I love having a raised bed in my garden

Everything is easier when you don’t have to work at ground level. When Our Summer visitor offered to help make mine I jumped at the chance. If you have problems getting down to the ground or bending, a raised bed is the perfect answer.

You can choose the height to suit your needs, and they can look very attractive. If you are building the bed for a friend, be sure to ask about the most comfortable position for them. Some prefer to stand and others need to sit most of the time. A wheelchair user can experiment with a tray on a chair, adjusting the height with books, or something, to find their ideal level.

A raised bed must not be too wide to reach all the way across either, unless work can be done from both sides.

The overall look can vary by choosing plants that like to tumble over the sides, and some look best when they do so, or you can have everything contained within the bed for a neater look.

Before I had the raised bed I would often hesitate to start anything because of the difficulty of getting up and down – especially if I forgot a tool!

There is a certain freedom in being able to go out and do a little bit when the sun comes out.

Here’s a video showing a cheap way of making a raised bed.

Here are some extracts on other people’s thoughts on raised beds:

DIY Your Way To A Beautiful Raised Garden