Home Made Simple designer Amy Devers shows homeowner Ryan and his sister how to make simple DIY raised vegetable gardens. With this genius project, anyone can easily grow their own vegetable garden and have fresh, organic veggies every day of the week— no large backyard necessary. First, Amy shows how to drill drainage holes in a large, exterior grade piece of plywood to create the bottom of the raised beds. Next, they use 2x6 and 2x4 pieces to create the sides of the beds. They use special deck screws to hold everything together because the deck screws won’t rust and can withstand the elements. After, they screw in wooden legs. If your patio (or the area where you want your vegetable beds) is uneven or has a lip, measure and cut two of the legs so that the beds will sit evenly when the project is finished.
To finish up the raised vegetable beds, they staple screen mesh to the bottom plywood panel and sides using a staple gun so that the dirt won’t fall through the previously drilled drainage holes. After trimming off the any extra mesh, the bed is ready to be painted and put in place. Build as many raised beds as you want, add dirt and the plants of your choice, and you’ve got a beautiful-- and delicious-- garden. Ready, set, grow!
Amy Devers is a furniture designer, artist, maker and lifestyle expert. She has an MFA in Furniture Design from the Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to her TV work, Amy is a regular contributor to lifestyle media and has covered many happenings of the design world as an international design reporter and recently started her own podcast about design, Clever.
For more on Amy Devers, or for more project inspiration,
check out her website.