Are you only doing one 4x4 bed? It will be good for a start and for fresh eating depending what you put in it (one zucchini plant would almost overun the whole thing, but it's not going to give you anything to store.

If you want something larger, but still easy to build and maintain, it's great to get two 12 foot boards and have the guy at the store cut them into 8 foot and 4 foot sections. Then you make a 4x8 box only buying two pieces of wood.

Two of my beds are like this and I get a fair amount out of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: TCY

My only recommendation is to plant as intensively as possible, so you get more harvest from the small space.

From the same exact spot last year, I grew 3 completely different crops of cabbage, corn, and zucchini. It wasn't easy, but pretty effective.

EG

I got enough for two 4 x 4 frames, and one 2 x 2 for the patio. I am considering a third, but don't want to try to do too much my first year. There is only my DH and I to feed, so I am hoping to get enough out of them to at least help in supplying some veggies, not that I expect to just supply all our veggie needs.

I started with 4 4x4 boxes last year and ended up with a nice harvest -- about $310 worth of veggies (estimated with current store prices). Could have done better, but I had to cut my season short (so no fall crops) in order to retool the backyard a bit. Doubling the garden this year.

Luke, it is an addiction, isn't it!!! I've got my eye on building one more 8x4 bed that I could add a trellis to now that we cut down a major shading tree, but I want to make sure of how much sun the spot will get when the leaves come in. I'm thinking to make a decision in May which will still give me time for some determinate toms infront of that trellised space as well.

Phew. Felt good to get that off my chest. Can't post that on the blog as the man reads that and he'd probably groan. I don't want to mention it to him until I know if it will work or not. :)

Vertical Grids

My grids are vertical instead of horizontal and are constructed of aluminum roof flashing 24 inches wide. The aluminum flashing is cut into strips 3 inches wide by 24 inches long and then bent into an "L" shape with each leg being 12 inches long. The grids are easily cut using a sharp utility knife and a straight edge. They will break when carefully bent along the scored line of the soft aluminum metal.

To use the vertical grids, start in one corner of your raised bed and insert it vertically an inch into the soil. This will create one square foot of planting area. Continue adding more vertical grids butting one edge to the next one until you have four individual squares to be planted with whatever you desire. Keep adding more vertical grids until you have 16 one square foot sections to be planted with various vegetable or flower seeds.

Congrats on the boards!
My favorite beds are 2x8. I still have one 4x8 and it is too wide for me. It's hard to weed the center. I used to have all 4x4, but changed them out for 2x8 or 2x6.

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog

I am doing 3' widths because the raised flower beds that I already have are too wide at 4' to weed easily. And, if I need to stagger large plants with small ones, it should work out in a nice pattern.

I am going to grow indeterminate tomatoes only, on trellis down one side, for a total of 16 feet. I like Juliet grape tomatoes so much I could turn into one. I think the other large tomato is Beefmaster or something like that. There is a wide walkway planned for the back side, so I can harvest from the back without stepping on the bed at all and compacting the soil mixture.

Juliet tomatoes will produce past the first frost!! The first time I planted them, the trellis was only 3 ft high... ha!! Big mistake. They grew up and up and we wrapped them around each other at the top of the trellis. It was very funny. A lesson learned the hard way.

I am thinking of adding one more bed. I know I am brand new and may be adding trouble, but there is so much more I want to grow! And the beds are so easy to build. I really am having a hard time with the idea it can be this easy after reading around for so long and things getting more and more complicated the more I read. LOL

My beds are 4X12, I have 2. I only grow what I like that I can't get at the store. Guess what? I need one more bed! (you will always need just one more bed)

4x4 foot does look small don't it. I think you might be surprised as to just how much you can grow with a little planing. I started a lot of plants on the patio table and would wait for a spot in the garden to open up. I also harvested a lot of young plants to make room for new ones. Last year I had a 4'x8' and a 2-1/2'x8' and there was times when I had to really think about what I wanted to add. I don't want to freeze or can more than a package or two. This year I will add two 2'x4' and a cattle panel arbor for climbers. I think that will be all I want to handle. Best of luck to you It really is a great way to garden!

Curt