Cheap Raised Garden for a Small Yard

Hi all! I just got done building my first raised vegetable garden and thought I'd share.

We have a small 1/4 acre back yard, and I really wanted to plant some veggies for the two of us to use, so I got the idea off the interwebz to build a raised vegetable garden instead of tilling up the thick clay dirt in our back yard.

For this project, I used:

1. A board of 2x12x16 pressure treated wood (cedar is great too but hard to find in some areas) cut into four 4-foot long lengths. Home depot did this for me so I didn't have to saw much except a small piece off the end. Be sure to check that the pressure treated wood does not contain copper arsenate (arsenic). Some woods still are treated with this, but most are not. Be sure to check if you're not sure.
2. Sixteen 3" EXTERIOR wood screws. Make sure they are EXTERIOR screws as interior ones will rust over time.
3. Weedblock fabric weed blocker
4. Eight weedblock stakes. Any flat tipped stake will do just fine also to hold the weedblock fabric taut and flat.
5. Strong electric screwdriver or drill with appropriately sized bit for the screws you buy. Drilling through thick pressure treated wood is not for a flimsy screwdriver so make sure you have a powerful enough one for the job.
6. Sixteen cubic feet of top soil (sixteen 1 cubic foot bags).



Total cost to build including dirt: $60 (not including seeds).

Instructions:

1. Find a nice sunny spot in your backyard that is decently far from any big trees or shrubs.



2. Lay out your weedblock fabric over the grass and stake it down so that the fabric is taut and as flat as possible. You do NOT need to dig out the area first as long as the ground is level. If it is not, then you should dig about 1-2" down into the ground and relevel the area where the garden will be to ensure proper drainage.




3. Construct your box by using the wood screws to screw together the pre-cut pieces of your wood. Remember to use a good drill and the proper screws for this. It is not critical that the boards be perfectly tight along the seams, but get them as tight as you can. Be sure to use a level to make sure that your garden box is level all the way around. You may need assistance during this part.




4. Lay box over your weedblock fabric careful not to tear the fabric and careful to be sure that there the fabric is tucked below the border of the box to prevent any weeds from coming up from underneath or establishing. This will also help prevent bugs from getting into your garden by digging below the border.




5. Fill with dirt and plant as per your instructions on the seed packet!




This makes a 4 ft x 4 ft planter box that is 1 foot deep. You can make it any size you want, but I recommend not making it wider than 4 ft so you can easily access the center of the box without having to step inside.

I plan on putting a border of pavers around mine to make it easier to dig and a little nicer to look at, but it gets the job done.

EDIT: sorry the pics got clipped, if you would like to see the full size images, look here: http://s1136.photobucket.com/albums/n487/ECNaturePhotos/

Not sure if Food and Nutrition is where to put this (or maybe Chit Chat), but I thought maybe growing food is relevant. Mods, if this is in the wrong area, please feel free to move it.