How much does it cost to put in garden bed?
The average cost to install a flower bed ranges from $1,000 to $3,000. The average homeowner spends around $2,150 on a 5' x 12' raised flower bed with roses and trellis protection. On the low end, you can spend $150 for a 3' x 10' plastic border flower bed planted with marigolds.
The national average cost to install a flower bed is $2,500, with lawn and garden professionals typically charging anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 for installation. The costs mentioned in the table above are for both materials and labor used in an installation of a flower bed.
Wood Raised Beds
Wood is typically the most affordable option for your raised bed material, even if you go with cedar. On average, a DIY raised bed constructed from wood will cost $25 to $50 per square foot. To have a wooden raised bed constructed and installed for you, budget for at least $100 per square foot.
Gardening can be quite expensive in the early years when you're setting up the infrastructure of the garden. It would be easy to spend upwards of $1,000 a year* buying many of the necessary supplies and equipment! However, it would be very difficult to grow $1,000 worth of food in those first few years.
- Use Your Existing Soil: If you have good-quality garden soil on your property, consider using that as the base layer in your raised bed. ...
- Composting: Compost is an excellent, nutrient-rich option for filling raised beds.
Unfortunately, there is no simple answer as to whether or not a garden increases property value. In a 2022 report, landscape maintenance and overall landscape upgrades both resulted in at least 100% cost recovery for homeowners.
HOW MUCH DOES A RAISED BED COST? A simple 4-by-8-foot cedar frame built from scratch or a kit generally runs just over $100. A 4-by-8-foot brick-sided bed built by a mason will cost about $2,000. Plan on spending about $3 per cubic foot for bagged garden soil.
- Plastic Containers. Plastic pots and planters are typically lightweight and inexpensive, and they're found in a range of diameters and depths. ...
- Resin Containers. ...
- Terra Cotta Pots. ...
- Grow Bags. ...
- Straw Bales.
Growing your own food is a healthy way to save money and enjoy fresh produce at home. When done correctly, even the smallest backyard plot can produce copious amounts of fruits and vegetables and possibly even a significant saving to the grocery budget.
The cons of raised beds
The soil mix also can be a significant, albeit one-time, expense. Raised beds need water more often since the soil is more exposed to air and dries quicker. Similar to growing in containers, the extra watering can leach nutrients out of the soil quicker than in-ground gardens.
Why is gardening so expensive?
Costs for gardeners often involve both labor and tools to complete the task. Prices increase for special work and installations that require design, technical know-how, and labor-intensive work.
- Choose Your Garden Type. Before you so much as break the soil, you should decide what kind of garden you want to grow. ...
- Pick Your Garden Spot. ...
- Test Your Soil. ...
- Amend Your Soil. ...
- Determine a Weed Strategy. ...
- Consider Your Sunlight. ...
- Plant Your Plot. ...
- Buy Your Plants.
![How much does it cost to put in garden bed? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0QbZbmnDX_o/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLAdYS9umyho1_oZHO-cd1jM6Jkgmg)
You can, of course, start simply for a couple hundred dollars, or you can invest more significantly with a few thousand. If you're DIY'ing your garden installation, expect to spend anywhere from $25 to $50 per square foot of garden space for wood raised beds. Stone, brick, and steel will be more expensive.
As a rule of thumb, a 4'x8' raised bed that is 6 inches deep requires approximately 8 bags of soil while a 4'x8' raised bed that is 12 inches deep requires approximately 16 bags of soil.
Can you fill a raised bed with just top soil? Topsoil is good for filling raised beds, but always use it as part of a mix with compost or other organic matter. Topsoil on its own will not drain well in raised beds and it may not contain the same levels of beneficial microorganisms as you would get in compost.
A raised bed does not always require a significant depth for it to be effective. They should have at least 8 inches of soil depth to accommodate the root systems of plants, because the majority of plant roots require 6 – 8 inches of soil for healthy root growth.
- 9: Neighborhood Conditions. ...
- 8: School District Details. ...
- 7: Nasty Neighbors. ...
- 6: Curb Appeal -- The Yard. ...
- 5: Curb Appeal -- The Paint. ...
- 4: Interior Aesthetics. ...
- 3: Repairs in Arrears. ...
- 2: A Kitschy Kitchen. Homebuyers can spend a lot of time considering prospective new kitchens.
- Spruce up the space. ...
- Add some seasonal colour. ...
- Focus on what is seen first. ...
- Add a key selling point. ...
- Add some shed-quarters. ...
- A little paint goes a long way. ...
- Think about the patio. ...
- Style your garden with furniture.
Reclaimed Cypress Sleepers are also excellent – because they haven't been chemically treated, they're safe to use when constructing vegie beds. They are also environmentally sustainable.
Disadvantages of Raised Beds
Cost – Raised-bed gardening requires an initial investment to build boxes and fill them with quality soil. Additionally, boxes constructed of wood have a limited lifespan. Pine generally lasts 4 to 5 years, while boxes constructed with hardwood can last up to 20 years.
Do you have to buy soil for raised beds?
Soil taken from your yard or a garden bed is too dense to use in a pot or raised bed. Instead, for containers, you'll want to use potting mix (also called potting soil), a lightweight and fluffy alternative. For raised beds, you'll want to use a blend of potting mix and garden soil.
Last year I experimented with a heritage type of no dig growing, making lazy beds or 'Feannagan' in Gaelic. Lazy beds were commonly used in the Western Isles and in Ireland as they were easy to build and created fertile, rich soil used to grow potatoes.
There are many vegetables that can thrive in a raised bed. Some popular choices include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, kale, beans, peas, and carrots.
Save Money by Adding Leaves to the Bottom of a Raised Garden Bed. Leaves can be super beneficial to a garden. They fill your beds with organic matter that will slowly build great soil, and they're free! The only problem is they break down pretty quickly.
- Accidental cuts and scrapes. ...
- Disease-carrying bugs. ...
- Harsh chemicals. ...
- Long, hot afternoons. ...
- Extended sun exposure. ...
- Poisonous plants. ...
- Overexerting yourself. ...
- Loud noises.
References
- https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/how-to-fill-a-raised-garden-bed
- https://frameitall.com/blogs/frame-it-all/soil-raised-garden-bed
- https://www.baag.com.au/choosing-the-right-sleeper/
- https://lawnlove.com/blog/gardener-cost/
- https://www.drivers.co.uk/news/top-10-ways-to-add-value-to-your-garden.html
- https://www.preen.com/learn/lawn-garden-tips/plants-trees-shrubs/fruits-veggies-herbs/the-pros-and-cons-of-raised-beds/
- https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/top-5-devalue-house.htm
- https://curbio.com/curb-appeal-blog/garden-increase-property-value/
- https://miraclegro.com/en-us/projects-planning/best-soil-to-use-in-containers-and-raised-beds.html
- https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/how-to-start-a-garden-on-a-budget/
- https://vegogarden.com/blogs/academy/how-deep-should-raised-garden-beds-be
- https://scotlandgrowsmagazine.com/2022/01/14/how-to-make-a-lazy-bed/
- https://www.thisoldhouse.com/gardening/21019438/how-to-create-raised-garden-beds
- https://www.milorganite.com/blog/garden-landscape/raised-garden-beds-alternatives
- https://www.gardenary.com/blog/how-much-does-a-raised-bed-kitchen-garden-really-cost
- https://www.gardenary.com/blog/are-raised-beds-worth-the-cost
- https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-fill-a-large-capacity-raised-garden-bed-without-breaking-the-bank-by-buying-topsoil
- https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/a25635/gardening-dangers/
- https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0312/the-true-cost-of-growing-a-garden.aspx
- https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/pros-and-cons-of-raised-beds.htm
- https://www.gardenary.com/blog/what-should-you-put-at-the-bottom-of-a-raised-garden-bed
- https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/lawn-care/how-to-start-a-garden/
- https://lawnlove.com/blog/flower-bed-installation-cost/
- https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-vegetables-to-plant-in-a-raised-bed