You have many options when it comes to building your backyard garden. Some are easy and take a day or two to set up, such as filling and setting up a few containers and throwing some nursery plants in them.

Some set ups are really involved, using costly materials and construction can be quite time consuming.

Each has their own list of pro's and con's and you must evaluate what is right for you. From in-ground garden beds to 2' tall raised beds on legs to rows of containers and hanging baskets, there are a multitude of options to suit your space. The options are plentiful and limited only by your creativity. Do what you have the capacity and space for? Do what suits your needs and available materials.

My garden is made up of largely reused and recycled materials including broken paving stones with gravel in between them to fill the gaps. The plants are planted in reclaimed black nursery pots and set upon unused but in good condition pallets. Unbelievably this adds up to an elaborate container garden that resembles a nursery with walkways and distinct plant sections. the best part is that it didn't cost very much money to build.

To copy my method, locate some no longer wanted pallets that are in good shape and a roll of landscape fabric. If your yard is not level then you'll need smaller flat stones as well to level out the platform with.

It's important to set your containers properly and level, if you don't then watering becomes quite difficult and your plant doesn't get the water it needs, it just runs over the edge washing away before it can soak in.

Remove the grass underneath if you don't want to deal with any mowing or trimming and having it grow through the slats of the pallets. I removed the grass in between my rows as well because I didn't want to deal with it growing anywhere in my garden.

I removed it and replaced it with broken reclaimed paving stones and gravel on top of landscape fabric. No grass, no weeds, no problem, ever.

Decide where you want your aisles to be then lay down your fabric and secure it with some stones or handfuls of gravel. Ask for help from a friend and lift the pallets onto the fabric and place them down carefully so the fabric remains flat.

At this point you can choose to set in a raised bed among your pallet rows. There are many different designs of raised bed. They make a great visual interest and sometimes allow you to plant a wider range of items.

Use the flat stones, or even chunks of wood to level out the pallets. Make sure the pieces are big enough to create a stable platform, small ones will leave it wobbly and unsafe.

The pallet system works great for air flow in and around the containers and if they rot or break they are very easy to replace. You can even rearrange your garden with a complete new layout with only a little effort and one or two afternoons outside.

If you are a renter and cannot do any digging then this could be your answer to having a garden.

The most you might have to do is reseed the grass when you move out. That's a small price to pay when you consider the benefits gained by having a garden like this right outside your door.

Good luck and happy planting.