How do i build a raised flower bed out of old railway sleepers?
Flowers are ok, but veggies should not be grown in railway timber beds. Start the first timber by excavating so the initial timber will be partially beneath the soil. Make sure the foundation is level, and that you are excavating where there are no utility lines. Put a layer of 4″ to 6″ of crushed gravel on the bottom of the garden bed to provide drainage. Place an length of approx 8″ round tube with holes on the inside of the initial front timbers to allow drainage. Providing drainage will help keep the timbers from cracking and bending in frost or heavy rainy seasons. Attach the timbers with 1) a plastic end cap or 2) pre-drill holes and insert a long stake or screws to hole the timbers together, or 3) put a cedar post at the corners sunk into the ground to avoiding shifting and attach the timbers to the cedar post. If the timber bed will be longer than the length of one railway sleeper than cut the sleepers to stagger the seams.
