Nick Bailey explains how to make an easy raised bed from sleepers
Not only are these stylish features cheap to make, they'll last for years, too
When I first started making gardens some 30 years ago, old rail sleepers were à la mode. Everywhere you looked another garden was springing up with these heavy timbers providing paths, walls, steps and beds. Then came the fall from grace as people began realising some of the downsides of traditional recycled sleepers – they’ve heavy,ooze tar, have soaked up human effluent for decades and are difficult to cut. So, unsurprisingly, the industry has responded and it’s now easy and inexpensive to get hold of new, clean sleepers in a variety of timbers.
I’m upgrading my own garden at the moment so have opted for sustainable cedar sleepers to create the terraces I need. The whole process got me thinking about how easy, fast, adaptable and cheap they are. They can be formed into all sorts of structures, from benches to ponds, but are especially well suited to creating raised beds. If you look online you’ll find numerous raised beds, some plastic, some prefabricated, some steel, but I reckon sleeper raised beds are arguably the best value and fastest to create.
Cedar sleepers can be bought online for £15-20
each for a 10x20x240cm (4x8x94in) timber. Unlike old sleepers, one person can carry these newly cut timbers and rather than having to employ a chainsaw it’s easy to cut them by hand with a basic panel saw – each one takes me about four minutes.
Raised beds can, of course, be any size you wish. One sleeper can be cut down to create a 60x80cm (2-2¾ft) raised beds that’s 20cm (8in) high. Two sleepers give you enough timber for a 1.2x1.6m (4x5¼ft) raised bed that's also 20cm (8in) high. Four sleepers provide enough wood for a 40cm (1¼ft) high raised bed that measures 1.2x1.6m (4x5¼ft), making it sizable and sit-on-able, too! So, for as li le as £60 you can create a robust raised bed that will last for years.
Constructing a sleeper raised bed is simple. Start with a levelled area of soil or patio and lay out your cut timbers. Most online suppliers provide ‘sleeper screws’ – these are 25cm (10in) long, self-tapping and really strong. Use two of these per joint. And that’s basically it. If you're looking for a chunkier bed use the sleepers on their side, which give you a 20cm (8in) wide top edge to perch your posterior on once the project is perfected! Cedar will last for years outdoors but treat with an organic mineral oil to extend its life. And the best thing about new sleeper raised beds? They’re so light and amenable you can unscrew and move or extend them up or down at the drop of a hat!