 Hi, I'm Shane Harris with the Albany Cooperative Extension System. Raised bed gardening has really gained a popularity over the last few years. People like to put raised beds in to grow their vegetables as well as their flowers. I'd like to show you how to construct a raised bed today so that you can have one in your backyard. The concept behind raised beds is to purchase better soil and to find a frame to put it in. There are all kind of different framing materials that one can use. Many people use wooden planks, some use railroad ties, other options could be concrete blocks or even decorative rock. The cost of these materials can vary greatly. They can be very inexpensive to expensive. The soil is typically the most expensive item and of course is the most important item for the raised bed garden. For this raised bed project, the materials that will be used is a 2x10x12 and a 2x10x8 pressure-treated lumber to make a 4x12 bed. Let's begin by pre-drilling the holes to put the frame together. This allows the wood screws to go into the planks easier. For this project, an exterior screw designed for treated lumber works very well and is not likely to come out. This goes to soil, the most important ingredient for the raised bed garden. For this particular raised bed, we have chosen to use topsoil as well as compost. We'll take the two and mix them together and put them in the bed. Organic matter is typically missing in our native soil, so it is a valuable ingredient to add to our raised bed. The major benefit of adding compost to the topsoil is that it increases the moisture holding capacity. In other words, we now have great soil. The final and most laborsome part of the project is combining and adding the soil materials. One way to do this is to alternate back and forth, adding a round of topsoil and then adding a round of the compost. As each layer is added, be sure to mix the compost and the topsoil together to create one final mix. Like any good recipe, over time the topsoil and the compost will combine to create a perfect mix. Do note that organic matter does break down over time and the soil will have to be supplemented with future organic materials. So there you have it. You have a brand new raised bed for your backyard to grow those spring, summer and fall vegetables. For more information, be sure to check out our Raised Bed Garden publication online at aces.edu or visit your local County Extension office.