Beginner Raised-Bed Garden Shopping List
What you actually need for a first season — and what you can safely skip.
By The Raised Bed Gardener Team · · 5 min read
Garden centers make it easy to overspend. Here's a deliberately short list for a first raised bed.
The essentials
- A raised bed — a kit or a simple DIY frame in untreated wood or metal
- Raised-bed soil mix and compost (use the soil calculator)
- Seeds and/or starter plants
- A watering can or hose with a gentle nozzle
- A hand trowel
- Garden gloves
- Mulch
Helpful, depending on what you grow
- Tomato cages or stakes
- A small trellis for peas or climbing beans
- Plant labels and a marker
- A soaker hose or simple drip kit
What you can skip for now
- Specialty fertilizers — good compost covers most needs at first
- Power tillers — unnecessary for a raised bed
- Large tool sets — a trowel and hand fork go a long way
Related guides
Getting Started · 6 min read
How to Fill a Raised Garden Bed
A simple, affordable soil recipe and what to put at the bottom of a deep bed.
Garden Planning · 4 min read
How Much Soil Does My Raised Bed Need?
The quick math for cubic feet and cubic yards, with common bed sizes worked out.
Getting Started · 7 min read
Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Where to Start
A calm, step-by-step overview of choosing a spot, a bed size and your first few crops.