Hello, We have a small space between our deck and the fence that I'd like to do something with (please see image attached). We will be changing the deck to add steps on the opposite side, so the step you see in the image will be redundant. Where this current step is, I would like to line the deck with a raised bed (accessible from either the deck or on the fence side) that will be at least a foot higher than the deck and act as a sort of railing (since the deck is less than 24 inches high on this side). I don't know very much about raised beds -- the only ones I've seen have been a foot or so high. Since the bed would need to be about 3+ feet off the ground, would it be advisable to build the beds so that they sit directly on the ground and then fill in the whole space with soil? Or would it be ok to build beds on raised supports, so to speak, so that the beds become more like planter boxes attached to the side of the deck? I might at some point plant herbs and maybe a few vegetables, although most likely I would just plant annuals. I had thought of just filling in the whole area to make a garden, but a) I don't really need/want that much garden space and b) the spot is in a fair amount of shade due to the fence and trees south of the deck, so a raised bed would receive much more sunlight. I also like the idea of being able to access it directly from the deck. If anyone has any other ideas on how to use this space, I'd be more than happy to listen (: Thanks for your help.
Some things to consider when deciding what and how to build are: What material will you use and how long will it last if exposed to wet soil? If you build the side wall actually touching your deck will it trap moisture and cause your deck to rot faster? How will you remove the soil and wood frame if it starts to rot? Will there be space between it and the fence so you can pull it out? One option would be to build a raised wooden box with a slat bottom for drainage and place in it a row of large rectangular plastic pots side by side. This would make the wood last longer and if necessary you could easily remove the pots for repairing the box or your deck. You could add a horizontal wood 'sill' frame to hide the top of the pots if you wanted a more rustic look, and if the pots are protected from UV light they will last much longer. If you are making an earth filled box the leave a gap of 2 or 3 inches between it and your deck and use a horizontal wood sill to project outward to 'hide' the gap. Lee Valley sells "corners" for building boxes from lumber.
Thanks for the reply. I didn't think about deck rot, but now that you mention it, it would be good to have something that I can remove fairly easily to keep an eye on the deck.
My suggestion is that you should build some tall hollow boxes, line the insides with pond liner ( or there are other rubberized compounds you can spray on to waterproof it if that's a bit too dear.) Leave the ends meeting the ground open for drainage. Leave the aforementioned gap. Fill the whole shebang with soil. The bigger the soil reserve, the more consistent the moisture, the less often you have to water. (& the nicer your veggies will be.) And instead of annuals (why buy it twice?), plant pretty perennial edibles like pansies, strawberries, variegated sage. Veggies don't have to be boring either. My Lollo rossa red lettuces look fabulous as a border around my tomato bed. Whatever you can throw into a salad at the last possible moment is a good thing to have by the deck. If those boxes are deep and filled with soil, you can take your pick of what to grow. If shallow, you'll be out there watering every day and when you don't remember one hot day (And you will) whatever is in there will look like crud for the rest of the season. In containers, go big if you have the choice.
