How about taking cattle panels, 52"x16' and arc them over the beds. You could stick them inside the frame for stability or attach them to the top of the frame like I did to make a trellis for some gourds. You could use tee posts in the center of your bed or on the ends to help support them against wind. You could attach them to pipe such as chain link fence top rail with plastic tie wraps and lay that in the bed. There was a thread somewhere that showed a greenhouse made of these. I use them for my beans and tomatoes because they are strong and have large mesh, 6"x8", that you can reach through.

My system works well for my needs. Unfortunately, I am not learned on picture posting - but will try to be as coherent as possible.

My planters look similar to yours - I also have 9 in all. My only regret is that we didn't make them all the same size, life would have been easier - as far as the cages were concerned, best to have 2 for each box.

I built PVC pipe frames - 2 frames to a box. The materials are readily available from Home Depot. The pipe is the usual kind used for moving water - about 1/2 inch size. The 3-sided corner fittings need to be 1/2 in. as well, and 8 are needed total. For each corner an adapter is needed because one side of the 3 corner piece is threaded (bummer), and a slide in adapter is necessary (not always easy to find).

Also needed is a plastic pipe cutter (Home Depot), chicken wire, wire cutters, wire or rope for securing wire to pipe.

The cages are about 3 feet high and covered with chicken wire - secured all around the pipe with wire/rope - leaving about 6 inches near the top to reach inside the cage and open at the bottom.

Building the cage is not difficult, except for the corners - where the 3 cornered adapter is needed on each corner to secure the slide-in pieces together. (one side of the 3-cornered piece comes threaded - that's why). A quick glance will explain it.

I didn't glue my cages - but plastic pipe cement can be used for that.

Another piece of chicken wire can be cut for the top - I don't secure it - but I can drape fabric on top and around the cages - when planting young seedlings for extra protection and for weather protection. This is secured with either clips (ordered with the cloth) or with clothes pins.

These cages work well for me. If all of the boxes are not in use at once, it is possible to move these cages from one place to another where needed - very light weight or removed entirely if plants aren't in need of protection.

I also have used old rabbit cages - for smaller areas. These have bottoms taken out and are easy to move around. They were originally made with hardware cloth (Home Depot), simply by attaching end pieces together with wire clips onto the main body of the cage. The cages are simple to make, rolling out hardware cloth to size, bend to form edges and clip together. The sides need cutting to fit the main frame, and clipped.

But I do like the PVC cages, and they hold up well year after year. But I would advise having the planters all the same size, to facilitate their use from one box to another.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I use plastic mesh fencing, about 18 inches high, and two-foot-high stakes to keep it rigid. I pound the stakes into the beds at the corners and, if needed, space some along the sides too. Then I cut a piece of mesh and wrap around the stakes, with the bottom edge of the mesh just touching the soil. Use a piece of twine or clothesline to tie or weave the edges of the mesh together. This makes my frame and over it I drape floating row cover, securing it by simply tucking it underneath the edges of the plastic mesh. To keep the ends of the stakes from tearing the row cover, I cap the ends with plastic bottles or empty yogurt containers. Very easy and quick to put up and to take down, and everything is reusable. For gardening in the winter, I use two layers of row cover instead of one - our winters are mild enough that it works.
-O

Whoops - those stakes are three feet high, not two feet.
-O

I realize my post sounds a bit confusing without a picture - so if you do a "search" at the bottom of this page for "zeedman - awesome pepper cages" - you will see his pictures.

Although my cages are fashioned in 2 sections, I see that he stretches the PVC pipe over the entire length. But you will get the idea of the finished look from his posting.

As I said, the hardest part is finding the corner fittings - but I usually succeed at Home Depot - if I shop early in the morning - LOL.

I note, he also uses rebar - which is a steel rod that can be inserted into the PVC pipe and planted in the soil. I just build a PVC cube, with a solid frame on the bottom resting on the soil.

Thoroughly confused yet?

Bejay

Ok, the Zeedman setup rocks. Thanks for the pics, those helped a ton to visualize.

I like that idea better than the arches - it seems to give more room for the side plants. Is it necessary to secure with rebar, or do you think a half-clamp secured to the side of the bed would be enough to keep it stable? The reason I have raised beds is because that area is almost solid rock....I can't get rebar more than 2" down into the ground out there.

Stacy

About solid rock - I hear ya - and a lot of other folks, who have found an answer to their gardening problems. Love those raised bed boxes!

I don't see why the clamps wouldn't work, especially if they were not too hard to disassemble when the time came.

One other thing - the chicken wire can be a real hazard - (always jabbing myself), and if you can get away with using plastic mesh, I would recommend it. I have tough critters - coons, skunks, possums that are nasty to deal with and so the chickenwire was necessary. (Be happy they are not bears or deers - eh kid?).

So - the cages are a must in my gardening efforts.

Let us know what you decide on.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

You also mentioned trellising.

I use bamboo poles for snap peas, pole beans. The beans and peas are planted on the north sides of the boxes - to keep from shading smaller veggies growing southward.

As the peas/beans grow, they support themselves on the sides of the PVC/chickenwire cage, then climb above on the bamboo poles I insert for the purpose when they reach the top. OK?.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

I use a very simple PVC/rebar system for my small beds. Drive pieces of rebar along the sides of each bed at regular intervals, then slip a piece of PVC over one rebar, bend it over and slip it over the opposite rebar. Instant hoops.

I use spring clamps to attach shadecloth, row cover, or plastic film to the hoops at various times of the year. I don't use them as trellises per se, but I do tie my tomato cages to them for added support.

Wookie, I didn't see your note about the solid rock under your beds. With any of these systems, you could always attach sections of larger PVC to the sides of your beds and slip the ends of your structure inside them.

Here's how I build trellis over my raised beds. It's only a few dollars worth of lumber and twine and can be stored flat over the winter if you remove a few screws. Twine is so cheap that I just discard it every year.

Haven't thought of a way to do a coldframe with the same setup. Maybe by taking down the trellis in Sept and then just building a hoop house from PVC and plastic at that point would be acceptable.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raised Bed Trellis