There are many different ways, size, etc… to build a garden box. You could also choose to just create an in-ground garden, a garden box is what I chose. The nice thing about doing a raised garden box is that I could place it in a sunny area and grow sun loving flowers. My flower beds are shaded and partially shaded which grow a different variety of flowers. We created a garden box to match the other two garden boxes I already have in my backyard for vegetable gardens.
The garden box is 3 ft X 8 ft X 14 inches deep. It holds one yard of dirt. I went to the local garden center and filled it with top soil. I chose top soil due to cost and too many amendments can cause problems with new growth. Be careful of over amended soils they can stunt the growth of your plants. I use top soil and add as needed.
The garden box is an easy project and only takes an hour or two depending on your skill level. Pick a garden box which fits your environment and resources. My boxes are leftover wood from a pergola which we built and after three years tore down and replaced with a patio cover.
***Lesson learned*** Pergolas may be great in sunny locations which are sunny year-round. They are bad in snowy locations. They do not block snow in fact they weep snow as it melts and create large puddles of ice throughout winter. Next time save the money and put a patio cover.
After completing locate an area to place the box. Location is important. A couple of items to keep in mind.
1. What type of plants do I want? Sunny, Partial Shade, Full Shade. If I wanted a fern garden it would be full shade. Do a little flower review before picking a spot.
2. Do animals and/or kids? Do you need a fence?
3. How is it going to be watered?
4. How is it going to fit in my yard? Will it be in the way?
Place the completed garden box in your yard. Don’t worry about covering the bottom or cutting out grass. The amount of dirt in the will smother the grass, it will not grow through.
Water and let the dirt settle for a couple days.
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