Yep...but! Your cinderblock bed will last a LONG time. If I were 20 years younger, there's no doubt that I would have made mine from cinder blocks.

Oh! BTW.... you'll make more boxes...just wait and see! LOL

EG

Oh! BTW.... you'll make more boxes...just wait and see!

Where multiple boxes are needed, it's hard to beat the strength and durability of poured concrete. Bolt together forms for a 4x8 bed can be built for under $60 and reused many times. The concrete and steel for a 14" high bed run around $65 per box, decorative finishes cost more.

I agree totally, but - most people find it easier to construct things out of wood. Can you imagine a senior citizen mixing up and pouring a yard of concrete to build a bed? That would have to be a really fit person.....Just saying....Great idea, though!

EG

And I would agree concrete is heavy. Which brings us back to the original post ...

Schlepping 40-some blocks from the store to home to the back yard to building the bed almost killed me.

40 blocks probably weigh a little over a 1000 lb. 13 bags of 80 lb mix also weigh a 1000 lb. The mix also comes in 50lb bags. Either way it's a lot of weight. And mixing the concrete is work too. It's not a project for couch potatoes.

But after 50 years of gardening, I qualify for senior citizen and weigh about 160. No one would mistake me for a gym nut. I have done a lot of concrete over the last few years. I've built beds out of all the standard stuff over the last 40 years, but the rest of my beds will be poured concrete. Of course if it's a concrete day and one of my kids drop by, there will be a big grin on my face.

pls8xx - yeah, it's kinda tough either way....good luck on getting those kids to help, mine won't do anything! If you were my neighbor, i'd help ya. I like building things!

EG

Here is a link that might be useful: My garden blog

I think the neighbors are starting to wonder if I am growing boxes or plants.....Box number two was going to be the last one and that was four boxes ago...now, all I need to complete is the box dedicated to garlic and THEN I will surely stop!

I started out with planning to build 3 beds....

Then I built 5....

Now I'm up to 8 (+ 3 more 3x3 or so stone raised beds) - and it's not even spring time!

My wife keeps looking at me like I'm crazy, and asking me exactly where I expect to keep all the veges!

I fully understand....ha! My wife thinks i'm building a theme park or something in the back yard....They just don't understand....sigh....

EG

I love the growing boxes comment. Folks need vision. Next summer all those boxes will be teaming with veggie goodness!

EG: boy do I wish we were neighbors! Then I'd be good at building things too from helping you!

As for where you're going to keep all the vegetables? Why honey, my next project is a root cellar and I am picking up the freezer chest next weekend, hehe.

And last but certainly not least... Congrats Duhast on your second bed. I wish I had room in my garden to expand. Not without moving out front.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

My lot started with a significant slope of about 16 ft total from the high front corner to the back. This is what drove me to learn how to do concrete. When I finish there will be about 400 ft of retaining wall that steps the grade down. Much of the wall length has planting beds on the up side. About 2/3 of the wall is between 2 and 3 ft high, allowing me to work much of it while standing on the low side with out bending over so much.

By using the street, driveways, and three well placed grass ramps, all of the lot will be wheelchair accessible. Even from a wheelchair I should have around 400sqft that I can work. I plan on gardening 'til the day I die.

Sinfonian - we sure would build things...lots of things!

pls8xx - our land is sloped also. It really can be challenging to construct something onto sometimes....I think it's great to make your garden accessible like that. I'm thinking about doing something like that for my parents.

EG

I probably wouldn't ever do the concrete boxes, just because they're so eternal. I figured this year if I hated gardening, I could always burn the boxes and till the mel's mix back into the ground.
I never realized I could be any good at building things, but I'm learning as I go along, lol. I'm going to build at least one potato tower next year.

Pls8xx: Wow, that's a slope! Good friends of my folks have a severly sloped yard that they terraced with railroad tie walls and steps 30 years ago. On each level there are garden beds on each side of the steps. I've always been amazed by their garden.

EG: Ah, if things don't work out here, I'm all over that offer!

Carolyn: Say it isn't so! Keep growing your own food. It's the cheapest investment you can make in the health of your family. Hehe

I couldn't bear to pour any more concrete this year. I figure that I have mixed at least 2400 lbs of quickrete in a 5 gallon bucket, then poured it mostly around 4x4 posts for all of the building projects on my property this year. Yah!

Carolyn - burn the boxes, there's an idea that i've thought about a few times. Mainly when the squash bugs came.....Yeah, building things is easy, if you take the time to research how to do it.

EG