular saw
- Utility knife
Here’s how
Step 1
Prepare area by making ground as level as possible. If you’re building multiple small beds, set up a stringline along one side to make sure they all align. Offset stringline to side of bed, here by 300mm, to ensure it is clear of all work.
Step 2
Measure and mark sleepers for bed, then cut using a mitre saw. Make length of sleeper for each side 75mm less than overall dimension of that side to allow for thickness of the sleeper on adjacent side.
Step 3
Lay first row of sleepers on ground and make level. Measure to your stringline to make sure side is parallel to it. Butt sleeper for adjacent side into this, make level and measure to make sure it is parallel to adjacent bed.
Step 4
Countersink for batten screws using a countersinking drill bit, then drill pilot holes through these with long 5mm bit. Screw together using 150mm batten screws.
Step 5
Continue laying out sleepers for sides, making level, predrilling and screwing together.
Step 6
Lay second row of sleepers on top of first so joins between sides overlap those on first row. Predrill and screw together. Do third layer, overlapping joins again to row below.
Step 7
Use circular saw to cut 600 x 75mm blocks out of sleepers. Place in corners, then predrill and screw through blocks into sleepers on both sides. Make screws on a slight angle so they don’t poke out the other side.
Step 8
Use utility knife to cut sheets of Corflute to fit between corner blocks on each side of bed. Fill beds with quality garden mix.
Step 9
Cut lengths of sleepers for capping on sides of beds. Sit on top then predrill and screw down through capping into sides. Also, join capping pieces together by screwing on an angle across joins at corners. Plant beds.
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