People build raised garden beds for many various reasons. Some may be because of poor soil in their garden, while others may be due to the poor topography of the land. However, building a garden bed against your fence isn’t bad. It is worth trying.
But the first thing to do should be to know the pros and cons of raising a garden bed against a fence. Regardless, following the best practices and procedures involved in raising garden beds is crucial if you want a plant that is healthy and free from toxins. Apart from setting up your raised garden bed along the fence line, you can also set it up against the house, driveway, or front yard.
But in this post, our focus will be on whether or not you should build your raised garden bed along the fence line.
Pros Of Building A Raised Garden Bed Along Fence
The following are some of the advantages of building a raised garden bed along your fence:
Protects The Plants From Strong Winds
Strong winds severely threaten various plants we grow in raised gardens. If your plants can’t withstand strong winds, erecting your raised garden along the fence line is best. It’ll help create resistance against strong winds. Additionally, strong winds may dry your leaves and cause the plant to struggle or even die.
However, the most important thing is to ensure the fence is taller than the raised garden bed to offer protection.
Lastly, the plants should not grow taller than the fence, or they will be affected by the strong winds again.
Saves Space
One of the biggest challenges of planting at home is the lack of space. Instead of turning over the kid’s yard or playground into a garden, you can erect your bed along the fence line. Unlike using the yard’s space, installing the raised garden bed along the fence is one way to maximize yar space. By building a raised bed garden against a fence, you are practically using your yard’s layout and design and taking advantage of vertical fence space.
Aside from that, it leaves you with enough space togrow other plantsin the future.
Creates A Boundary
Another advantage of erecting a raised garden bed along the fence line is that it creates a boundary between your fence and yard. And for those who want to plant flowers on the boundary, it creates an aesthetically pleasing environment.
Improves the beauty of your environment
Apart from being a source of shield and creating space, building raised garden along your fence line adds beauty to the environment around your home. It also contributes to the overall outlook of your lawn.
Cons Of Building A Raised Garden Bed Along Fence
Before you go ahead to raise any garden bed along your fence, here are some drawbacks you might face:
Health risks.
Building your raised garden bed directly onto the fence might cause many problems because materials like stone, stucco, or concrete may leach chemicals into the soil. The plants may then absorb the toxins, which you may consume later. This is dangerous and can escalate to serious health complications for you and your household.
It is risky to create your raised garden bed next to a fence.
Soil Moisture Can Rot The Fence
Another disadvantage of raising the garden beds along the fence line is that it can lead to the rotting of the fence. This is caused mainly due to poor drainage of the raised garden bed. A rotting fence is challenging to deal with and costly to repair.
This is because you will be forced to uproot the fence and build a new one. If your fence rots, your raised garden bed may also be in danger of rotting, depending on the type of material used to construct it.
Challenging To Maintain
Maintaining a raised garden bed along a fence line is not simple. It would be best if you continually cleaned the gap between the raised bed and the fence. Failure to do so will make the gap filthy and attract mold.
Besides, it will also attract pests. You don’t want to risk your plants being attacked by pests because of negligence.
Factors To Consider When Building a Garden Bed
If you plan to set up a garden bed, there are three major factors you may want to consider. They include:
Soil Type
Raised gardens are most suitable in dark soils richly loaded with microorganisms.Before planting, ensure you fill the bed with adequate 40 to 50% compost and 50 to 60% good quality topsoil.
Space
This is one major factor to consider when building a raised garden bed. The proposed space for your beds should be spacious enough to contain the length and breadth of the bed. Additionally, place your garden beds in areas that receive a good amount of sunlight daily.
Wood
The type of wood used for constructing your raised garden bed affects the beauty and longevity of the garden bed. It is best to use rot-resistant woods such as cedar, oak, and redwood.
The proper way to build a Garden Bed
Building a raised garden bed is an exciting project. We will help you get started with the choice of wood down to the last step.
Choose a raised bed
You can choose from variousraised garden beds, from aluminum to composite wood, galvanized steel, and recycled plastics. Find the one that best suits your needs and interest.
Find a perfect location.
Most garden plants thrive when exposed to the right amount of sunlight. It will be if you locate your garden bed in the sunniest part of the yard. You may also choose areas with good soil because you will often water your garden.
Choosing the Right Materials
Your raised beds can be constructed using any material you hand – bricks, stones, wood, or cement blocks. Avoid using pressure-treated or painted wood, as they can leach chemicals into the soil of your garden beds.
Construct Your Raised Bed
Build your garden bed in your final location. The debt of your garden bed should be deep enough to accommodate the roots of your soil.
Fill your bed
Place some cardboard or newspaper at the bottom and wet it thoroughly. Fill your bed with a quality soil mixture. You can start with a mix of topsoil and organic matter. Plant your flowers or crops in your newly raised bed and nurture them properly.
Bottom Line
Installing a raised garden bed along the fence line is a cheap and cost-effective way to take your garden vertical. Not only will you be saving space, but you will also be creating a defined boundary between the fence and yard. Also, a raised garden bed will provide better drainage, offer easier access, help the soil to warm up faster, increase yields, and control pests.
However, it would be best if you also weighed the disadvantages so that you don’t regret it later. Make sure you use suitable construction materials and don’t attach the garden bed directly to the fence.
Since you know what to expect from erecting your raised garden bed along the fence line, you should have an easy time making up your mind.
