Over the past years, we went from just container gardening to using a raised bed. And the results were amazing. We did have success with the container garden and I hope that we’ll have continued success with the raised bed as well. But, since we didn’t want to purchase one, we set about to make one at home. After looking through the attic, we found an old dresser that was missing two of the drawers. The remaining, we figured, we could still salvage. Hence our raised garden bed from dresser drawers was conceived.
Why we decided to go with a raised garden bed
During my teenager years, we had a garden in this particular spot. But, over the years, nothing was really growing and so the patch went empty.
However, once we decided that we wanted that area to house a garden, we went to work.
Or rather, Kyle went to work.
How to make a raised garden bed from dresser drawers
Using stakes and twine, we figured out exactly where we wanted the garden to be. Kyle measured and I wish I could remember the exact measurements. The next step was to level the ground a bit and remove the existing grass and weeds. I should note, when I was younger, my mom and I had a vegetable patch in this exact spot. So it was already suitable for placing the garden bed. You may have a little bit more to do with leveling the ground if it’s a fresh patch.
And once all of that was done, Kyle started to frame the bed. If you do not have old dresser drawers, or don’t want to dismantle your dresser? You can absolutely use palettes for this project.
All of the drawers ended up being used in some fashion or another. For the longer pieces, we were able to to do the walls. And the shorter pieces were great for making corners. One adjustment we did make was to cut those in half.
While we opted not to treat the wood for the elements, I think that if we absolutely need to we can reinforce the walls.
Still, for an upcycled project that maybe took the weekend to do; I’m pleased. We were able to plant grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini in our backyard last year. This year we’ll probably go with grape tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, and something else.
I’m also hoping to do containers again this year for carrots.
Last year we purchased most of our plants but I’d love to start plants from seeds as well.
Be sure to check back with us soon to see how our garden grows this year! I’m taking some home gardening for beginners tips from my good friend Joyce to make some improvements. And if you use raised garden beds, be sure to check out these raised garden bed ideas.
If you have limited space, be sure to check out these raised garden bed boxes.
Why use raised garden beds?
Where soil is of poor quality and drainage inadequate, raised bed gardening makes it simple to create patches of fertile, well-drained soil. This can, in turn save money as well as time to!
It is considerably cheaper and less effort than installing a drainage system and then trucking in topsoil.
Combined with good drainage control, you can grow all sorts of fussy plants.
Raised bed gardening elevates plants to a more workable level, making them easier to tend to. Raised bed gardening is also great for vegetable or cutting gardens.
For gardeners in wheelchairs or with back pain, raised bed gardening is also more convenient. Just make sure the area between the beds is wide and firm enough for ease of movement.
Raised bed gardening is extremely low maintenance too. Plants can be kept organized, and all the soil and debris can be kept within its borders. This means a serious reduction in your hard work!
One of the main reasons raised garden beds are more popular? More production per square foot of garden. Raised beds don’t require the usual space between rows because you don’t walk in the bed to cultivate or harvest.
Greater production can be achieved with raised bed gardening because of the lack of soil compaction. In a normal garden you have to leave space between the plants in order to work them properly. This then leads to soil compaction which can reduce crop yields up to 50 percent. All a plants needs i.e water and air have trouble moving through compacted soil.
Kori
Latest posts by Kori (see all)
- Cultivating A Happier Home Environment In 5 Steps - March 1, 2024
[…] Raised garden bed from dresser drawers […]
[…] I had never heard of this before, but this gal used dresser drawers to create her raised garden bed. That is such a great idea if you have a dresser that you want to get rid of. You can see how she made these dresser drawers raised garden beds at Kori At Home. […]