How to make a raised bed

For a 4-by-8-foot bed, you’ll need

• Two 2-by-12 planks, each 8 feet long

• Two 2-by-12 planks, each 4 feet long

• 12 pieces of rebar, each 2 feet long

• A rubber mallet

• Newspaper or cardboard

• Soil to fill the finished frame

Steps:

1. Position your boards.

On a level section of ground, lay the boards down with their inner corners touching. Stand one long board on its side, and, using a rubber mallet, hammer two pieces of rebar 1 foot from each corner, a few inches deep into the ground.

2. Prop up the short sides.

Use a piece of rebar at the center of each for temporary support. Next, prop up the second long side and adjust the alignment of your frame as necessary. Then hammer rebar a few inches deep 1 foot from each corner of the second long side.

3. Add more support.

Hammer rebar a few inches deep a foot from each corner of the short sides and remove the temporary supports. Add two pieces of rebar 2 feet apart along each long side. These will reinforce the frame when it’s filled with soil. Then hammer in the rebar until 6 to 10 inches are exposed above ground.

4. Fill it up.

Line the bottom of your frame with newspaper or cardboard and wet it thoroughly. Finally, fill your bed with soil to within a few inches of the top.