Pallets to Garden: Cheap Alternatives to Raised Beds

I am kind of a freecycling nut though I do try and maintain some restraint most days.  However, I am obsessed with pallets for some reason because it is wood and very versatile.  While I was planning the latest addition of our raised bed garden I thought I would save a little money and use the pallets that Lumber Liquidators happily give away. 

What I did was rip the two sides off with a circular saw so I only have to remove nails from the center boards.  Next I would use a wonder bar (that really cool pry bar that is perfect for flooring too) to pop the boards off. After removing the nails I cut the boards into 12" sections and voila I had my supplies.  This did take a lot of time to do but there is something therapeutic about ripping, sawing, and beating a pallet to submission. 

Once I laid out my organically-shaped bed using stakes and string I would use the hammer to pound the boards a few inches into the ground and then overlap to create strength.  This created the boarder but my favorite part was the river rock drainage ditch and boardwalk to allow more access to picking and weeding.  The boardwalk was made from great little pallets that had a solid top.  I ripped it half and added the other pallet support inside to create more stability.  I love it.  Take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.  Happy gardening.

Landscape marks the drainage path

Grass dug up and the boards going in for drainage path.

Pile of wood ready for miter saw.

Wood in place.  It's Hammer Time!

Scraps=Firewood

Leftovers for patches.

Done.  Now it just needs dirt.

I really like the stone waterway even if there isn't a big water problem.

Grandma told me newspaper to kill the grass works wonders.

Leah helping spread the topsoil.

Done!  I love it. (also Adah added a small sculpture since there weren't enough boards)

The boardwalk and waterway meet.  I truly love this part!

Now for compost and veggies!