Inspired by the idea of using stock tanks as planters, Ivette Soler built a similar raised beds of corrugated metal in her front parking strip. Following are her instructions, reprinted with permission from Timber Press; they’re from Soler’s recent book, The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden.
Material for 1 round bed
(12 in. tall by 5 ft. wide)
- 8 panels of corrugated metal, cut to size. (Soler’s panels were 28 in. wide, but width varies depending on where you buy it.)
- Drill
- Rivet gun and rivets
- 8 rebar or steel rods (20 in.)
- Wire hardware cloth to line the bottom of beds
Directions
- Lay out the panels so they overlap one another by 2 in.
- Starting at one end, prepare to attach panel to panel by drilling 3 holes down each seam, evenly spaced, through both panels.
- Using your rivet gun, place a rivet in each of the holes.
- You will now have 1 long strip of metal. Take it to the designated location in the hellstrip and stand it up.
- Rivet the final seam that will turn the strip of metal into a circular bed.
- Place the support rods on the outside of the beds and pound them into the ground until they are even with the top of the beds.
- Cut lengths of hardware cloth to fit inside the bed. Place them in the bed so they overlap and curve up the sides.
- Fill your new bed with compost and start planting.
