raised beds

[hsm6kids]

Our house sits at the back of an acre and a quarter so I only have "Front yard" space. When I built the chicken coops out there I was the talk of the neighborhood for a few months and everyone drove by real slow to look at them LOL. Then we put the big garden in and the same thing happened, that time I think it was the scarecrow that got them looking. HAHA Everything I do around here I try and use mostly recycled materials. Now I want to put in another raised bed garden for herbs and lettuce, things like that. It really has had an effect on the neighbors, some now have chickens or are putting in gardens and we have met a lot of the neighbors around here in the last year. (we have lived her for 10 years and no one was very friendly, now people stop by to comment on the garden and chickens and ask questions).

So my question is what have you recycled to make into raised beds. I want it to look interesting or at least get people thinking about what they throw out and what they could re-use. I have some recycled 2x6 beds out there now and a few tires, but I was hoping you all had better ideas. By the way I love an interesting and unique yard so don't hold back, I might try it LOL

 

[TanksHill]

Oh wow I can think of a million things I have wanted to use but the husband says no.
How about used bathroom fixtures, tub, toilet, sink?
Ok maybe plastic tubs, laundry baskets, buckets of any kind?
I saw a guy on tv once with flower "beds". He had a brass bed frame then people just started leaving old beds at his doorstep. He ended up with a yard of raised "beds".

You know I am going to dream about this one tonight. I'll wake up at 3am with all kinds of ideas. I will write them down for you.

 

[coopy]

Old bath tubs are great! Rocks. I go looking for rocks to make my raised beds out of. Me and the boys go looking every where. If we see one we like in the woods we get it.
Metal buckets, wash tubs, old wooden barrels. I even have some old rail road iron I have found in the woods. Plan on doing something with it but not sure what yet.
Go to yard sales or believe it or not a dump. You can find intresting things there to make into raised beds.
You know what they say one man's trash is another man's treasure.

 

[2dream]

Up until last year I had a bedframe raised bed. It is where I grew my mint. We painted a old metal headboard and foot board bright red and used landscape timbers on the sides. Filled it with dirt and the mint did really well without taking over the yard. I had to take it up when we had some trees cut down but it will be put back up next spring. I saved my mint in pots. We also had a bathroom counter top and sink sitting close to the bed. I had flowers in it. We talked about using an old toilet but never got around to it.
Like everyone else here, I say use whatever you can find.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, I will tell you what I am using for my raised bed next year...Chimney block!

My husband had six chimeny block that we couldn't use (or weren't going to use) and he offered them to FIL, who didn't want them, decided he wanted new ones...so I begged DH to let me have them to plant in! I lined them up against the chicken coop and I am going to plant treats in them for the chooks! I am calling it my Chicken Garden, since all the treats will be for them

Anyhoo...I thought it was a neat idea and asked DH if we can get some more to use for other things I want to plant. They don't take a lot of space, and since they are square they line up nicely and are neat and tidy.

 

[hsm6kids]

WOW great ideas. I actually have an old tub here that the turtle lives in, we made it so a pump, pumps water threw the faucet and it looks like the water was left on. Maybe I could get a old toilet and a sink fixture and plant in those then it would look like a bathroom in the corner of my yard LOL.

 

[enjoy the ride]

Broken up old concrete paving- stacks well and is usually free. Only bad part is the moving it to your place.

 

[2dream]

WOW great ideas. I actually have an old tub here that the turtle lives in, we made it so a pump, pumps water threw the faucet and it looks like the water was left on. Maybe I could get a old toilet and a sink fixture and plant in those then it would look like a bathroom in the corner of my yard LOL.

We actually considered hanging an old window frame above our bed before we had to dismantle it. We planned a whole outside room, bed, toilet, bathtub. Oh well, not enough hours in our days.
Be sure to post pics of what you decide to do.

 

[coopy]

Now if you really want your neighbors to slow down and take a long look. Have dh build a small tool shed that looks like an old fashioned out house. Now that will get their attention. And if you linger in your tool shed for a little while they will be wondering about this.
Just tell them you are composting. Sorry I couldn't resist with all the bathroom fixtures for raised garden beds.
But I am serious about the tool shed. I am wanting my hubby to build one that looks like an old time outhouse for my garden tools.

 

[pioneergirl]

I actually have an old tub here that the turtle lives in, we made it so a pump, pumps water threw the faucet and it looks like the water was left on.

We did the same thing. When my sis moved to IL, she had an old tub in her yard she wanted out. We took it, got the old hand style pump and did exactly what you did. I put ivy and flowers in some old buckets and even in some old "chamber pots' around it and it turned out great!

I'm sure you could find some 2x4s at construction sites that they've thrown out, as well. I have seen many folks use the old bed idea and it looks really neat. I think having a whole room in the corner of the yard is classic!