Sleepers are a good choice for building raised beds; not only do they provide an attractive and natural looking surface, but their size and weight makes them extremely stable so that there is no need to construct a concrete footing. They can be quickly stacked in a staggered bond to form a bed, although walls more than two courses high will need to be reinforced to secure them together.

Choose good quality sleepers that have not been treated with toxic wood preservatives such as creosote. If they have been treated, you will need to line the bed with polythene to prevent the poisons from leaching into the soil.

Method

1. Rake the site roughly before you start and remove large stones and clods of soil.
2. Mark out the beds using pegs and string.
3. Create a level surface using rammed gravel.
4. Lay out the sleepers in a staggered bond, making sure that their best surface is outermost.
5. Low beds (two courses) may be secured by hammering two tree stakes about 4 cm from each corner. Higher beds should be held together with steel rods hammered at least 45 cm (18 in) into the ground; either drill holes in the sleepers so that the rods can be passed through them or position the rods on the outside of the bed to act as a brace.
6. Fill the bed with a suitable soil or compost mixture. For herbs, mix top soil with some grit; use peat or an ericaceous compost for acid-loving plants.