Elevated beds add lofty elegance to the garden

Most people have heard of raised garden beds, but may not have considered the possibilities of elevated beds. We built these spruce beds to address a possible soil contamination problem. An old car was parked over this part of the would-be garden and we had concerns about whether it leaked toxic substances into the soil.

We could have gotten soil tests but we knew that elevated beds would be a surefire solution without having to wait for test results. This far into the growing season, every day counts, so we jumped into action on building beds.

We’re pretty pleased with the results. For an aesthetic touch, we applied a 45-degree bevel cut to make the edges meet flush. We used spruce because it was an inexpensive option. They could have been built out of cedar to add a few years to their lifespan. When these ones die, that’s probably what we’ll do.

Finally, we filled the beds with a high-quality organic soil. If you’re serious about your health, you’ll want to do the same. It’s worth the extra money.