Raised Vegetable Bed

Raised vegetable bed gardening is a lot like container gardening.

The biggest difference is that raised bed vegetable gardening is done on a bigger scale and the plants can root through the bottom of a raised bed but cannot root through the bottom of a container.

Advantages of raised vegetable beds:

Improved drainage.

Soil warms faster which generally means an earlier harvest.

Soil is less compacted. It's all new soil.

Less bending for gardener. Adjust height to your needs.

Neater/cleanlier look to garden.

Disadvantages of raised vegetable beds:

Time and effort to build.

Even with recycled material there is usually additional costs.

Beds require more water in hotter weather.

Making your raised bed:

A raised vegetable bed can be free standing. This is just mounding your soil without any structure to retain it. This works great if you have good soil and just want to warm the soil for earlier planting and harvesting. Built beds can be placed almost anywhere in your garden.

Materials for built beds:

Virtually anything that will hold the soil in place.

Brick

Stone

Rocks

Cement blocks

If you choose to use wood remember that some will rot more quickly than others.

If you have a green house perhaps you could incorporate its foundation into one of your raised beds.

Width:
You will need to be able to reach to the middle from either side for weeding and harvesting.

Length:
Anything you want or whatever your area will permit.

Height:
Anything you want. Build your raised bed on crates if it makes it easier for you to reach.

Be sure to leave enough room between your raised beds to move around and manuever a wheel barrow.