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Starting a garden is no easy task, and it can be especially challenging if the terrain on your property isn't amenable to the types of plants you'd like to grow. Enter: the raised garden bed. These boxy units allow you to plant a small patch of flowers, herbs, and vegetables in their ideal soil conditions just about anywhere outdoors where you have the right amount of light and space.
The Best Raised Garden Beds:
- Best Overall: VegTrug Raised Bed
- Rugged Metal: Best Choice Products Metal Raised Garden Bed
- Classic Cedar: August Grove Baumgartel Raised Garden Bed
- Refined Railing Planter: Ebern Designs Kaysville Plastic Railing Planter
- Colorful and Durable: Zizin Metal Raised Garden Bed
- Leveling Up: YAHEETECH Multi-Level Rustic Raised Garden Bed
- Two-Tier Elevated Bed: Freeport Park Fegley Wood Elevated Planter
- Easy DIY Netting: Dalen Deer X Protective Netting
- Portable Grow Bags: Viagrow Fabric Aeration Pot with Handles
- Rolling Planter: EMSCO Earth Brown Raised Garden Bed
What to Consider:
When you're starting your search to find the best raised garden beds for your backyard, you'll want to consider factors like material, size, and maintenance involved. We asked Julia Watkins, author of the forthcoming book Gardening for Everyone, to help decipher the differences among types, and offer some guidance for getting started.
- Material: It's important not to skimp here — investing in your raised bed material will prevent early rotting, cracking, or other unsavory outcomes. Watkins says, “It’s critical to use materials that are strong and durable, since your beds will be exposed to near-constant moisture, along with a variety of different types of weather and outdoor elements. Also, soil is heavy — especially once it’s wet — and will put a lot of pressure on the frame of raised beds.”
Wood is at the top of her list of preferred raised garden bed materials: specifically, untreated wood made of strong, rot-resistant materials. Metal is also a good option, and it's slightly more durable than wood. Watkins likes metal stock tanks and Corten steel, and rust is the only thing to be on the lookout for. “I’d recommend purchasing galvanized stock tanks and treating the exterior of the steel with a rust protectant,” she advises. As for plastic? Watkins says to skip it for raised garden beds, and to save this cheap, lightweight material for smaller flower pots and container gardens. - Size: When it comes to the size of your raised garden bed, bigger isn't always better. After all, you need to think about how you'll access the plants. “It’s best to keep them a maximum of 4 feet wide, so you can reach the center without stepping on your soil.” Watkins advises aiming for at least 1 foot of depth to accommodate the roots of various plants.
Finally, raised garden beds can quite literally be raised off the ground, too. “Taller beds are great for gardeners with back or mobility issues,” she says. “And if you prefer to garden while standing, beds that are 32 to 36 inches deep are ideal.” - Maintenance: Because you have so much control over your raised beds, maintenance in the off-season is very manageable ... but it's still important. Watkins has a few easy rules of thumb to keep your soil (and structure) in great shape: “In the spring and fall, before and after the growing season, it’s important to dress raised beds with 1-2 inches of compost. There’s no need to turn it in: Winter rains will wash the nutrients down to root level, and worms will help to incorporate organic matter into the soil. Fall is also a good time to inspect and repair damaged boards or corners if your raised beds are made of wood.”
As for the seeds you choose to sow in your raised garden bed? The sky (or at least your soil space) is the limit! Watkins says, “I can’t think of any plants that wouldn’t thrive in raised beds, especially because raised beds give you almost complete control of the condition, quality, and texture of the soil.”
With that, it's time to get growing! The various raised garden beds in this guide are durable, spacious, and reviewer-recommended, offering the best of all worlds to help you plant the exact garden you want. Here are the best raised garden beds for your greens to call home.
Want to build your own DIY raised garden bed? Learn how by joining Pop Mech Pro!
Thanks to its unique, V-shaped design, the VegTrug raised garden bed can house deep-rooting plants. Its cedar build is treated with a food-safe stain, so you can grow an entire salad garden right in your backyard!
It comes with a replaceable liner to keep the soil separate from the wood in order to prevent deterioration, and there are gaps in the bottom slats to allow for easy water drainage. A few reviewers also tout that its 2.6-foot height makes it more accessible to wheelchair users.
We love that this raised garden bed is a versatile and portable model that still provides a generous amount of planting space.
More: The Best Feeders for Backyard Birdwatching
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Rugged Metal
Best Choice Products Metal Raised Garden Bed
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Rugged Metal
Best Choice Products Metal Raised Garden Bed
The look of powder-coated steel is undeniably rugged, and if that's the style you're going for, this foot-tall raised garden bed makes a great addition to any backyard space.
Available in both 4x3- and 6x3-foot sizes, these garden beds are touted as being easy to assemble, as well as able to withstand a lot of soil and plants packed inside.
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Classic Cedar
August Grove Baumgartel Raised Garden Bed
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Classic Cedar
August Grove Baumgartel Raised Garden Bed
Available in three different heights but the exact same footprint, this cedar raised garden bed makes a beautiful home for your greens to grow.
This bed is delivered in pieces, so be prepared for a bit of an assembly project. However, users say the result is gorgeous, long-lasting, amenable to plants of all types, and perfect for yards on the smaller side.
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Refined Railing Planter
Ebern Designs Kaysville Plastic Railing Planter
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Refined Railing Planter
Ebern Designs Kaysville Plastic Railing Planter
Because of the sheer volume of soil and moisture that raised garden beds require, lightweight plastic is simply not the best option. However, this material works wonderfully if you want to house just a few types of flowers or herbs on your windowsill or porch railing.
Think of this 2-foot-long railing planter as a mini version of a raised garden bed. It could even be a great starter bed for first-time gardeners.
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Colorful and Durable
zizin Metal Raised Garden Bed
If you want the durability of metal — but want something less industrial-looking than silver or black — this raised garden bed comes in a mossy shade of green.
Users say that the assembly is easy (as long as you carefully follow the instructions!) and that no special tools are needed beyond a wrench.
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Leveling Up
YAHEETECH Multi-Level Rustic Raised Garden Bed
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Leveling Up
YAHEETECH Multi-Level Rustic Raised Garden Bed
This tiered garden bed is made of wood, and each piece of it simply slides into place without any tools or assembly know-how required. Each of the slim troughs can fit a different plant variety, so they all coexist without overpowering each other (we're looking at you, mint).
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Two-Tier Elevated Bed
Freeport Park Fegley Wood Elevated Planter
For those who'd prefer not to get on their hands and knees to tend to their blooms, this generously sized, two-tier raised garden bed takes your gardening to whole new heights.
Multiple plants can thrive within this fir wood elevated bed. It is assembled to allow for drainage and airflow, so that the roots don't become saturated with moisture.
You can use the platform down below to hold either tools or a few small, shade-loving plants in flowerpots.
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Easy DIY Netting
Gardeneer by Dalen Dalen Deer X Protective Netting
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Easy DIY Netting
Gardeneer by Dalen Dalen Deer X Protective Netting
Keeping your garden free of intruding deer and rabbits can feel like a full-time job. However, there are ways in which you can still give your crops a fighting chance.
Watkins says, “The best way to keep deer out of your garden is to build a tall sturdy fence of up to 8 feet high. Rabbits can be kept out with a fence that is at least 4 feet high. It’s also a good idea to attach rabbit fencing along the bottom 12 inches of your fence and dig it 6 inches below the ground (since rabbits burrow).”
One easy way to assemble a DIY fence is by surrounding your raised garden bed with this protective, animal-safe netting that can be wrapped around corner posts. The tradeoff is that you'll have to also work around the netting — or disassemble it — to access your plants.
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Portable Grow Bags
Viagrow Fabric Aeration Pot With Handles
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Portable Grow Bags
Viagrow Fabric Aeration Pot With Handles
This super-affordable pack of 1-gallon fabric pots is a great alternative to a raised garden bed, especially if you're looking to grow just one type of plant at a time — particularly veggies or anything edible. Their breathable build is ideal for gardeners who have trouble with the drainage and mold growth in other types of planters.
Users love growing tomatoes in these portable fabric pots, as they can easily monitor the soil, move the crops in the event of a storm, and keep pests away more effectively.
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Rolling Planter
EMSCO Earth Brown Raised Garden Bed
For those who prefer a more low-maintenance approach to gardening, this budget-friendly, UV-resistant resin container can sit right on a patio or balcony ... and it even has a 2-gallon, self-contained watering system. This raised garden bed will keep your plants plenty hydrated, but not over-watered.
Many reviews love how successful their homegrown radishes and tomatoes have been in this planter. However, they note that the smaller the crop, the better (think cherry tomatoes, not beefsteaks!).
Melanie Yates
Senior Service Editor
Melanie Yates is the senior service editor of Best Products, where she writes and reports pieces pertaining to the etiquette, dilemmas, and how-tos of gift-giving for different occasions. Previously, she was the site's senior home editor, covering all things decor- and bedding-related since 2015. Her digital byline can also be found on Bustle, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. A longtime classical-music enthusiast, Melanie spends her off-hours enjoying performances big and small across New York City.
