Good find. I should have taken that crate at work that was very large, four sided and had a bottom. Wasn't thinking about the raised bed and it got hauled away last week. Who says collecting isn't productive?

As for signs, call the party who lost and they may have some old signs laying about their HQ's. Several of them might have old ones they want to get rid of.

(Now I just need to collect some composted manure and start my seeds!)

You Don't need the Manure with the Political Sings

So true rock22r! So true!!!

Another cheep source for raised beds is the cull lumber bin at Home Depot they take the bad 8 foot 4X4 2x6s and 2x8s and cut them down to 4 feet and sell them cheep. I have made 4 raised beds out of them last summer without spending much money.

I have a friend who recently made the sides for two raised beds by retrieving wooden water bed frames from the dumpster. I thought this was a very innovative idea!

I read on another topic (can't remember where or find it right now) that raised-beds are NOT good for the high desert because they dry out too fast.

I'm planning on doing small lasagna-type raised beds using dresser drawers (with the bottom knocked out) and similar things as the borders.

Any suggestions for the drying-out problem? Or does someone here have experience in raised-bed veggie gardens in VERY dry areas?

Ravens Voice, maybe you could do a sunken bed instead of a raised bed?

Sunken Beds:In keeping with the above, the raised part of building a bed is optional. Some desert locations use sunken beds to maximize water use. If you live in a hot, dry climate don't let the focus on reduced ground preparation distract from the advantages of a sunken bed. Though it is a lot of work to dig each sunken bed, screen out the caliche, and then add compost, etc. to the remaining soil, it is work that is only needed once per bed. The advantage of having a sunken bed that keeps water more easily combined with paths of undisturbed native soil can be well worth it in some climates.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/sqfoot/2003111140004000.html

aipa,

Thanks for the info and link - DH and I will investigate sunken beds, although I think that ultimately I won't convince him to do that much digging down. It's slightly possible that we'll get "half and half" beds, so to speak - dug down maybe a foot, and then built up again at least that far above the ground. Part of why we wanted raised beds is his bad knees and my bad back.

Maybe you can shelter the raised bed then?
I remember reading about protecting a raised bed from cold by surrounding it with hay bales -- don't know if a similar idea would help in the desert. Put them where there is some kind of screen/shelter from too much dry wind and the worst of the heat?
Using buried plastic jugs to deliver water directly to the roots and using mulch will help keep it from drying out too.
Warning, those are just ideas -- I don't have experience in your conditions.

RV, We've chatted over on the california forum. I tried the sunken beds once digging down and lining the pit with hardware cloth, but I didn't get any noticeable benefit from it, and the voles still came up and over the edge. Blasted critters.

Since then I've been slowly adding more raised beds each year, almost all of them in the dappled shade of our mesquite trees. (Light shade is essential in the desert between March 21 and Septmber 21 if you want to prolong your harvest.)

The first bed I made was from an old cement hod with holes drilled in it that I have sitting in a timber frame. It holds greens: kale, collards, chard, beets and a few carrots. The carrots I will leave to flower for the beneficial insects they attract.

I have broccoli and brussel sprouts in a bed with solid lumber sides that are 24" high. This one sits on hardware cloth base for vole protection. I dumped old hay (new hay would have been a nitrogen thief before it decomposed) in it and mixed in some compost, soil, coffee grounds and vermiculite. No drying out problem here either. The plants seem to like having good deep drainage and being well protected from the wind. I also like being able to clip a sheer cover across the top to keep the cabbage moths out.

I have a two lasagna beds that are simply layered on the ground on top of hardware cloth. One has peppers and eggplants in it, because they like the same growing conditions.

Fennel is growing in the other. I will only harvest part of it this year, letting some flower because it also attracts beneficial insects to the garden. I'm hoping that it will reseed itself and become my permanent fennel growing bed.

The raised perennial beds in the front yard were made with large rocks, something that is easy to come by around here. I'm also growing salvia for the hummingbirds in an old bathtub.

I hope your new garden turns out to be everything you could wish. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Jan

Twice a year in our little town,we can put almost anything to be picked up by the trash men.We found a few boards last year and could have proably found more,but weren't really thinking about raised beds at that time.We also retrieved lots of flower pots,a garden hose,an old trellis and I can't remember what else.Granted the hose had a big hole in it,but we cut it and it's good for behind the shrubs in the front.
Keep your eyes open when your out.You never know what you might find.

If you can find a wood pallet, they make great raised beds. I salvaged one a few months back and spent yesterday prying off the boards and pulling out nails. Once you get the boards off the bed goes together pretty quickly since the beams are all precut to the same length and width.

Please don't be offended by the rest of my posts, I am struggling in a strange new world and this is my vent for for my confusion, I have to remind my self daily its not wrong its different, but I am well proud of my beds...litrally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gyles Wemmbley-Hogg an tribute

very long post, pic at top, explaination at bottom! enjoy (well I hope you do! you may find it boring!)