Why is this a raised bed?

Personally, I'd yank the timbers, do what has to be done to make sense of the grades, buy a half moon edger, and call it a day.

Hi Bonnie,

To your question - "Or should I just go a whole different route?" I say YES!! I wonder as mad_gallica said why this a raised bed at all.

I would get rid of the timers, regrade the dirt and replant the lovely stuff already there and enjoy. I have an area that is planted up and is edged with rocks to separate it from the driveway. Looks natural and is not a lot of work to keep it tidy at all.

Thanks for both your replies!! To answer why a raised bed...

Mainly because the depth of good topsoil in that area was very shallow with grey clay underneath. So in deference to digging or tilling it all up and amending (got a bad back so digging is no fun), it was easier to just build (and I used that word lightly...) the raised bed and fill it with good soil.

It also seems to be a good idea because I never have to weed that area and always assumed it was because it was higher than the grass.

And why not take it down.....

Aside from liking the way it looks, the main reason is that the outer edge of it runs along the "property line' between my yard and my neighbor's. He pulls his car onto his side to wash it and he's an ass, so I wouldn't put it past him to run over or step on my flowers if there wasn't some sort of wall there.

Plus, it keeps people from accidently stepping into the garden when walking up my walkway which I fear they might do if it were ground level.

bonnie

You can buy some metal plates that can be screwed in on the top and bottom timber pieces. Usually this is done inside the bed timber pieces but doing it outside isn't anything worse. It will give the added stability without too much intrusion on your bed.

For the corner that leaks -- either find a way to water less quickly, such as a drip system, or push some kind of absorbent material into there (not sponge). It will just soak up a little bit more water before you still lose water but at least it can help hold back some soil.

Gardenper is right.
Do what that post says.
It looks nice, and this way you won't have an expensive
reno of the beds.
DOn't pour any more money at all at this.
The wood will eventually rot anyway, so make it last as long as possible, by shoring it up, reinforcing it.
When the wood starts to really break off, then you can just get rid of the wood and replace it with something else, like cinderblocks, and paint them.
They last forever.
THey are cheap.
No digging required.
But enjoy it now.

Thanks gardenper! I don't know why I didn't think of that. I'm usually pretty creative..lol. Guess I was so stuck on how I was 'supposed' to do it (with stakes) that I never moved past that. And I bet I could also bend some metal for the corners, too. If they were sealed, I could pack more dirt in there, reducing the leaks.

I did try the slow watering but never drip. Will have to give that a try as well.

Thanks for the encouragement butterfly !! I just saw concrete blocks in someone else's post and it gave me the same idea. You can actually stain concrete, like floors and countertops, so can't see why I couldn't use stain on them too! Like rustic, bronzy, and coppery colors.

Yippeee...you got my creative juices going. Just have to price blocks. We have a brick, concrete, rocks, sand, etc. supplier just down the road and I got salvage bricks there for cheap for a patio at another house. Maybe they have salvage block too??

bonnie

Still open for cheap suggestions...lol.
Bonnie