Suitable for Framing

You knew planting a garden would be a rocky road...especially since you have rocky soil. When you're building raised garden beds, assuming you're not trying for a terraced garden on a slope, you want the frame to be even. Here are our even-handed tips on how to build raised bed gardens that are straight and level:

• Place the raised bed frame on the spot you've marked out--if it looks uneven, dig out the sod and topsoil, then replace and retest.
• No one will give you instructions on how to build a raised bed garden without suggesting you use a level to ensure all the sides are even.
• You may want a raised hill bed garden to drain the water easier, but check the incline with a level.
• Turf grass will typically break down once it's covered with soil, so you don't have to remove it to even the frame.

Now you can build perfectly proportioned, even raised beds--you have rocks in your yard, but they're not in your head!