Raised bed gardening is a great way to grow veggies, flowers and herbs in a small space. It also adds beauty to your yard or garden. The key to success with raised beds is building the structure correctly. If you build it properly, your plants will thrive and you’ll be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor for years to come.
There are many different ways you can build a raised bed with retaining wall bricks. It all depends on what kind of materials you have available and what type of look you’re trying to achieve in your garden or yard. For example, if you have some bricks lying around from an old project or house renovation project then this would be an ideal time to use them up. You could also use rocks if they fit into your budget better than bricks would; just make sure they’re not too heavy so that they don’t sink into the ground over time.
Brick retaining walls can be simple or complex and can be used to complement other landscape design elements like ponds, flower beds, trees and decorative rocks. They are durable structures that will last for generations with proper maintenance.
Decide on the size of the bed:
The size of your raised bed depends on how much space you have, how many plants you want to grow and how much money you have to spend. If you’re making a raised bed for just yourself with a few potted plants, then a 4×4 ft. square is probably fine. However, if the family wants to be involved in the gardening project, or if there’s going to be some sort of community garden built nearby (and it’s not unreasonable that there might be), then it’s best to go big.
The biggest mistake people make when building their own raised beds is not having enough room for all their plants! I know this because I made this mistake myself and wasted soooooo much time moving my plants around as they outgrew their beds and had nowhere else go but up into each other’s sunlight.
Decide on the location and size of the bed.
- Decide on the location and size of the bed.
- Consider the size of your garden area; it could be a small narrow space or a large wide open space. You may have to adjust your plans accordingly, especially if you only have one yard for gardening and don’t want to lose any more room than necessary.
- Consider the amount of sunlight that will reach your raised bed at different times in the year, which will help you determine how tall it should be (taller beds receive more light).
- Think about wind patterns—is there an area that gets more wind than others? If so, make sure your raised bed is sturdy enough to withstand strong winds so that it won’t tip over or blow away.
Decide how high you want to keep the soil, and determine the width of the base bricks.
- Decide how high you want to keep the soil.
- Determine the width of the base bricks. The width of the base bricks is the same as the width of your raised bed, so if you’re making a 4′ x 8′ (1.2m x 2.4m) raised bed, then both ends have to be at least 4 feet wide (1.2 meters), with an interior depth of 8 feet (2.4 meters). If you’re using cinder blocks that are only 8″ long or less, then double check to make sure that they can support your weight before sitting on them.
- Cut two pieces of lumber for each post hole; this will vary depending on what kind of lumber you use and how deep your posts are going into the ground
Select an appropriate location for your raised bed.
You will need to select an appropriate location for your raised bed. The ideal location has good drainage, is not low-lying or subject to flooding, receives plenty of sunlight (six hours per day), and is easy to access without needing to cross over grass or walk along a path that may be muddy or snowy in winter.
The site should also be easy to maintain because you’ll have to add soil and compost as well as remove weeds, leaves, etc., while working in the garden each year.
Inspect the site for roots and rocks that would interfere with constructing a solid foundation.
For the most part, you should be able to see rocks and roots just by looking at the ground. If you don’t, though, a handheld metal detector is another way to check for them.
Checking for these obstacles is important because if you’re building on top of them it can compromise the integrity of your structure.
Make adjustments as necessary to create a smooth surface upon which to place your first layer of stones.
Check the ground’s level. Use a spirit level to ensure that your base is flat and even. If it’s not, remove any large rocks or roots using a shovel, then use a rake to clear away any small rocks or roots that remain.
Move soil into place with a wheelbarrow, leveling it with your shovel as you go along.
A few inches of quality soil are important to secure your stone s in place.
Once your retaining wall is in place, you will want to fill the bed with a few inches of quality soil. The type of soil you use for this project is largely dependent on how much time and money you want to spend. If you’d like a more permanent solution or simply don’t have access to topsoil, we recommend purchasing bagged potting mix from your local nursery or garden store. You can also use any kind of compostable mulch available in those same places, but make sure it’s not too course or finely shredded—you’ll need something that will allow air flow through the bed so roots can breathe freely and do their job.
If you’d prefer an easier method that doesn’t require adding new materials into your garden (and isn’t quite as expensive), then go ahead and add two inches of peat moss overtop whatever soil already exists within your raised beds. This will provide some insulation during cold weather months while still providing plenty of room for plant growth within this shallow depth.
Allow at least 2 inches between each stone (or brick) to ensure adequate drainage.
- Allow at least 2 inches between each stone (or brick) to ensure adequate drainage.
- This will allow for proper drainage and also help prevent roots from becoming waterlogged.
Retaining wall stones have unique shapes that can make it easier to build a square or rectangular shape without gaps.
Retaining wall stones have unique shapes that can make it easier to build a square or rectangular shape without gaps.
On top of their unique shapes, different retaining wall stone sizes are available as well. This is important because you’ll want to ensure that your bricks fit together nicely and don’t create unsightly gaps in your finished project.
Staggering the stones is another way to ensure stability.
Staggering the stones is another way to ensure stability. In this case, you would place bricks at an angle along the wall with their shorter edges on the outside edge of your bed and their longer edges facing down into the soil. This method can be used in combination with any other method described above; however, it’s best used when building a raised bed without retaining walls since staggering will only improve aesthetics without adding additional strength or stability.
While staggered bricks might appear more attractive than straight rows of bricks (or vice versa), they’re also easier to build with and less prone to collapse under pressure from heavy plants or rainfall run-off than straight rows of bricks might be
Retaining walls can be used as raised garden beds
Retaining walls are a great way to add structure and stability to your garden beds. They also give you the opportunity to create raised garden beds, which can be used for planting vegetables and flowers. If you want to build a raised bed with retaining wall bricks, follow these steps:
- Lay out the dimensions of your desired bed on top of some ground that is relatively level in order to help determine how many bricks will be needed for construction.
- Dig down into the ground until it reaches about 8 inches deep in all areas where you want your retaining wall bricks placed; this should ensure that the soil around said bricks has enough space between itself and any nearby roots from other plants growing nearby so as not disturb them too much while still making sure they don’t come into contact with any water sources below them (which could lead to rotting over time).
- Place each brick directly above its corresponding hole in such a way that there’s an even amount between each one when looking across its face horizontally–this ensures maximum stability when building up layers later on.
