Constructing Raised Beds

Last Friday, I made a trip to Home Depot to purchase untreated pine 2 x 4's in order to construct my raised beds. I had the sales clerk cut them down so that my beds measure 6 feet by 3 feet each. This may seem a bit small to some of you out there but I did this for a reason. I wanted the width of the beds (3 ft) short enough so that I can access the entire surface of the bed from one side. Though this isn't all that important during the summer months, it will come in handy during the late fall, winter and early spring. You see, I plan on building cold frames that fit on top of these beds, are attached to one side by metal hinges, and are easily removable in the spring. I chose a length of 6 ft to ensure that the cold frames are not too heavy and awkward to handle and lift once in place.

Mind you, this is all theoretical at the moment but I'm really looking forward to experimenting with season extending techniques and winter gardening ideas, as they are major areas of interest for me. Since our summers seen so fleeting here in zone 6 northern Massachusetts, the idea of being able to harvest some hardy winter greens and carrots in the dead of January seems really appealing. I plan on constructing at least 12 beds this size, which still leaves plenty of room for several longer beds and other growing areas.