Among the popular designs that are easily accessible at any point when gardening is building a u-shaped raised garden bed. It makes the task of tending to your garden easier since you can easily move around and make sure to give all plants attention.
Unlike a rectangular shaped raised bed, this alternative will need less effort in reaching across the entire bed. This will also add more space for planting instead of just setting up two separate beds.
u shaped raised garden bed dimensions
There are kits that you can purchase and are easy to assemble. However, if you plan on making a DIY raised garden bed, you need to know the dimensions of the boards before starting to build the bed.
It is highly recommended that you get cedar boards, as these are not only beautiful but are also high-quality materials for growing vegetables and flowers. You’ll have to cut the boards in the right dimensions to build a sturdy bed that will last long.
So, for the dimensions of a typical u-shaped garden bed, all sides can be about 24 inches tall and the long sides about 15 feet in length. For the inside pieces, the length should be 12 feet and the width inside the box should be 3 feet wide. This can also be the same measurement for the walking area in the middle.
If you need to constantly mow around the bed, you have to consider the size of your mower when adjusting the space in the middle of the box.
benefits of building and using a raised u shaped garden bed
There are a lot of benefits in opting for a u shaped garden bed. It can turn into a garden of your dreams as you can turn it into a flower or a vegetable garden or even both. Benefits that you can get from choosing this shaped raised garden layout are:
- This type of bed allows using the growing space efficiently.
- It offers great accessibility.
- Building a large version will create a wrap-around garden layout with a pathway in the middle. This pathway is ideal for people with mobility issues or those using a wheelchair.
- This type of design is cost-effective and provides more growing space with minimal material costs.
- It works well with garden trellises. It will enclose the area with flowering vines, vegetables, and fruits.
- Just like regular raised garden beds, you can set this up on sand, lawn, dirt, or gravel. If you know that the ground under the bed is toxic, simply line the bottom of the bed with a barrier cloth or a plastic lining. This will keep the roots safe.
When building this type of bed, make sure that the location will have ample amounts of sun exposure to grow plants. Proper drainage and water system must also be established for your flowers and vegetables.
u shaped raised garden bed kit
If you lack the resources for building your u shaped raised bed, you can always resort to the use of kits made for raised bed gardening. These kits are made to allow easy and fast assembly of the beds. A couple of popular options you can choose from are the following:
1. natural cedar u-shaped raised garden beds
This is made with Port Orford cedar that is Oregon-grown, which is known to be the strongest of all cedars. It is as strong as Douglas fir and has more natural rot resistance than that of redwood.
The entire kit can be assembled easily. All it takes is for you to position the board ends together and lock it by inserting the steel corner pins. You can easily stack and expand by simply adding boards to reach your desired height.
Building this raised bed doesn’t require any use of tools. The steel corner pin is made with superior strength stainless steel and rustproof stainless-steel cross-supports.
A lot of people who purchased this kit fell in love with the entire bed not only because of its look but also because of the ease of assembling all the materials. Some loved the fact that they can easily increase their height to add more protection for their crops.
Since it is easy to put together, people were able to start planting and start their gardening adventure as soon as the bed was filled with soil. Also, it was a great purchase for older gardeners who still love planting despite their age.
Get to know more about the product and purchase yours here.
2. garden in a box cedar raised bed kit
This product comes with various options such as the following:
6×3
This is a small-contained raised garden bed that provides easy access to growing vegetables and fruits. It is made from Western Red Cedar and is designed with a perimeter fence that is 33.5 inches tall. It already includes 12 inches high front-hinged fencing panels.
The marine-grade hinges make the front fencing panels fold down to get easy access when tending to your plants or amending the soil. This means no stopping is needed.
All fence panels are backed with black wire mesh to prevent dogs and rabbits and other critters from getting inside. Growing beds are 20 inches tall which gives enough space for growing any plant.
All pre-manufactured cedar panels are made to ensure easy assembly using basic tools like a level and screw gun.
8×8
This option is ergonomically designed to lessen the need for kneeling and bending required when you’re tending to your garden. It has a perimeter fencing that is 33.5 inches tall and backed with black wires to keep critters off your garden. The folding marine hinges will allow you to use trellis panels ones the growing season for taller plants starts.
It is also designed with a functional door that will allow access inside of the 20 inches long x 28 inches wide garden bed. The Western Red Cedar panels are designed for easy assembly.
8×12
Similar to the options above, this is also made with Western Red Cedar and is great for plants that require larger plots. It is also suitable for elderly or disabled gardeners because of its ergonomic design for reducing the kneeling and bending required while tending to their garden.
The sides are high enough to prevent critters from getting in and keep the crops above the pee zones of your pets. Backed with black vinyl coated wire, its 33.5 inches tall perimeter critterguard fencing is surely not going to rust. Utilize trellis panels with the folding marine hinges that are meant for plants that grow taller.
It features a gate and a middle inner walkway. Inside, the growing beds measure 20 inches tall x 28 inches in width x 105 inches in length. The entire measurement of the unit allows you to get more yields of your crops.
All parts are easy to assemble and requires 4.5 cubic yards of soil to fill all the growing beds. Find this option and the other two options for this raised garden bed kit here.
3. OLT raised cedar garden bed with deer fence 8’x8’
This large raised bed ensures you that your crops are well protected from animals like bunnies, deer, and more. It has great size and is easy to access. This is also designed with a fence that deters any pesky critters from entering your garden.
Its total height is 67 inches and has a mesh fencing that acts as a trellis and animal fence. It is easy to assemble and has two size options.
The panels are made from Western Red Cedar. Check out more about the product here and get the kit complete with nails and screws.
4. deer proof cedar complete raised garden bed kit – 8′ x 8′ x 20″
This garden bed kit is made with solid cedar and can deter deer and any pest. The 8′ x 8′ x 20″ garden kit provides a 45 square feet of space for gardening. This space can accommodate a family of four working in the garden.
It is suitable for those who want to immediately start with gardening but doesn’t want to go through the core of deer or pest proofing the garden beds. The kit includes a 5’7” tall fence that can stop deer and any pest trying to jump in your garden. This fence also acts as a trellis for plants like peas, tomatoes, cucumber, beans, and other similar plants.
People who brought the kit were impressed with how fast they were able to put this together. Assembling the entire bed may take about 5 hours and would only take minutes to attach all the fencing sections. The fence looks attractive up close, but it is almost invisible from a distance, which is a plus for deterring pests. Get this garden kit at eartheasy.com.
5. outdoor living today raised cedar garden bed with deer fencing kit – 8 x 8 ft.
An easier way to start gardening is possible by getting this raised garden bed kit. It provides enough space to grow your vegetables and flowers. This is a premium cedar raised garden kit that is durable and strong.
The walkway in the middle has a hinged gate for easy access when tending to your plants. It is also reinforced with fences around for keeping wildlife out. It has a natural wood colour and the main material is made from Western Red Cedar Wood and all components are imported.
People who brought this kit loved that it was easy to put together and provides an advantage for older gardeners especially those with mobility problems. The only problem noted was that the hinges were made of plastic, but can be easily replaced with stainless steel ones if you have some.
You can still incorporate square foot gardening in these types of raised garden layouts. Get this product here.