I'd use some lumber from Lowes or Home depot and just make your own raised beds. It's cheaper and fun. I used douglas fir. If you do use wood from a lumber store just make sure it is not treated. This is what I did;

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Here is a link that might be useful: Win Free Garden Stuff

I used lumber (some redwood, some not) that had a previous life as a deck (or 2) that I found free through Craigslist. I've only had them a year (two of them, the others are newer) and I'm in a dry climate, but I'm happy with them.
{{gwi:36574}}From Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener

Concrete blocks or bricks make nice raised beds, too & they won't rot. You might get some free through freecycle or Craigs List.

Lots of cheaper options out there then the expensive plastic ones from GS. ;)

But no, if you want to use them, there is little difference. In your zone the plastic may not last as long as wood because plastic tends to break down in high heat over time.

Dave

Many "lumber" yards and box stores have plastic "lumber" so you could use the model you saw online and make your own cut to the size you need at less expense than the kit.

Here is a link that might be useful: HarvestToTable.com

I'd love to have raised beds that were several feet tall (maybe 3'), but that would require sooooo much soil. And I want the container soil to be open to the ground soil. (no legs on the containers).
As I get older, the ground is just too far down!

Midnight gardener... nice wiener dog! Although you could have taken that picture from a better angle. Seriously, I love daschunds.

Kryingame, I made my beds out of the newer pressure treated lumber. But I haven't had them long enough to say how well they work in the long run. And alot of people have reservations about this type of chemical treatment, and I don't much blame them. But mine are only 6-inch lumber. Sometimes I wonder why I bothered using lumber at all. At that height, I might as well just use the traditional raised rows. Seems like I'd save the hassle of building bed frames.

no need for edging at all realy, our what started out as a straw/hay bale garden still have no edging and no need for any, the way we set our gardens up. later on we would like to use corrugated zincaluum treated roofing to make the beds to about 2' high as we get older have seen beds 3' high this way, but that all takes money so it's well on the back burner.

we do our beds so as to keep to an absolute minimum and need to walk on them.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

len,

I like the no edging way fine for 6 to 8 inch raised beds. It saves money big time and is a lot more practical for larger areas like mine.

I suppose many think that it is tidier and more picturesque with borders.....and it is just the "proper" way.

I can't do raised beds without frames. They would be washed away about 10 minutes after the first good rain storm began.

Nonframed, I think, only works on very level properties. I live in the middle of a ridge and when it rains little creeks/rivers develop as the uphill water runs over my land.

I followed a different tact with my beds. My original beds were made from wood salvaged from a deck, so I'm guessing they were treated. (when removed this year alot of that was rotted.

Anyway I framed 3 rectangles about 3 feet wide and 20 feet long and set them on top of the ground and put in a some 2X4 stakes in the ground to support the sides.. I left almost 3 feet between each run. I simply applied roundup to the grass inside. When the grass started dying I turned it all with a shovel then applied a very heavy application of compost I'd been making. In later years I'd just apply more compost and then borrow a tiller to turn it in. I till down as far as the small tiller I use will reach- maybe 10 inches.
My beds started raising above normal ground level but not by much. I walk in the 3 foot areas between the runs that i left in grass.

This year a tree fell across part of my Dad's roof and I salvaged some of the rafters the contractors were going to throw away.. Now my beds are 4 ft 6 wide on the outside and 27 feet long, the side made of 2X12 lumbar. I have applied roundup to the grass areas that weren't garden before and will till it all under in a week or so.. then I will apply several inches of compost and till it all in again.

I find all this alot easier than buying or bringing in soil, yet the ground is still soft from not being walked on. I don't worry about any nutrients or water leeching out into my lawn. I water with soaker hoses.