The Raised Garden Bed Material That HGTV's Mike Holmes Jr. Avoids Using And Why

Creating a raised garden bed is a great way to grow certain flowers or vegetables, but the material you use is key. While wood is one of the most popular materials to use, HGTV star Mike Holmes Jr. avoided using wood when creating one at his own house. As simple as it sounds, he said that long-term, it won't hold up as well as stone.

Raised garden beds can be made from almost anything, including wood, brick, stone, or even metal. You just need a sturdy structure to hold soil and the plants you want to grow there. While wood can be one of the most common materials to use, it can also be the fastest to deteriorate. In his Make It Right blog post, Holmes and his wife, Lisa Grant, debated using cedar in their own garden. His wife called cedar one of the "healthiest and hardiest" woods to use in the yard. So if quality and toughness aren't the issue, then why not use it?

The couple decided that even cedar will need upkeep and maintenance over time, and even the best-kept wood will eventually degrade. Even well-maintained cedar could need to be replaced in 10 to 20 years. Stone, however, will do fine all on its own, since it's more durable and, unlike wood, won't rot in humid or wet environments. In the long-run, that means less money on replacements. Not to mention, wood in general has another problem that stone doesn't. It can sometimes be the unsuspecting place where termites may be growing in your garden.

One overlooked factor in this decision is considering the rest of your garden and home. Holmes and his wife felt the stone better matched their house, a consideration homeowners should think about as well when building garden beds in the yard. If you're going to invest in raised beds, make sure that you're happy with their aesthetic.

To make your own stone raised garden bed, Holmes suggests that you'll need to determine where you want it and how large it will be. You'll need to measure the space and order more stone than you think you'll need, since you don't want to run out mid-project. Also, you'll need a base for the bed to sit on. Holmes says something compactible, like sand, will work well for providing an even surface area. It's also worth giving thought to adding landscaping fabric, one of the best base ingredients for thriving raised garden beds.

After laying down your base, you can begin stacking stone around it. Finish it off with a capstone up top, or leave it as is for a more rugged look. Holmes actually used a diamond-blade handsaw to help the top row of stones line up nice and smooth. Then, it's time for the fun part: Deciding the right plants for your raised garden beds.