Raised beds
A bed you can work from your chair
A seated gardener's hands work best between 24 and 30 inches off the ground, and a standing gardener with a cane or walker does better a little higher. We build to the number that fits you, then check it with you in the yard before the soil goes in.
Seated height, standing height or a table bed with knee room
Beds no deeper than you can reach from one side
A wide edge that doubles as a seat or a rest for your arms
Water at the bed, on a timer
Three heights
Three ways to work, three bed heights
Common accessibility guidelines give reach ranges. We use them as a starting point and then adjust to your arms, your chair and your back.
- 24 to 30 inches
Seated
Your hands sit comfortably at lap height and a little above. The bed's top rail is in easy reach, and a table bed lets the chair roll in under it.
- 30 to 36 inches
Standing with a cane or walker
You lean on the bed's wide edge instead of bending to the ground, and keep one hand free for the work.
- About 18 inches
Kneeling on a pad
A lower bed for a gardener who likes to kneel and can get up again. We build it with a firm edge to push up from.
Around the bed
What makes a bed easy to use
A good bed is only half of it. The path to it, the water beside it and a place to sit matter just as much.
Paths wide enough to turn
At least 36 inches wide for a walker or chair, and a 60-inch space where it needs to turn around.
A firm, level surface
Compacted stone, pavers or a poured pad. No loose gravel, no bark mulch underfoot, no lip at the door.
An edge you can lean on
A flat cap about 6 inches wide, finished smooth, that takes your forearms or a seat.
Water at hand height
A spigot at a height you can reach, and drip lines so there is no hose to drag.
A place to sit
A bench in the shade at the end of the path, or a bed edge wide enough to rest on.
Soil and planting
Twelve inches of good soil is plenty
Most vegetables and perennials root happily in about a foot of soil, so a tall bed doesn't need to be filled to the top with soil. We fill it with a loam and compost mix, and use a table bed's tray or a lined lower fill to keep the weight down.
We plant the first season with you, so you learn where each plant likes to be. Then we leave a plain care sheet with the plants' names and the three chores each one needs.
How a bed gets built
From a measuring tape to a harvest
- 01
Step 1: We measure you
At the first visit we sit and stand where you garden and mark where your reach ends.
- 02
Step 2: We draw it
A one-page drawing shows the bed, the height, the path and the water, with measurements, for you and your family to read.
- 03
Step 3: We build on the work days
The crew sets the base, builds the bed, lays the path and runs the water. The estimate lists the work days.
- 04
Step 4: We walk it with you
Before the last payment we walk the garden together, sit at the bed, and move anything that isn't right.
Questions about beds
What people ask about beds
Will the beds meet accessibility standards?
We start from the reach and path-width numbers in common accessibility guidelines, then adjust them to you. We don't sign off a garden as meeting a standard. If a program or a funder needs a signed-off design, tell us on the first call.
Can you build a bed I can roll a wheelchair under?
Yes. A table-style bed has open space underneath for your knees, about 27 inches clear, with the soil tray above it. We confirm the height with you in the yard before we build.
Cedar or composite?
Cedar looks warm and weathers to grey. Composite lasts longer and needs no care. We bring a sample of each to the first visit so you can feel the edge.
What if my needs change?
Tell us at the visit. We can build the legs or the base so a bed can be raised or lowered later, and we can add a rail to the edge.
Does a tall bed need more water?
A little more, because tall beds drain faster. That is why we run drip lines on a timer to every bed.
Show us where your reach ends
Sit in your own chair, and we will measure the bed to the line.