Raised Beds

[KayakFisherFinland]

I've used old pallet collars, got them free from few shop warehouses.
We have 4 pallet sizes in use, so I have small ones for herbs and europallet size for other stuff. http://www.palletcollars.org.uk/
Stacked 2 and filled the lower one with horse droppings and second with soil.
In the spring they are covered with old windows, as a miniature greenhouse.

Used "timbers mahogany" for treating, that is a solution of 1/3 wood tar, 1/3 linseed oil and 1/3 terpentine. Just mix all together and paint on.

Have had mine for 5 yrs now and not rotting.

 

[Pandabean]

My veg does very well in the raised beds, but I suspect that is due to three inches or more of well rotted manure applied most years

Our herb bed is an experiment in the "Back to Eden" deep wood mulch method. It has been insanely successful. The soil is so rich it is black, and best of all, no digging!

No digging. I am jealous. How do you deal with weeds in the rest of your garden?

My friend used sleepersbut then she can afford them.

How about using old bricks and blocks? Have you access to stone?

Not to keen on the sleepers idea, mainly due to the chemicals in them and that they are not cheap from what I have seen.
I would do stone, and already planning a little circular fire pit with stone but I don't have any good sources nearby to complete a raised bed.

Depending if it fits the overall style of your garden, you could try your hand at weaving with Salix. I've always wanted to try, but never found the right place for it.
Some inspirational pictures I found online:

I have thought about this idea and may do something on a larger scale for another part of the garden.

 

[British Red]

Weedwise I mulch the heck out of any static planting with several inches of wood chip. Talk to you nearest tree surgeon for lorry loads of the stuff. Anything that needs regular planting, you just have to hoe

 

[S.C.M.]

Another idea for raised beds is a vertical stick border. I'll try to find the link, but the idea is you dig a narrow, shallowish, trench around your bed location, then put lots and lots of vertical stakes (i.e.:twigs, branches) that are as long as the trench depth plus the intended height of your bed. Infill the trench so the stakes are firm. There may have been a "top" around the stakes. Then you put your nice fertile soil into the raised bed

edit:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Natural-Wood-Raised-Garden/

 

[santaman2000]

Just saw this idea on Facebook. Not especially aesthetic but it looks cheap and effective:

There was a longis infomercial as to where to buy them but they look relatively simple to DIY.

 

[Toddy]

Some of those stick borders would worry me; everything I plant like that, even peasticks, sprouts

Don't do it with willow Andy, or hazel or alder….or come to think on it, don't do it with anything with bark on that's not dry and crispy.
Fine if you want a hedge right enough

M

 

[DocG]

+1 for decking planks. I have used my limited skills to create a set of raised beds on what was a plastic and gravel covered useless piece of garden when we bought the house. If you wait for spring sales at B&Q or similar, you should find they do three for two deals that work out at about £2.00 per 2m length.
I've used three to make a bed by digging down, lining the pit with newspaper - not entirely sure why, but my dad always did that and he was a brilliant grower of veg so I follow his lead- cutting one length in half then making a rectangle with the 3 for 2 priced planks (actually, I make the frame first and the pit fits it), putting in a layer of sand and gravel, then lots of rotted compost / manure, then the topsoil. May not be the world's best, but it works for me and the frames are in their sixth year, working out about £1 per year per raised bed so far.
All the best.