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A 6-foot, reach-across-narrow raised bed from six cedar pickets — panelized like a puzzle, with corner posts ripped from a picket if you have a table saw.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side panels Two pickets high per side. Trimming the dog ear? Work at 71". | 4 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 72" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Corner posts | 8 | 5/8" × 1 1/4" × 11" | Ripped fence picket or 1x2 cedar | ☐ |
| End panels | 4 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 17 3/4" | Cedar fence picket | ☐ |
| Top trim, sides Optional — cut to fit; use non-dog-eared centers. | 2 | 5/8" × 1 1/4" × 72" | Ripped fence picket | ☐ |
| Top trim, ends Optional — cut to fit. | 2 | 5/8" × 1 1/4" × 19" | Ripped fence picket | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72" (Cedar) Panels, posts (if ripping), and optional top trim. | 6 each | ☐ |
| 1x2 cedar, 8 ft Corner posts — only if you're not ripping them from a picket. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, #8 x 1-1/4", self-tapping, star drive Panel assembly. | 40 each | ☐ |
| Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping, star drive Joining the panels at the corners. | 16 each | ☐ |
| Exterior wood glue | 4 oz | ☐ |
| Garden or concrete stakes A couple per bed, inside the walls, to keep the bottom located. | 4 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Circular Saw, Table Saw, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", 1x2 cedar, 8 ft
Table saw route: set the fence to 1-1/4" and rip one picket into four strips, then crosscut into eight 11" posts. The math works out to a meaningful saving if you're building a garden's worth of beds.
No table saw: buy 1x2 cedar and crosscut the posts. Same bed, slightly dearer corners.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Exterior screws, #8 x 1-1/4", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
Screw and glue two 72" pickets to a pair of corner posts with the 1-1/4" screws, posts OVEREXTENDING the panel ends by 5/8" — that overhang is the puzzle tab that laps the end panels at assembly.
The two pickets meet edge-to-edge in the middle of the panel; a third post scrap or a pocket-hole joint there stiffens the seam (the source did the latter — either works).
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Exterior screws, #8 x 1-1/4", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue
Exactly the same construction at 17-3/4" — two pickets high, posts overextending 5/8".
Tools: Drill / Driver, Speed Square, Tape Measure. Materials: Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", Exterior screws, #8 x 2", self-tapping, star drive, Exterior wood glue, Garden or concrete stakes
Stand the four panels up and interlock them — each post overhang laps its neighboring panel. Fasten the corners with the 2" screws and glue, and check square across the top.
Set the bed in place, drive a couple of stakes inside the walls to locate the bottom, and add the optional top trim cut to fit. Then fill it with more soil than seems reasonable and grow something you'll brag about.