Using expert guidance, we rounded up highly rated raised garden beds and detailed the different types you can buy.

Gardening is often associated with planting flowers and vegetables directly in the ground, making it seemingly inaccessible for people without a large piece of property at their disposal. But raised garden beds allow you to plant a garden almost anywhere, from a small patch of grass to a patio. Raised garden beds are also great for beginner gardeners since they allow you to control the size of your garden, as well as factors like soil conditions.

Best raised garden beds to shop, how to shop for raised garden beds and benefits of raised-bed gardening

We talked to experts about the benefits raised garden beds offer and compiled some tips for planting in them. We also rounded up highly rated raised garden beds across different sizes, styles and price points based on our experts’ guidance.

Ready to start your own garden. Enjoy the satisfaction of growing your own vegetables, herbs, flowers, and more. This galvanized steel garden planter will be a perfect choice for any one to create their ideal garden. The planter is an design, which makes it ideal for housing your herb garden, flowers, vegetables, and annuals. This all metal garden planter is the perfect kit for beginners to experts. It is a great for all types of yards. Raised garden beds also have less weeds, and regulate water better, which makes them functional, beautiful, and practical. The planter is made from sturdy yet lightweight, galvanized steel. The steel construction makes the planter durable, while the authentic steel finish will make your plants be the beautiful focal point of your landscape.

Raised Garden Beds have ample planting space for vegetables, herbs, flowers or other potted plants. Our black garden boxes are made of durable galvanized steel metal material with anti-rust coating, which has better corrosion resistance and mildew resistance compared to wooden flower pots, making it more durable. This outdoor planter box is ergonomically designed so you don't need to bend over. With two front wheels and a handlebar, it is more stable than a four-wheeled pot, and you can move your plants indoors and outdoors without worrying that the plants can't survive in the cold outdoor temperatures. With drainage holes, the raised planter box lets excess water run off and keeps the soil fresh. It also comes with storage racks for gardening tools to save space, plus hooks on one side for easy hanging tools.

Create the perfect garden with this raised garden bed! This product is easy to assemble and has 6 combinations, you can assemble according to your specific needs. It is made of metal and is very strong. It also has good corrosion resistance and long service life. The product provides enough space and is ideal for growing plants and vegetables.

Turn a corner of your deck into a personal garden using this Green Metal Raised Planter Bed with Stand. Placing a raised planter on your patio creates a dedicated space for your favorite herbs, crops, or blooms, while keeping them within easy reach of your kitchen. The generous steel frame on this free-standing unit assembles together easily, and the impressed lines on each side offer a rustic effect

Raised beds for gardening made of stable thickened galvanized steel with evaluated coating paint, not easy to rustic. Only need about 10 min to set-up and fasten by hand without any tools completely.

How to shop for raised garden beds

Before shopping for a raised garden bed, survey your outdoor space and think about how much of it you want to dedicate to a raised garden bed. Raised garden beds of all types come in a variety of sizes, so there are options for small patios and decks or larger yards.

Benefits of raised-bed gardening

Raised garden beds are popular because they allow gardeners to control the soil quality they’re planting in. When you’re planting in the ground, it’s hard to know the exact composure of the soil or if it has the proper nutrients your plants need to thrive. But you fill raised garden beds with the soil of your choosing, and you can be sure it’s not contaminated or stripped of essential vitamins and minerals. Dimitrov added that in a raised garden bed, the soil is able to thaw and warm up faster than it is on the ground.

Raised garden beds are beneficial if your property is filled with tree roots, large shrubs or aggressive plants that make it challenging to dig in certain areas. Planting in raised garden beds is essentially a blank slate — you can start from scratch and avoid some of the challenges that come with in-ground gardening. 

How to fill and water a raised garden bed

The first step to preparing your raised garden bed for planting is filling it with soil.what you’re planting often dictates what type of soil you should use, but as a general rule, she relies on screened topsoil — soil without any rocks, sticks or clumps — mixed with compost. Dimitrov said you can also purchase soil that’s premixed with compost, and to look for options that feature 50% soil and 50% compost.

There’s no special way you need to water plants in a raised garden bed. In fact, raised garden beds are able to drain excess water from heavy rains away from plants’ root zones, which ensures that they don’t get over-saturated. 

What to plant in raised gardening beds

Raised garden beds are most often used for growing food like vegetables, herbs and fruit. You can also use them for a cut flower garden or small shrubs.

Raised garden beds are a great way to introduce kids to gardening. She said the contained area gives kids their own space to explore working with dirt and seeds, and she recommended starting kids off with growing easy, low maintenance vegetables like radishes and beans.