I've had good luck with railroad ties.
They are heavy, but will last a long time.
But they have creosote in them. I've
been using them since before creosote was
said to be a carcinogin and I'm still breathing.

Honestly, I don't use siding on my raised beds. They are more versitle that way. I can make an 8 foot bed or any width I want by moving some dirt. I let the space between beds be a combination drainage and walk space.

I'd go with the recycled plastic boards. That was my first choice but I found the cost to be terrible and the choices few. It should last virtually forever as I understand. But I can't help but think sun exposure will degrade them. I guess there's an anti-UV additive or something. Plastic boards are, however, quite bendy and not stiff like wood is, so you'll have to take extra care to reinforce them to prevent undue bulging.

Many previous discussions on this here at GW that a search will pull up for you if interested.

Cinder block lasts forever and is cheaper than the plastic lumber. But the plastic wood looks better if appearance is important to you. It too contains chemicals by the way. ;)

There are new "treated lumber" types that don't contain arsenic available and old used railroad ties work fine. Minimal if any creosote left in them and you don't usually plant right next to the edge of the bed anyway. On some beds I use old ties with a 12" walking path around the edges as most studies show leach field is less than 6 inches. My other gardens are concrete block walls and some are low native stone walls.

Some have posted they use treated lumber with a heavy duty plastic lining, some have used the fancy stackable stones, some the flat patio blocks on edge trenched in a bit, some the 1' tall plastic edging that comes in rolls.

Honestly, there are unlimited options available. It all depends on what you want to spend. ;)

Dave

I use cedar with no preservatives or lining. It is more expensive upfront, but it lasts much longer and to the best of my knowledge there aren't any health/safety concerns with it.

Double stacked composite siding might also work, but i haven't looked into the leeching potential of it. It's also pricey upfront, but should last virtually forever making it a good value in the long run.

Leaves, our community garden has used recycled plastic/wood decking materials for wheelchair-accessible and taller raised beds, and they seem to be holding up pretty well. Check out the project description at the following link, or feel free to look at them in person if you're in South Minneapolis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dowling Community Garden raised beds

I found an old busted up still up in the hills and I was able to take my batteryed powered skill saw up there with a metal blade and I cut it up in 1 foot rings and brung it down to my place. It is copper and I don't think that the fact it was used to make whiskey makes any difference. I was able to get 6 circles out of the pot and some more copper out of the thumper and coil jug so I got me some pretty good edges to fill with soil and I expect I will have to pretty good raised bed garden next year if the federal boys will leave me along.

1eyedJack and the Dawg

Course that leaves fellow is a Yankee and he probably dont catter to making shine and I doubt he will want to tink abut using no old still. He probably drives a caddie too.

old Dawg you ruined a perfectly good moon still. Shame upon you. Now hows I gonna get my joy juice. If the feds aint found it yet it was perfectly safe. now youawl gonna hafta solder her back up.

Ima gonna get my sweet corn all ready for nex year.

Low cost and green...hmm...stay away from plasic, any kind of plastic. Visit the nearest forest and find some fallen trees. Hardwoods like oak, hickory, etc. will last the longest. Cut and haul and use them. Makes a great looking raised bed, it's low cost, last for years and is about as green as it gets.

Jack - you checked out the recycle price of copper lately? Thieves are stealing irrigation pipes and transformers down here for resale cause it is so high! Would buy Dawg all the cat food he could eat for a year!

On the other hand, you won't have a problem with slugs in the garden. ;)

Dave

PS: leaves - alan made a great suggestion!! Got any forest or logging operations nearby?

The best-looking raised beds I ever saw were made of flag stone/blue stone. Lasts forever. Unfortunately I don't have a picture. Was told that the veg. garden was designed by Barbara Damrosch, but whether or not this is true, I don't know. The veg. garden is beautiful and open to the public (gratis).

Here is a link that might be useful: Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

Here is a link to some corragated tin beds. I haven't treid to make any yet but they look like they would work pretty good.

Here is a link that might be useful: Corragated tin raised beds

White oak is good looking and very long lasting (as opposed to red oak, which doesn't last). Give your saw mills (less expensive than lumber yards) a call and price 2 1/2-inch boards in the length and width you prefer (for example: 2 1/2 inches thick x 12 inches wide x 10 feet long). They will mill the boards for you. Ask if they deliver.

Set the lumber in place in your garden with steel re(inforcing cement)bars (Home centers). The lowest planks get supported on the inside and the outside with two-feet-long rebars pounded into the ground. The planks on top get supported with 4-feet-long rebars. The rebars hold the lumber in place and are inexpensive and last forever. Make sure the rebars are pounded into the ground flush or a bit lower than the lumber.

Be careful that rebars are not poking out of the ground in such a way that you or someone else could poke out an eye if reaching for something on the ground and don't see the bar. If rebars are used as "fence posts" or the like, it's a good idea to install an old tennis ball on top of the rebar. That way, the rebars are visible, otherwise they blend in and aren't noticeable and therefore prone to cause accidents.

I use cinder-blocks and plant flowers & small crops in the gaps, so they're not quite as ugly as people would have you believe. I use them because they were free, being chucked out at a construction site near my house. So far I'm extremely happy with them.

I used the cheapest untreated 2" thick pine and mine are five years old now...I love the weathered gray look of them, and I don't plan to replace them until they crumble into the soil. :-)

Up here in Canada, lumber is pretty cheap.

I've used untreated 2x10's for my raised beds, and they cost about 6$ - if i get 5 years out of them, i'll be super happy.

When it comes time to replace them, lift them out, and drop a new one in. cheap!

I just use recycled redwood from decks. If you live in the West and keep your eyes peeled, especially here in CA, people are remodeling all the time and just discarding all kinds of reusable stuff. Which means FREE. I got enough redwood 2 X 6s a couple of years ago for my raised beds and my buddy's raised beds, and I'm talking pieces of lumber 16 feet long. That was a score! These will last a good 5 years, maybe more.

I like slashy's idea of using cinder blocks and planting in the gaps. Are there any hanging, vine-type plants that might be planted there and used to cover the sides of the blocks without being too aggressive to keep out of the beds themselves?

Digdirt,
You have just made an enemy. Dawg is a SHE not HE. U are right about the copper. Thieves hit our local jockey lot and stripped out all the wiring. I could not, in good heart, consign a good old still to the scrap heap. Besides I would have a lot of explaining to do as EVERYBODY up here know THAT SOMEONE STOLE the still, well so to speak. I mean there was nobody around and I hollered loud that ifin the owner was about to let me know and nobody said nothing. So I just borrowed it for 10 or 15 years.
Damn fool should have been watching his still.

LOL

1eyedjACK AND THE dAWG. no more drinks for the Fawg

I have seen raised bed using glass bottle up-side down.
Also you can make a raised bed from red brick paver. You can find a lot of them for free.