Raised Bed Construction Plans

The thermometer suggests otherwise, but warmer temperatures are not too far off. It's time to get building. After a few weeks of research, here's a compilation of my raised bed gardening knowledge. In the thumbnails are plans for a 4' by 8' raised gardening bed I made using Google SketchUp. Unlike most designs I found, this one has a trellis for growing peas and training tomatoes. Although a trellis can be fashioned out of PVC, the wood should provide a more soothing appearance.

UPDATE: See the finished product here. See how to string a trellis here.

The Benefits of Raised Beds
Much has been written on the subject, such as here, here, and here. In short, raised garden beds give complete control over soil conditions. The soil is keep loose and well aerated because we're not walking all over it.

Wood: Natural or Pressure-Treated?
This structure will take a beating. It will be outside in the elements, freezing, thawing, roasting, and, it will almost always be wet. Under these conditions untreated lumber (except for naturally rot resistant species like cedar or black locust) will almost certainly rot in a short amount of time, perhaps a couple of years. Pressure-treated, however, easily might last a decade or more. Even though some authorities state that newer pressure-treatment agents such as ACQ are safe to use around kids and food, let's not forget that the old formulation, CCA, has been taken off the market out of fear that it was leaching arsenic into the environment. With all of this conflicting information, others simply play it safe and go with untreated wood.

The Materials
The Raised Bed Frame
(2) 8' 2x12s
(2) 4' 2x12s
(1) 4' 2x4
(4) 1' 4x4s

The Trellis
(2) 5' 2x4s
(1) 8' 3" 2x4
(2) 3' 1 7/16" 1x4s (bracing)