Raised beds are good for many reason including that they allow the soil to warm up faster in the spring and drain faster after it rains.  At this time, our beds are made from lumber donated by a lumber mill, but as we replace the beds we will be using a more sustainable long lasting material.   Plastic lumber, made from recycled plastic, will last longer but it is very expensive.  Actually, you don’t really have to use anything to contain the raised bed, just mound up the soil.

The easiest way to create a new garden area is to lay a thick lay of newspapers (5-6 sheets) all over the surface, making sure the edges overlap.  The newspaper will smother the grass and weed.  (If the grass or weeds are more than a couple of inches high, cut them before laying down the paper.) The newspaper will smother the grass and weeds.  The dead plants and the newspaper will decompose creating good organic material for your garden. 

After the paper is down, put a layer of about 6 inches of compost in the area where you want your garden bed and 4� of wood chips where you want your garden paths.  A garden should be no wider than four feet (three if you are working with children).  This allows you to reach the center without having to step in the garden area.  A garden can be any length but for practical purposes, keep it under 10 feet long.  If it is longer, people are more likely to walk across or through it rather than going around to reach the other side.  A path should be at least two feet wide, three or four is better for school gardens.

You can plant seeds and seedlings in the compost.  Their roots will pierce the newspaper and go down into the soil. 

When you use this method you do not disturb the soil’s structure or expose weed seeds to the light they need to germinate.