Affordable Raised Bed Garden Concrete Built to Last Producing Delicious Organic Vegetables

Video showing how to use long lasting concrete gravel boards and posts to convert a small garden lawn from a dog's toilet into a magnificent highly productive organic vegetable garden.

The video shows how my son and I designed a raised bed garden using concrete gravel boards (Used in slotted fences) and concrete posts cut down to form the corners using a diamond blade on a 9 inch angle grinder. These can be hired inexpensively from most hire shops. Shown also is some of our organic produce. If you are fed up with paying high prices for inferior vegetables, then this video should help you decide not only your future meals but also your future health because you will have removed harmful pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers from your diet.

The incredible taste and quality of freshly picked organic, right from the ground to your dinner will astound you! You won't have to drive to the supermarket either which will also reduce your costs further. It really was a no-brainer for us to grow our own and opt out of Monsanto and their insatiable bottom line greed. So round up all your chemical arsenals and hand them in to your recycle centre for yet another saving. Organic diets have long been praised for their ability to ward off illnesses and support our health. Many people suffering from a range of modern illnesses readily convert to a raw organic vegetable diet and many have reported incredible results. The Mediterranean diet for example has long been hailed as the reason that people in these regions outlive people from other regions and countries. Their diet is supported by raw salads and oily fish. We could all learn a little from their example.

Step 1: Remove Lawn to Level Garden for Raised Beds

The lawn was removed with a spade and turfs turned over to make use of the soil.

Step 2: Post Holes Were Dug Using the Tool Shown

Deep holes were dug to take new concreted posts for both the wrought iron fence and gate. More holes were dug in the each corner of the raised beds by using the gravel board measurements to determine their position.

Step 3: String Lines Were Used to Line Up the Fence and Gate

Once the gate post was concreted in place using a dry mix which was compacted with a sledge hammer and then watered to set the post, clamps were fixed to hold the gate in place. This allowed the next post to be sited correctly

Step 4: A Large Wooden Square Was Used to Ensure That Raised Beds Were Aligned

A wooden square / triangle was cut to a right angle so that it could be used to align all of the corners on the raised beds. Holes were dug at each corner and a standard H slotted concrete post was chosen instead of a corner post to save money. The posts were cut into 3 and concreted in the holes by slotting the concrete gravel boards into the posts to hold in place. Soil was heaped up on both sides to make sure posts remained vertical and level.

Step 5:

Once the posts were set, again using the dry mix and watering method, the soil from the path was heaped into the newly formed raised beds and some excess top soil was moved onto the drive and taken away for free after advertising it on Freecycle and Facebook.  All rocks were removed from the path and the soil raked level. A weed membrane was placed over the soil, followed by a layer of sand to protect it.  Gravel was added to complete the look, prevent us from walking mud into our home and afford the raised beds protection from slugs and snails.

Step 6: Let the Planting Begin

Even before the gravel was delivered, we began to plant our future organic produce.

Step 7:

A wooden sake edging was used to prevent soil from the flower / rhubarb bed from falling onto the gravel path

Step 8: Well Rotted Manure Added to Condition the Soil

This was freely available from stables in Devon

Step 9: Silver Sand and Wood Ash From Our Log Burner Added to the Soil

Using a combination of manure and wood ash prevents shifting the soil too far into acidic. The sand affords better drainage and prevents water logging

Step 10: The Proof of the Pudding Is on the Eating

We have been enjoying organic fruit, salad and tomatoes ever since.

Step 11: