After a day of gardening on your knees, you’ll long for a gardening bed that is better for your back. Here, a raised garden bed becomes more ergonomic simply by being taller. Now, bending down and tending to your beloved plants doesn’t have to be a literal back-breaking chore.

If you plan to grow climbing plants in your raised garden beds – whether it be green beans or mandevilla — it’s important to give them vertical support. Incorporating a trellis into your planter not only helps your greenery thrive, but it can also provide privacy as the leaves grow in.

Gravel, while an excellent base for your garden beds, isn’t always the most comfortable to walk on. Instead, install a brick or stone paver path between your garden beds for easy manoeuvring.

Raised garden bed planters are often constructed from wood, plastic, or metal. For a more seamless look with your home’s exterior or kerb appeal, use the same material as the majority of your hardscaping to build your garden beds.

These DIY wooden planters by home gardener and beekeeper Ashenden Burke add great dimension to a garden that’s bursting with produce. If your plot is running out of room and can’t accommodate a bulky rectangular raised bed, try building one of these to conserve space and add interest.

A galvanised trough makes an excellent instant raised garden bed. This idea by Jenn and Josh Choate, shows how rustic-elegant it can be. A galvanised trough makes it easy to keep pests out, too.

‘It’s a good idea to line the bottom of the bed with a galvanised hardware cloth to prevent tunnelling animals such as voles from damaging plantings,’ says Stacy Paetzel, founder of Marshall Paetzel Landscape Architecture.

The building materials you use aren’t the only element of a raised garden bed that adds drama to your garden — the plants inside can too.

The tendrils of vining plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peas will begin to drape over the sides for charming natural decor, as seen in this raised garden bed by landscape architect Janice Parker.

Mixing stone steps in with tiers of raised garden beds brings plenty of drama to this landscape design.

Enjoy the beautiful flowers in your raised garden beds long after the sun has gone down by hanging string lights overhead, as master gardener Rhonda Kaiser of Southern Farm and Home did in her space. They make your garden the perfect spot to spend cocktail hour or host a small dinner party.

How gorgeous is this window box filled with spring flowers? Garden designer Susan Nock chose a white container to blend with the house exterior and let the vibrant pink, purple, and yellow flowers steal the show.

The teepee-shaped trellises in this garden by Janice Parker are pretty and practical. They give climbing vines and flowers something to cling onto and cover. The rustic sticks complement the wooden raised garden beds and containers to keep the whole area looking cohesive.

This raised garden bed in a London backyard makes it feel like a full-on field. We love how it’s rustic and even a little wild, from the weathered wood it’s made of to the lush greenery inside.

We love this greenhouse with raised garden beds inspired by woodworking DIYer extraordinaire Ana White’s original plan. Whether you want to raise food or flowers, it allows you to control the growing environment in style and comfort.

Get the plan and tutorial at Ana White.

Metal planters bring style and function to any outdoor space, and they make great raised garden beds. ‘The material of the raised bed can be of aesthetic interest in the garden as well,’ says Jonathan Paetzel, who says that corten steel, stone, wood, brick, and salvaged materials are all good choices.

Raised garden beds don’t have to be big, rectangular boxes. Try different shapes and smaller planters, like this wooden bucket — just be sure there’s sufficient drainage in the bottom to keep your plants happy. You can mix buckets in with your other garden beds or use them to add colour to your porch or patio.

Planting lots of different vegetables? Divide and conquer the project with the help of some netting and a pro tactic called square foot gardening. It means dividing your raised garden bed or other container into 1-square-foot segments and planting only one plant in each segment. That ensures each plant has plenty of room, sun, and nutrients to grow to its full potential.

A shed needs some landscaping love to look like it belongs in your garden. Stone flower beds like these are the perfect solution. Stacey Paetzel recommends combining garden beds with other structures to make your space more dynamic and visually interesting: ‘The layout of the beds helps define the garden’s structure and can be combined with additional features such as potting benches, plant support trellises, fences, water features, storage sheds, and seating areas,’ she says.

Here, the stone walls accentuate the blue of the shed, elevate the plantings, and generally make the whole corner look more magical.

Can’t decide between a wood or metal raised garden bed? Go with a version that uses both. Combining the two makes for a striking planter, plus they’re some of the best materials for a raised bed.

‘We recommend using natural woods that haven’t been treated with chemicals,’ suggests Stacey Paetzel.

Give your raised garden beds some personality by going with hexagonal ones instead of standard rectangles. Not only will they add visual appeal to your outdoor space, but they also have wider sides that give you a little more growing room.

Edge your raised garden beds and in-ground beds in the same style fence. Here, wattle fencing — a type of woven wood fencing traditional in gardens and animal enclosures alike — forms a ‘basket’ around each area. The materials couldn’t be more sustainable, and it’s a relatively easy DIY.