A new raised bed

Since I won't be planting anything on the infernal, failing wall this year, I needed to make some more garden space. That meant building another raised bed.

I decided to do a couple things different with this one. First, I decided to try using brackets, instead of simply screwing the lumber together.

Second, since the bed is going to hold several tomato plants, I decided to make it 6 foot by 8 foot, instead of my usual 4 by 8.

The brackets were made for 2 by 12 lumber, or so the box said.

2 by 12 by 8 is a big piece of lumber.

I wrestled the pieces around for awhile before I got them together.

It probably would've been easier if I hadn't been too lazy to drill pilot holes for the screws. Oh well, I'm stubborn, and I got it done.

Interestingly, the brackets turned out to be about an inch longer than the lumber.

I bought 2 by 12 lumber, and the box said the brackets measured about 11 3/4 inches. I know a 2 by 12 isn't really 12 inches wide, but there shouldn't have been an inch difference between the two. The box for the brackets had no explanation other than "can be stacked to create taller beds". That end is clearly meant to be on the bottom, so D and I figured it would just stick in the ground and help hold the bed in place.

Now I have to fill this darn thing. That's a lot of compost, etc. to move, and this bed is almost as far from the driveway as possible. Where's an extra yard of compost when you need one?