What garden is best for me
Space
How much space do you want to allocate to a vegetable garden?
How much of your yard receives the right amount of sunlight?
How much time do you have to spend in the garden?
You can get creative with the space you have or use a 'standard' shape and size.
If you have a large yard, multiple beds of varying shapes and sizes can accommodate a large selection of vegetables.
Garden Size
The bed size should be easy for you to reach the entire garden from the sides, as you won't be walking in the garden. If you can access the garden from 3 or 4 sides, a 4 foot wide garden is great. If you can only access from two sides narrower gardens are better.
Garden Height
Raised beds bring the garden up to your knees. The height you choose will influence what you plan to plant and who will be working in the garden. If you intend to grow large tomatoes and cucumbers vertically, a 12 inch tall garden is best. For salad gardens and root vegetables, deep beds, 24" are best.
Just how you like it
The best part of all, you can create the bed that fits exactly where you want it. Custom designed beds tailored to your yard ensure your gardens are the size and shape to fit in with your current landscaping.
Special Consideration on Wood type
Cedar is the best type of wood for vegetable beds. Cedar is naturally rot resistant and will stand up the the harsh weather elements. Due to the durable nature, cedar beds can be expected to last for over 10 years.
Please, if you do build your own garden, DO NOT use pressure treated wood for vegetable gardens. The chemicals used to treat the wood will leach into the soil. This will be absorbed by the plants roots and make its way into your food. This is not safe. Lining the beds with plastic limits the air pulled into the soil, negating most of the benefit of a raised bed.