The Best Metal Raised Garden Bed | ~ Texas Homesteader ~

by Texas Homesteader ~

Raised beds make gardening & harvesting so much easier with less gardening on your hands & knees. And that’s a good thing, I’m not getting any younger, y’all!

But not all raised beds are created equal. The quality of some of those cheaper raised beds I see online concern me, they require reinforcing crossbars to anchor the sides of the bed. The metal on those beds is apparently so thin it cannot withstand soil being added. But gosh, isn’t that what a raised bed is for in the first place?

(Note: Some links in this post will take you to other related articles for further information. But links preceded with * are affiliate links. If you click and buy something I could receive a tiny commission.)

Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening

The benefits of raised garden beds are many. But my top 2 reasons are:

Height makes it easier to harvest from your garden.

Easier to keep garden soil uncompacted & well balanced. Better soils make for a better harvest!

I’ve written before about the Benefits of Raised Bed Gardening. Be sure to check it out for a more complete overview.

My Homestead vegetable garden is in front of our home so it’s one of the first things our guests see! I wanted something that looked nicer than the 30-gallon black buckets I was using for raised beds. Something that makes my beloved garden a beautiful space for me to spend time.

So I began researching metal raised beds. But I was disappointed in the lack of quality I found with most manufacturers.

Searching For A Better Raised Bed

While attending a Mother Earth News Fair I was fortunate to meet Kris Hopkins and his lovely wife Kalitta.

When I saw the heavier metal raised beds they displayed I was intrigued. I got the opportunity to talk to owner Kris Hopkins about them.

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

When I mentioned the flimsy raised beds I’d seen elsewhere, Kris did something that really opened my eyes:

He demonstrated the strength of his raised-bed panels by laying one across the width of his raised bed and standing in the middle of it. But the panel didn’t budge, y’all. Wow – now THAT’S some kind of metal strength! Don’t try this with other beds.

Finding A Better, Sturdier Raised Bed

Kris agreed to provide one of his raised beds to us at no charge in exchange for my honest review. But the thoughts provided below are all mine and I’m going to be upfront and honest about my experience, both good and bad.

To give the raised bed a test run on our Texas Homestead, Kris shipped one of them to our home.

Hopkins Raised Bed 15-Minute Assembly

The bed is a simple design & assembles very quickly using only one tool – a socket wrench with ¼” deep socket. We had it put together in only 15 minutes!

I love this bed SO MUCH! No wonder Kris had zero reservations when I told him I would be up front & honest with my readers about the quality of this raised bed. He had no worries – he WANTS y’all to know how good it is!

How To Fill A Raised Bed Cheaply

When the bed was assembled I decided to fill it using a combination of Lasagna gardening / Hügelkultur method. Filling a raised bed this way has several advantages for both garden and your wallet:

Using what you already have to fill the bulk of the raised bed for free saving lots of money, especially for larger raised beds.
The logs decompose and help absorb moisture for future garden plant needs in the raised bed. (Be sure to add nitrogen-rich components such as green grass clippings or blood meal to offset the nitrogen that is bound temporarily from decomposing wood).
The layers create a healthy balance to the soil.

For more detailed information read my post about Filling A Raised Bed Cheaply.

I started with cardboard from the box in which the bed was shipped to discourage grass from coming through. It was perfect!

Optional Wood Kit For Bench Seating

I wanted to add a wooden bench around the perimeter of the raised bed. Using the optional bench kit, RancherMan purchased a few wooden boards to make the benches:

(2) 8-ft long 2″x6″ boards

(1) 10-ft long 2″x6″ board

This bench makes gardening a pleasure!

I’m pretty excited about this feature. It is much easier on my back and makes gardening & harvesting in this bed a breeze! Plus, you know, it looks GREAT!

Save Money! Galvanized Steel Raised Bed 5% Coupon Code

Get this – Hopkins is offering a 5% discount for Texas Homesteader readers! Go to www.HopkinsHomesteadStore and enter the code TXH5off at checkout to save yourself some cold, hard cash.

Believe me when I say I love this raised bed. And so will you!

Hopkins Homestead Raised Bed Benefits:

Small family-owned business since 2017 – You can feel good doing business with them.
American product – The metal fabrication, manuals & even the shipping boxes are sourced & made in the United States!
Strong business ethic. They’ve never had a bed returned by an unsatisfied customer.
Heavy duty metal that can withstand the weight of a man standing on it.
Simple design & quick assembly.
Bolts come in a tidy metal bolt plate. No searching through a bag for parts or finding out some are missing!
Bolts are square-necked & the panels are cut with square holes. It’s easier to bolt them together without the bolts turning.
Rolled metal edges for safety and durability.
Includes corner angle inserts to keep dirt contained in the bed.
Two 18″ tall bed sizes – 42” x 42” square and rectangular 42” x 84″.
Stackable option with the available stacking kit. Design a garden that works for you!
Bench option with the available wood kit. Sit in comfort as you work in your garden.

Drawbacks:

Somewhat higher priced than some other raised-bed options. My longtime readers know how I feel about price:
It doesn’t help to save money buying cheap if it’s flimsy, poorly made and bound to frustrate you in the end requiring you to re-purchase over & over again!

This bed is of significantly higher quality than other beds I’ve researched and well worth the price IMO.

Really, I just can’t recommend this Hopkins Homestead raised bed enough.

If you’re looking for a high-quality sturdy metal raised bed, Go. Now. To HopkinsHomesteadStore.com (and tell ‘em Texas Homesteader sent ya!)

~TxH~

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4 thoughts on “Best Features For A Raised Garden Bed – And What To Avoid!”

Angela DeGroot at

So glad your are still happy with the beds I know how excited your were to try it. And they look great.

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  They’re definitely my favorite beds, Angela. They’re heavy duty and built to last. I’m just shocked at all the flimsy raised beds being offered for sale out there these days! ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓
Joe at

WOW! Those look great! Can’t believe how strong they are.

Reply ↓
1. Texas Homesteader Post author at
  
  Kris Hopkins standing on one of his panels right there at the Mother Earth News Fair was eye-opening to me too, Joe. I’ve been impressed with the ease of assembly, the quality and the fact that they look great! Highly recommend. ~TxH~
  
  Reply ↓

~Texas Homesteader~

Working To Provide For Ourselves On Our Texas Homestead

Best Features For A Raised Garden Bed – And What To Avoid!