May 18, 2012
This is an inexpensive raised bed garden. It contains tomatoes, corn, sunflowers, sugar peas, broccoli, and green beans.
Here’s how it works:
Clear an area and level the dirt. Roll out weed matting, place cinder blocks over matting. Then add dirt, seeds and water.
Sustainable Craig 
Hi Craig,
I’m a patient of Dr. Guyton, and Jessica has been telling me about your projects. After scanning this website, I must say I admire all you are doing!
I have one comment about filling raised beds. Are you familiar with “Lasagna Gardening”? It’s a way of building great garden soil using whatever types of organic materials you have available–food scraps, manure, leaves, coffee grounds, shredded paper, etc. The material is layered on top of a biodegradable weed barrier (cardboard or newspaper), alternating “greens” and “browns” until it reaches a height of about 18-24 inches. At that point it can be left to decompose or you can open small holes in the layers, add a bit of finished compost and plant seedlings or top it with a thin layer of soil and plant seeds. If you’re interested, look at the book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza.
Good luck with your projects. I hope our paths cross some day soon.
Kris
Thanks for the great feedback Kris!
They briefly discussed Lasagna Gardening in my gardening class the other week however I haven’t tried it myself yet. Thank you for the detailed description and the book recommendation. I will definitely try it next season. I love getting to talk with other gardeners and sharing ideas. I look forward to chatting with you more in the future.
If you’d like any more information, I teach a Lasagna Gardening workshop twice a year with the Master Composter/Recycler program, and I’d be happy to consult with you. By the way, fall/winter is a great time to start a Lasagna Garden bed.