Happy Mother’s Day to all the hard working mums out there!
My wife has been asking for another raised garden bed to grow food for the family. So for Mother’s Day this year, I’ve given her just that, and saved a lot of cash in the process. I almost went and ordered some small colourbond beds that were quoted at $385 each but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much, as growing veggies shouldn’t cost hundreds even before you start planting. Bunnings has 1mx1m square treated pine beds for about $60 and inferior quality modular raised beds for about $300. What a joke. Fortunately, I found a solution. Converting Coles fruit and veg display bins into raised wooden veggie beds.
To being with, I adjusted the position of the legs to increase the depth of the bin then added a jarrah cross brace to support the weight of the soil. Then I placed some galvanized wire along the bottom and lined the bin with shade cloth. Next, we filled it with homemade compost, well-rotted cow manure and a bag of potting mix and it was ready for planting.
So as you can see in the pictures, these beds are effective and look neat and the smaller raised beds I got my hands on last year are growing beautifully with no signs of weathering.
Some other ideas I have come up with to save money in our veggie garden are: Converting an old cedar sandpit into a garden bed. And soak wells - which I found on a verge pickup in brand new condition. The soak wells have small slits in the sides, which is great for drainage and air circulation for plants. I just lined them with shade cloth and planted.
Total cost for all of these materials. $0, just my time and labor (and a few punnets of veggies)
So the next time you think about buying a raised garden bed, why not look around your yard or ask around to see what you can find. Just be sure not to use materials that are treated with chemicals, which could end up in your food.
Thanks for reading
RR
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