How to Build a Raised Garden Bed with Arched Trellis

Gardening is a passion of mine and I’ve built several garden beds in my life. But, I’ve always dreamed of building a vegetable garden that could keep the deer, rabbits, and other critters out. I also wanted garden trellises that my climbing plants wouldn’t outgrow. Finally, I wished for a garden that could survive without being watered for a week or more while we were on vacation. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the process of building this bed unfold two years ago, it’s taken me a while, but I finally have a new DIY for you!

Introducing the Ultimate Raised Garden Bed with Arched Trellis and Sub-Irrigation!

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed with Arched Trellis

After sharing the garden bed build on my social media channels, I got many requests for the plans. I put it off for a while because I knew creating them would take a big chunk of time to create, but I think you all are worth the effort. By popular request, I drew up the plans in SketchUp and wrote a complete step-by-step tutorial to build this beautiful garden structure filled with diagrams to help you build one for yourself.

Raised Garden Bed Size:

The build plans I created call for a footprint of 11’6″ x 12’3″, but you can customize the gardens to fit your space requirements. If you do make changes, don’t forget to leave room to walk around the full exterior of the gardens. Also allow room for the gates to be opened and closed. The trellis frame height when built according to the plans is 7′ tall. You can customize any part of this build to fit your needs, though I would not recommend making the beds any wider as it will be hard to reach more than three feet across to harvest your veggies or flowers. But, if you have extremely long arms, you do what you want.

Full Plans for a Raised Garden Bed with Arch Trellis:

My full plans to build the raised garden beds with arched trellis are available to purchase here. I also made a video showing how I built the garden bed and installed a sub-irrigation system in them. The link to this video can be found here or you’ll find it embedded below.

I recommend downloading the plans and then watch the video completely before ordering materials since I offer some alternative materials and building construction (especially for the side panels).

Now, let’s talk over some details about building this raised garden bed before you get started.

Measurements:

A few notes about measurements. If you’re building your raised garden beds on flat ground, great! This will be a lot easier. If your raised bed is on a sloped section of land, you may want to make one of your beds taller to accommodate the slope. I wouldn’t recommend making one bed shorter, unless you are going to skip the sub-irrigation feature. On the flip side, more height means more dirt and materials are needed to fill the bed. Plus, more lumber and panels will be needed to clad the sides. Just be aware of this when budgeting.

I highly recommend watching the video before beginning this tutorial. It will illustrate how I prepped and built my garden beds on a gently sloped site.

Additionally, you may want to measure first and cut based on your measurements versus the measurements in my plans. Especially when you are cutting the lumber for the cross pieces on the arched trellis, the cap of the posts, and the gates. Wood can shrink, swell, twist, and bow, which can lead to changes in dimension.

You may also want to modify the heights of the shorter 4×4 posts. I find I can access my garden fairly well, but I do have to duck under the 2×4 cap on these posts. Just be aware if you make these posts taller, you will need to buy additional lumber to accommodate for the excess.

Tools:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Circular Saw (with 1 wood & 1 metal cutting blades)
Clamps
Miter Saw*
Drill
Impact Driver*
Bolt Cutters
Hammer
Pocket Hole Jig Kit
Needle-nose plyers
Heavy Duty Staple Gun
Utility Knife
Level
Shims

*These tools aren’t necessary, but will make your build easier.

Please note, you should have a basic knowledge for using a circular saw, drill, and impact driver before beginning this build. If you want to learn how to use these tools, I have a complete guide to using power tools here. Always use safety equipment when working with power tools. I’m not responsible for any injuries incurred during this build.

Supply List:

A full supply list is available with the downloadable build plans, but basically you’ll need to compile these materials for the build:

Pressure treated 2x4s
Pressure treated 4x4s
Pressure treated 2x6s
20″ wide corrugated metal roofing (for side panels)
100 feet of horse fencing
Plastic mesh fencing or Hardwire cloth fencing
1 Box of 1/2″ staples (to fit in your staple gun)
1 Box of Fence U Staples
1 Box of Exterior-grade 2 1/2″ pocket wood screws
1 Box of 2 1/2″ Deck Screws
1″ Exterior-grade self-tapping sheet metal screws*
4 – 3 1/2″ Black Structural Screws
4 Black Decorative Washers
1 Box of Nails for Joist Hangers
2 – 2″x6″ Joist Hangers

Prepping the Area:

Again, watch my video to see how to prep your planter bed areas. This will help you prep your garden site to allow for proper drainage, building, and planting.

Step 1: Select your location for your raised planter beds. Try to choose a garden space that is already leveled.

Step 2: Clear any vegetation and level the area for each bed (3′ x 12′ each with a 5′ section in between the beds.) If you have a severe slope, you may need to use retaining wall blocks or pavers to build up a low spot.

Step 3: To extend the life of the garden beds and prevent rotting, scrape away 1-2 inches of dirt. Backfill the area with drainage rock and tamp to level the rock.

Step 4: Lay landscape fabric (weed barrier) on top of the rocks to prevent weeds from growing and to protect the pond liner if you are creating a sub-irrigation bed.

Step 5: If you have a slope, you may want to consider building the lower planter bed taller so the tops of the beds are level. The best way to figure out the height differential is to lay a straight 2×4 on the ground from one bed to the other. Set a level on top of the 2×4 and use blocks or bricks to raise the lower end until the bubble shows a perfect level. Measure the lift under the raised end. This is the amount you will add to the upright pieces of the garden bed sides. For example, if you have to raise one end of the 2×4 with the level on it 5 inches, your new upright 2×4’s will now need to be 5 inches taller to be level with the bed on the higher ground.

Side Panel Materials for Garden Beds:

Let’s discuss some other options for cladding and closing in the garden bed sides. Feel free to customize the panels for your style (and visual interest) using some of the materials mentioned below. You’ll want to choose the best materials for longevity (non-rusting, non-deteriorating, and sturdy).

Side Panel Materials: You can use metal roofing material as I did. You can also use decking material (composite or pressure treated lumber*) on the inside or outside of the garden bed frame. There are also a variety of PVC materials you could use. Just be sure to select a material that is weather resistant and will not rot or disintegrate over time. I put together a Photoshop rendering of some different side panel materials for your convenience.

*There is some controversy about using pressure-treated lumber for vegetable gardens because of the potential for the chemicals to leach into the food. Do your own research. To protect chemicals from leaching, you can seal the interior of the bed with exterior paint, stain, or sealant. You can also line your bed with a liner.

alternate raised garden bed materials. - PVC panel, siding, and corrugated metal roofing material

Step-by-Step Instructions:

If you’re ready to build this raised garden bed with arched trellis, you can purchase and download the step-by-step tutorial here. I’ve spent a lot of time designing and building the beds and worked out all the kinks so you don’t have to. I know you’ll find the tutorial extremely helpful for building your raised garden beds. You can also break the plans down into smaller sections if you only want to build one of the beds.

Watering Your Garden with Sub-Irrigation Garden Beds

You can water your garden, use drip irrigation, or to learn how to make your garden bed self-watering with sub-irrigation, you’ll want to refer to this tutorial on How to Make a Sub-Irrigation Garden.

To learn what type of garden soil mixture you’ll need for your sub-irrigation vegetable garden, reference this information in the article with all the details about a sub-irrigation garden.

Good luck to you as you proceed with your raised planter beds, once you’re done you’ll have a thriving garden bed. All you have to do is decide what types of plants you want to grow in it. I’d love to see your finished garden beds, please email me some photos (or tag me on Instagram) so I can gush over your garden.