Raised bed gardens are more and more popular these days. Raised beds are a favorite with older gardeners because they can be elevated and elmininate the bending that often comes with gardening. They can be used for vegetable gardens, or some of the smaller ones make a great place to put a flower bed. We take a look at some of the different ways that you can make a raised garden bed.

The easiest, and for many of us what will be the most attractive option is to use a raised bed garden kit. You can find these at many gardening retailers, and the choices are all over the map. And not only can you buy raised bed kits, but you can buy just the pieces like raised bed corners. So you can choose to buy as much of the bed as you want.

If you do just use the corners, you have a little more flexibility in choosing the shape of the bed. There are hex corners that allow you to make a hex shaped bed, which is almost impossible to find in a total kit.

Cedar raised bed kits are some of the most attractive raised gardens. Cedar is a natural choice for use outdoors, it's quite durable, and the knotty cuts of wood usually used in these kits have a unique character all to themselves. You can find these in many sizes, and some have elements like raised ball finials that give a little more decorative look to them than the traditional bare rails of a raised bed.

One other common way to build a cedar raised gardens is to elevate it and have it standing off the ground. This can be a real boon for elderly gardeners or others who have a hard time with the bending over that comes with gardening at ground level. Cedar Creek makes a popular series of elevated raised bed kits tha come in a variety of sizes, and most have a platform underneath the bed that can be used for storage.

If you are looking for something a little less expensive, you may want to look at plastic raised bed kits. These can be made from recycled plastic materials, or there are some that are made from vinyl. These come in many colors, and don't have to be painted. You can find them in white, black, green, and brown. There is a brand that uses a composite that combines wood and plastic for a unique weather wood look.

Related to those, there are a number of faux rock planters available. These look like a raised stone wall, but are made from a lightweight plastic composite. These even come in a curved style so you can create a round planter.

Raised garden bed kits are a great way to carve out a bit of your yard to start gardening.