Use this guide if you want an easier bed to work, better drainage on heavy soil or a growing space on a patio. Autumn is a good time to build so the soil settles before spring planting; have a tape measure, saw, drill-driver, screws and a spirit level ready.
Step by step
Choose the size and position
Keep the bed no wider than you can comfortably reach to the middle from both sides, roughly 1.2 metres for most adults, or narrower if it is against a wall. Choose length to suit the space and your materials, and height to suit you: a low bed is fine on soil, while a taller bed saves bending but needs much more filling. For vegetables pick the sunniest spot available and leave paths wide enough for a wheelbarrow. Mark out the shape with string and pegs and live with it for a day.
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