They could build the new beds around the old and then remove the old/inside materials. This would shrink the size of the aisles, but not disturb the existing plantings.

Alternatively, they could dig away around the edges - killing anything planted within X" of the sides - and put the new material down along the outside.

You're kind of out of luck - they are going to tread upon, stomp and crush anything in their way. It won't be in malice, just moving lots of dirt to make new raised beds is messy and imperfect.

Andrew

I would bet that there won't be nearly the disaster you're thinking there will be. If the beds are old, the soil is likely fairly stable and as they pull away the sides the beds will remain upright.

Most plants won't think twice about being uprooted as long as you don't allow the roots to dry out. Even the ones traditionally describes as sensitive to being moved i never have trouble with. In some cases you might lose the blooms, in others your plants may actually bloom better after being stressed.

I suggest you spend the day hovering around and pick up anything that looks like it's being mistreated. TLC goes a long way.

Good luck!

I want to replace the rotting 4"X4" side and end boards of my raised beds. They are currently about 4' tall (easier for old folks to work with). I need to replace the side and end boards, and also the support pipes. We did this ourselves on the cheap--the support pipes are leftover plumbing pipes from various indoor projects. I plant only vegetables in them, so I don't need to worry about perennial plants, but I have a great deal of dirt. I'm hoping the soil will remain stable during the project, as poppa suggests. Any other advice for rebuilding the beds? I have three beds, each 16'X4'. I'd like to be frugal, but not so tacky as they are now!

Hello Everyone!
Thank you very much for the responses and suggestions. I still don't know what is in the works for the old raised beds. Hopefully I will learn this week. I've made your descriptions for replacing the raised beds available to the powers that be (TPTB).

Andrew
Hadn't considered this option. We have wide aisles in some places, but must be careful about wheelchair access. Many of the people we serve are in wheelchairs or otherwise afflicted. Coming from the inside out might work better.

As concerned as I am about the future configuration of the beds, it will be very nice to have new beds that don't sag or leak. It also would be nice to start with fresh soil and new plants as several problems would immediately be eliminated. We'll see what happens.

Demolition and reconstruction is a messy thing. Can't fault anyone for wanting to clear the space to make it easier for new construction. I'm not sure TPTB fully considered what might be involved with getting new raised beds. Leaving us with newly-constructed beds, old earth and plants spread all over, would be very costly for us to fix.

If the contractors plan to be in destruction mode, I will make it a point to NOT be present on that day. ;-)

Poppa - You probably are right. I sure hope I'm overreacting to the potentially worst option. I thought about the soil still standing up if the boards were removed. I think the entire pile would fall apart. The beds are only 3 years old and have great fluffy soil. When a hole developed at the bottom board of one of the beds, soil immediately started to flow out. My fix was to jam in a bunch of old bricks and paver pieces into the hole.

I suspect there were a few mistakes made when the beds originally were constructed. That plus we are going through our rainy season right now. The earth will be very moist all through even the tallest raised bed.

I have no idea how long it will take for the construction work to be done. Plants may need to be uprooted and saved for an indefinite time, Also, this garden is available to the public 24 hours a day -- no way to safely enclose it overnight. So anything loose tends to 'walk away' overnight. Someone actually dug up several rose bushes and took them home.

I hope you are correct about replanting already-blooming bulbs. I haven't worked extensively with them. The ones we have have been in the ground for 3 years. I managed to dig up, separate, and replant about one quarter of them before the freesias and tulips started blooming. Then I stopped transplantation.

Hope I haven't offended any contractors who might be reading this. Being delicate isn't something I'd associate with contractor work, but then that's my own bias. Doesn't mean all contractors flatten and level before working. :-)

Can anyone recommend the 'perfect' materials to use for boards in raised beds? Or perhaps list a few good options with pros and cons?

Cedar if you can afford it, providing you want a natural option. The treated boards are not treated with arsenic like they used to be, and will last a long time. I don't like the plastic wood option, myself, just old-fashioned I guess.

Marla

Sorry it's taken so long for me to get back to all of you. I'm told the contractors plan to "wrap" the beds with wood. This means the old boards are left in place. Can't quite envision it, but they won't dig up the existing plants, so I'm fairly happy.

This all will take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so I'll know more soon. They also are tearing up all the paths between the beds and replacing it with tamped down granite. I'm assured the materials will stay in place even if a kid on a big-tired bike pops a wheelie on it.

I'll also get a secure garden shed where I can hang all the tools, plus some sort of drip system and a re-invigoration of what's left of a very old sprinkler system. Also a U-shaped seating area with an arbor is planned.

Oh, I almost forgot! Pigs will fly by Sunday!!!! LOL

Thanks, everyone, for your input.