28 Simple Raised Bed and Edging Ideas for No-Dig Gardens

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how to make no-dig garden beds. The article got quite long, so I decided to take out the part about garden edging and raised bed ideas and expand on it in its own article this week.

At MyEdibleHabitat.com, I’m all about using the materials on hand and making do with what we have. It’s less destructive to the environment and saves money too. I’m hoping these lists of edging and raised bed ideas will help you do the same.

What Happened to Saving Money by Gardening?

Gardening can be a great way to save money, by growing your own food, particularly high-cost items like herbs.

Unfortunately, gardening can become more of an expense than a way to save, especially if you want to start out with new raised beds or edging to keep the beds contained and looking neat.

The good news is, that you can make a great garden without spending a lot of money on raised beds or edging materials. I’ve collected lots of conventional and not-so-conventional ideas that will work for no-dig gardens and traditional gardening methods alike.

I hope this post will help you think outside the garden box, and find the right solution for your garden.

Decide Between Raised Beds, Edging, and Nothing at All

First, consider whether you even need or want raised beds or edging. Having a clear border around your garden beds really isn’t necessary, and many gardeners skip this step, preferring to keep it super simple.

Here are a few reasons why you might choose not to use raised beds or edging in your garden.

Reasons you might not want to use edging or raised beds:

• You just want to get started with a simple garden bed quickly and easily to grow your own food with minimal fuss.
• You’re working with a limited budget and don’t want to spend money on materials for edging or raised beds.
• You don’t have small children or animals who will walk across the beds.
• A little soil or mulch spilling out into the pathways doesn’t bother you.

What’s better, Raised Beds or Edging?

Since you’re still reading, I’m guessing you do want something to contain your garden beds. If you haven’t decided between edging and raised beds yet, then here are some thoughts to help you decide.

Reasons you might want to use a raised bed:

• Your soil isn’t suitable for growing due to contaminants.
• You prefer the neater look of raised beds.
• To keep children or animals from walking on the garden bed and compacting the soil.
• To save on space. Because without containing the garden soil, especially with thick layers of organic materials, the beds tend to sprawl and taper down to the garden path.
• To raise the bed for easier weeding and harvesting.

Reasons you might want to use edging:

• Edging is a happy medium between no edging and a fully raised bed.
• To contain the soil and keep it from spilling into the pathway without the effort and expense of building raised beds.
• To discourage walking on the beds.
• Edging is a lower-cost solution to containing your garden beds than raised beds.

Reusing or Repurposing Materials

Repurposing and upcycling are usually my first choice for most projects around the yard for multiple reasons. This make-do-with-what-we-have (or can find) approach avoids buying new, which both conserves resources and saves money. 

With luck, you may be able to find and repurpose materials for edging or building raised beds for free to low cost.

Some free and low-cost resources to try are:

• Habitat for Humanity stores,
• Facebook Marketplace
• Nextdoor
• Freecycle
• your local Buy Nothing group

Using New Materials

Sometimes used materials aren’t available at the time we’re looking, or they aren’t quite right for what we need or for the look we’re going for. And that’s okay too.

When buying new, I try to consider the lifespan of the materials I bring home. Will they last, or will they need replacing in a couple of years? When they do break or wear out, will they decompose and return to the earth, or end up in the landfill?

Okay, without further delay, here are my conventional and not-so-conventional ideas for garden edging and raised bed materials.

Raised Bed Ideas

The categories of edging and raised beds overlap to a degree, but I’ve divided the ideas based on whether they seem more like edging or raised beds to me. Here are some more garden containment ideas that appear more like raised beds than simple edging.

Wood Raised Beds

1. Dimension Lumber Raised Bed

Wood is a fine material to use for raised beds. From my observations, it’s the most common raised bed material, probably because it’s a natural material, readily available in most locations, and easy to work with.

You can make your own or buy premade raised beds.

2. Board and Block Raised Bed

For an easy-to-assemble raised bed, you can use boards for the sides and specially shaped cinderblocks with vertical grooves on the sides for the corners.

Regular, untreated, lumber (pine and fir) will begin to rot in three to five years. For longer-lasting lumber, go with cedar or redwood, which will last ten to twenty years.

3. Cedar Fence Picket Raised Bed

Lumber, especially cedar and redwood, is outrageously expensive as I write this in 2022. One way to save a lot of money on wood is to use cedar fence pickets.

These are a lot thinner than dimension lumber but a fraction of the price, and rot-resistant. Being thinner at about 5/8″, they might not last quite as long as 1.5″ cedar boards do.

4. Scrap Wood Raised Bed

If you don’t want to buy new wood materials, then search for scrap wood. Any sort of untreated scrap wood or logs can be used to construct raised beds. Planks from old fences, salvaged barn wood, or scrap from any construction site.

Just make sure not to use chemically treated wood. Avoid railroad ties and pressure-treated lumber, which are also treated with harmful chemicals that can leach into the garden soil.

Pallet Raised Beds

Also a wood material, pallets are another option for raised beds. They’re often available for free from businesses that receive a lot of shipments.

To avoid chemically-treated wood, use only heat-treated pallets, which will be marked with the letters “HT.” Heat-treated pallets are safe to use in the garden.

You can deconstruct old pallets for scrap wood to build raised beds with (see Idea 3, above) or use the pallets whole.

5. Horizontal Pallet Raised Bed

Place one pallet flat on the ground for a low garden bed and fill it with soil or sheet mulch materials.

This will make one low raised bed, great for a small herb garden near the kitchen door. Or set out a few pallets with space between for pathways, to create a larger garden area.

6. Vertical Wood Pallet Raised Bed

For a taller pallet raised bed, use multiple pallets vertically to form the sides and fasten them together with screws and scrap wood or metal brackets. Use similarly sized pallets so that your raised bed is square and of the same height on each side.

Make a square raised bed with four pallets or a larger rectangular one with six pallets, two on each edge and one on each end.

7. Pallet Collar Raised Bed

Pallet collars are four-sided collapsable wood frames used for shipping. They fold flat for compact storage when not in use, and happen to make excellent raised garden beds.

Pictured, is a raised bed made from three pallet collars stacked on top of each other. The metal corners have brackets at the bottom to interlock with the pallet collar below and make for easy stacking.

Metal Raised Beds

8. Corrugated Metal Raised Bed

Corrugated metal raised beds are attractive, durable, and long-lasting alternatives to wood raised beds. The banner ad below shows a metal raised bed product that is relatively affordable considering the current cost of lumber.

For more information about Birdie’s raised metal beds, click the link above or the image below. (These are affiliate links, so if you choose to make a purchase I might receive a small commission.)

A way to make your own corrugated metal raised bed is to bolt two corrugated steel window wells together. They come in half-circles or half-rounded rectangles at big box stores.

9. DIY Galvanized Steel Raised Bed

You can pick up this type of metal and wood raised bed at garden centers. Some are made with corrugated steel as well.

Or if you’re handy, you can make your own out of galvanized steel and lumber. Plenty of tutorials exist for this on YouTube. Here’s one I found, Beautiful DIY Metal Raised Garden Beds, by Nature’s Always Right. As a side note, one thing I liked about this video is that he uses logs to fill the bottom of his beds. This is a no-dig gardening method called Hugelkultur.

Stone Raised Beds

10. Dry Stack Stone

Stone makes a beautiful raised bed. It can be dry-stacked a few inches to a couple of feet tall.

If you’re in an area with lots of buried stones this may be an ideal option for you. I’m thinking of the beautiful stone walls ribboning New England.

This type of stone can be a large expense, so if you’re buying it “new” (if you can call rocks new), using the stones as a low edging rather than a raised bed would be more affordable.

11. Stone Cage Raised Beds

For smaller or irregularly shaped and sized stones that don’t stack well, a traditional stone wall may not be possible. Instead, use a stainless steel cage to hold the stones in place. You can construct your own cage or purchase a premade one, designed for raised beds or walls.

Block Raised Beds

12. Cinderblock Raised Beds

Cinderblock raised beds are simple, strong, and functional. Stacked one, two, or three courses high, they can form the structure of a low, medium, or tall raised bed.

The edge of the bed can double as a seat for working in the garden, or the holes can host additional plants, perhaps for some bonus strawberries or marigolds.

13. Eco Block Raised Beds

Several brands of recycled plastic construction blocks exist. These could make excellent raised garden beds, with some considerations.

I love the idea of using a waste product that the world is seemingly drowning in (plastic) to create building materials instead of traditional materials that aren’t necessarily sustainable. The problem is the solution!

My only hesitation with using recycled plastic for a raised bed is whether or not the plastics would leach chemicals into the garden soil. This is something to do further research on, but a potential smart solution.

Garden Bed Edging Ideas

Some of these ideas may overlap with the raised bed category, but they all perform the same general function, containing your garden bed.

Brick Edging Ideas

14. Buried Brick Edging

Brick is a classic material for garden edges. Partially bury the bricks for a sturdy edge. You can bury them at an angle or square with the ground surface.

Or lay brick edging on the ground (or on top of the cardboard if you’re sheet mulching) around your garden bed.

15. Landscaping Brick edging

Landscaping bricks are made specifically for edging. They interlock for easy stacking and can be sunken or just rest on the ground surface.

For a level bed on sloped ground, starting at the low point, dig sections of a level trench, stepping up as the ground rises.

Ceramic Edging Ideas

16. Ceramic Tile Edging

Ceramic tile has the potential to be one of the prettiest and most affordable options for garden edging. Glazed and colored pieces can add a splash of color.

Old ceramic roof tiles can be given new life as a garden edge.

Or, check out your local Habitat for Humanity store for leftover bundles of bathroom tiles. These can be buried vertically or at an angle to edge and contain your garden bed.

17. Broken Ceramic Edging

Broken ceramic materials that would otherwise end up in the landfill can make an eclectic and beautiful garden border.

A few ceramic edging ideas include ceramic pipes, old plates, terracotta pots, and broken pottery. Maybe this is a good use for that collection of pieces from your beginning pottery classes.

Metal Edging Ideas

18. Cor Ten Steel Edging

Cor ten steel is a metal often used in architectural applications because of its resistance to corrosion and the beautiful rusted-looking patina it develops as it weathers. Rather than rusting through, the surface forms a hard coating that resists corrosion.

As a garden edge, cor ten offers the same benefits. Several commercial cor ten edging products are available.

19. Corrugated Metal Garden Edging

Corrugated metal is a good edging option because it has some structure to it that adds strength and stability, good for holding in garden soil.

Use metal intended for outdoor use, such as galvanized steel or aluminum. You can use reclaimed corrugated or standing seam metal roofing or siding material.

Wood Edging Ideas

Wood is my personal favorite edging material, due to its natural quality and the fact that when its useful life span is over, it decomposes and returns to the earth, adding nutrients back to the soil.

20. Wood Poles

Any kind of wood pole can lay on the ground to border a garden bed. These can be fence posts, old telephone poles, or even long tree branches from your property.

Stack two or more poles on top of each other for a taller garden bed. These can be held in place with wood or metal stakes, or nailed together with scrap wood or even metal brackets.

21. Log Edging

Use logs the same way as poles. They’ll just be larger in diameter. You may be able to source large logs from tree-trimming companies. I’ve mentioned Chipdrop as a resource for wood chips on this site before, but it is also a resource for logs. You can use logs horizontally or line shorter sections on-end at the garden edge.

22. Timber Edging

Large timbers make excellent garden edges, but they are expensive to buy new. Some people have used railroad ties to edge gardens, but these aren’t recommended due to the chemicals used to treat the ties.

Salvaged timbers are a lucky find, but make sure they aren’t pressure-treated wood.

Stone Edging Ideas

23. River Rock Edging

Simply line a garden edge with stones, large or small. Use river rocks, stones from your property, landscaping rocks, or any other stones you have.

24. Stone Pavers as Edging

Flat stones, such as flagstone stone pavers, can be buried vertically or at a slight angle along the garden edge. This makes a very attractive garden edge that is also sturdy enough to hold in garden soil

Miscellaneous Edging Ideas

25. An Existing Curb, Path, or Fence as a Garden Edge

Don’t discount existing features already on your site as possible ways to edge your garden beds. Look at what edges already exist. Consider building a garden bed right up next to a curb, sidewalk, or fence.

26. Bamboo Edging

Bamboo is a renewable and affordable material that works well for garden edges and looks nice too. If your climate is warm enough, you might even be able to grow your own bamboo edging materials.

There are many different ways to construct a bamboo garden edge. I found this article on DIY bamboo garden edging that you can check out if you want more information on creating your own.

For an easier solution, you can buy premade bamboo garden edging products that just press into the soil around your garden.

27. Wattle (or Wicker)

Wattle is a traditional construction material made of thin branches that are woven between verticle stakes. If you’ve heard of wattle and daub, you may recognize wattle as half of that construction method. The other half is the daub or mud that is used to fill in and seal the woven wall. For garden edging, the daub part is not necessary.

You can make your own wattle edging with collected willow branches or other slim, flexible branches, such as the suckers that grow from the base of trees.

Alternately, use small wicker fences as garden bed edging.

28. Glass Bottles

Here’s a pretty way to edge a garden. Partially bury old glass bottles or jars upside down at the garden edge. For visual interest, use an assortment of colors. This could be a beautiful and colorful edging for a small garden or flower bed. And, it makes use of used glass bottles that might otherwise get thrown away, particularly in areas where glass recycling is difficult

Conclusion

There are so many different ways to contain a no-dig garden. You really don’t need any sort of edging or raised bed at all, but if you want the convenience and functionality of containing your garden, you have many options available.

Don’t limit yourself to conventional garden edging solutions. Use your imagination and the materials that are readily available and affordable to you in your location.

Maybe some of the ideas in this post will help you find the best garden edging or raised bed solution for you and your garden.

Happy growing!