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This raised bed's construction is four identical L-shaped corner assemblies (two 2x3 legs screwed into an L), laid on the garage floor and skinned with cedar pickets — then stood up, closed with the end pickets, and capped with a flat 2x3 top rail. That cap rail is the touch the cheaper picket beds skip: it stiffens the top edge, covers the picket end grain, and gives you somewhere to set a coffee cup or steady a knee.
The center legs matter more than they look: full-length picket sides WILL bow outward under wet soil pressure by midsummer without a mid-span leg to anchor to. Screw them to the middle of each side and the bed stays straight for years.
The wood note in the source's shopping list is worth repeating because it's about food: use Douglas fir, hem-fir, or red-toned stud stock for the frame — naturally decay-resistant and garden-safe — and finish with an exterior oil RATED FOR FOOD GARDENS. This is not the place for mystery deck stain leaching into the tomatoes. Yellow-toned (SPF) lumber works but wants the oil more urgently. If 2x3s aren't stocked near you, rip 2x6s in half — two 2x3-ish boards per 2x6, same money.
The cut list's own honesty is preserved here: the end trim is 'about 34" — measure and cut to fit,' because picket thickness stacks up differently in every build. Cut the legs LAST from the offcuts, as the source orders the cuts — it's what makes four 8-foot 2x3s cover the whole frame.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72", not dog-earedSides and ends, two boards high. | 6 each |
| 2x3, 8 ftLegs and top trim. Douglas fir / hem-fir / red-toned studs for durability and food safety. | 4 each |
| Exterior screws, 2-3/4", self-tappingFrame and trim. | 50 each |
| Exterior screws, 1-5/8", self-tappingPickets to legs. | 40 each |
| Garden-safe exterior oilRated for food gardens — this wood touches the soil your dinner grows in. | 1 pint |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Side top trim2x3Cut the long pieces FIRST. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 75" |
| End top trim2x3About — measure your built bed and cut to fit. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 34" |
| Legs2x3Cut LAST from the offcuts. Eight corner legs + two center legs. | 10 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 11" |
| Side picketsCedar fence picket | 4 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 72" |
| End picketsCedar fence picket | 4 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 35" |
Buy 10 boards at 8 ft.
4 boards
6 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Screw pairs of 11" legs into four L-shaped corner assemblies with the 2-3/4" screws — two screws per joint. Identical is the requirement: stack them and check.
Lay two corners on the floor, set two full-length pickets across them two-high, and screw with the 1-5/8" screws — flush edges, square corners. Repeat for the second side. Working flat on the garage floor is the source's method and the right one; gravity holds the layout for you.
Screw a center leg to the middle of each side panel — this is the anti-bow anchor that keeps a 6-foot picket wall straight against a season of wet soil. Then stand the sides up and screw the end pickets to the corner legs, closing the rectangle.
Lay the long 2x3 trim flat across the side tops and screw down with the 2-3/4" screws. Measure the ends of YOUR bed — picket thicknesses stack differently every time — cut the end trim to fit, and screw it home.
Oil everything with the garden-safe finish, set the bed in the sun, fill with soil, and plant. The cap rail is where the coffee goes during the morning inspection.
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