Question 1

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF A RAISED GARDEN BED?

Accepted Answer

A Raised Garden Bed is simply a garden bed built above ground level, so that its soil level is higher than the surrounding ground. The bed is typically narrow enough that its center can be reached from both sides, eliminating the need to walk in the bed—this allows greater planting density, results in fewer weeds, and gives greater crop yields. Additional advantages of a raised garden bed include better heat retention (which extends the growing season), less reliance on potentially poor soil (consider the amount of low quality backfill placed around typical houses for drainage!), and less soil compaction (because no one walks in the planted area). Wind protection, hail protection, and rodent protection are also readily adaptable to raised garden beds - a significant plus in Cheyenne's high plains climate. Perhaps most importantly, they are more accessible for children and those who don't wish to bend over, and can be built with a seating area around the perimeter.

Question 2

HOW DO ELEVATED RAISED BEDS DIFFER FROM "NORMAL" RAISED GARDEN BEDS?

Accepted Answer

A simple Elevated Garden Bed is like a raised garden bed, lifted up and placed on legs—this elevates the garden surface significantly more, making it much more accessible than one that rests on the ground. This is ideal for anyone who doesn't want to kneel or bend over to work in the garden, and it is conducive to wheelchair access because the chair's footrests will fit under the elevated bed, allowing it to be approached head-on and up close.

Question 3

I KNOW I FORGET TO WATER SOMETIMES, AND I'VE HEARD THAT SPRINKLING CAN RESULT IN LESS FRUIT ON PLANTS LIKE TOMATOES—IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO WATER A RAISED GARDEN BED OR ELEVATED BED?

Accepted Answer

In the dry windy climates we have in Wyoming and Colorado, a drip watering system is a simple and effective way to put the water right where you need it, with minimal waste; the system can be configured to also water container plants in the vicinity if you wish. And simple timers are available for drip systems, so you won't have to worry about forgetting to water! A drip system like this can be connected to a hose bib, and we're happy to install these systems for you and to help you configure them for the type of plants you would like to grow. If you don't have a raised bed but would like a drip system on your garden, we can do that too.

Question 4

WATERING YOUR GARDEN BY HAND ONCE OR TWICE A DAY CAN BE TIME CONSUMING—IS THERE AN EASIER WAY?

Accepted Answer

A drip watering system on a timer is an effective way to make sure that your garden beds will get watered! A simple drip system can be connected to a hose bib, and we're happy to install these systems for you and to help you configure them for the type of plants you would like to grow. If you don't have a raised bed but would like a drip system on your garden, we can do that too.

Question 5

HOW CAN WE BE "WATER WISE" WITH OUR GARDEN, IN THIS DRY CLIMATE?

Accepted Answer

In the dry windy climates we have in Wyoming and Colorado, a drip watering system is a simple and effective way to put the water right where you need it, with minimal waste; the system can be configured to also water container plants in the vicinity if you wish.

Question 6

HOW DO I KEEP GOPHERS OR VOLES FROM TUNNELING UP INTO A RAISED BED?

Accepted Answer

Our Gopher Wire option provides a framed-in wire mesh bottom that resolves this problem, while still allowing earthworm traffic!

Question 7

DO YOUR GARDEN BEDS ONLY COME IN CEDAR AND REDWOOD?

Accepted Answer

Cedar and redwood are our preferred materials for both Raised Garden Beds and Elevated Raised Beds, due to their strength, resistance to decay, and safety when growing edible plants (cedar and redwood don't require chemical treatment to have a long lifespan). In our opinion their durability makes them less expensive in the long run, compared to cheaper woods like the "SPF" (spruce-pine-fir) framing material available at most lumberyards. An equivalent garden bed made of SPF will need to be replaced several times over before a redwood/cedar bed reaches the end of it’s useful life - but it will still provide many years of gardening pleasure if constructed of 1.5" or thicker material. Please note: we will not warranty the life of materials such as pine due to their potential to break down relatively quickly in the presence of soil and moisture, and we will not build Elevated Raised Beds out of SPF, due to the increased risk of collapse and subsequent injury resulting from such wood biodegrading.
We ARE seeing more modern examples of lumber made of recycled plastic, some of which claim they are "guaranteed to not leach toxic chemicals." One particular product is made in the USA of UV-stabilized LDPE/HDPE plastic (the material plastic milk jugs are made of), and we are in the process of obtaining some of this material for testing in raised beds. We have not been able to find an independent study supporting the claims about this particular product.

Question 8

IS THERE A WOOD PRESERVATIVE THAT IS SAFE TO USE ON A RAISED BED WHEN GROWING VEGETABLES?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely—we like to use 100% Tung Oil (made from the nut of the tung tree). Our primary raised bed materials, redwood and cedar, are naturally rot-resistant woods, so the use of tung oil is not absolutely necessary here - we use it because it also enhances the look of the wood. When used on other types of wood, it will will help reduce the rate at which the wood decays.  Make sure to get "100% Tung Oil," or you may wind up with a product that is cut with petroleum distillates....

Question 9

HOW DO YOUR RAISED BEDS COMPARE TO THOSE I CAN BUY ON-LINE OR AT THE LOCAL HOME CENTER?

Accepted Answer

As with any product, there are advantages and disadvantages to the raised beds available on-line and from other sources. Compared to most of these products, our raised beds will:
arrive in good condition and NOT require ANY assembly
typically be more sturdy (the fasteners we use do not sacrifice strength for shipping convenience or ease of customer assembly)
have protection from underground garden pests such as gophers and voles as an option, and
in the case of our custom beds, be tailorable to a specific need or space—without sacrificing structural strength.
Keep in mind that wet soil can weigh 75 pounds per cubic foot or more, depending on soil composition, and this will apply an outward force on the sides of a raised bed as well as a downward force. We know people who have used raised beds made from parts bought on-line, and had good luck with them for many years. We also know people that said the raised bed they ordered was difficult to assemble and woefully inadequate for it’s intended purpose once filled with heavy soil. Note: Keep an eye out for products requiring use of “light weight potting mix” unless you are okay with having to also purchase and use this material instead of “dirt.” Raised beds with this constraint are not strong enough to hold “real” soil without risk of collapse.

Question 10

ARE YOUR RAISED GARDEN BEDS WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE?

Accepted Answer

Our Elevated Raised Bed is! This is a relatively “stock” product, but we can easily tailor both height and depth during construction, to maximize access based on a given wheelchair’s height and the occupant’s size.  Note: Taller raised garden beds (which rest directly on the ground) can also be accessible from a wheelchair, though they typically cannot be approached head-on, may require a significant expenditure of soil depth to be high enough for easy access, and may still require that the user lean over in their chair. Our Elevated Raised Bed addresses all of these issues.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS