I love 'em too. Except for the weight.
They can can only do gentle curves.
You can't use them to wrap around a tree
without fairly substantial gaps for instance.

If you stack them a bit high try to use
landscape fabric. The weeds and grasses
get lodged in the crevices and because
you can't get the roots its a constant
battle with weed control.

Also ants seem to love the little cavities.
I have 6 colonies in a 10' stretch. They litter
a bit but I don't mind them. As a plus no slugs.

--
Theo

in KC Z5

"Sue Solomon" wrote in message
news:2j4ac.3351$sd5.2333@okepread02...
Hi Jim
I 'm putting in a plug for using stacking concrete landscape blocks for
your
raised lawn beds. You can get them in small (about 8") size or large
(about
12"+), in 2 or 3 different colors (fawn, gray, or "redwood"), they stack
up
to 3' tall without problems, you can make circles and swoopy forms... and
if
you don't do it right the first time, they're easy to take apart and
restack. I love them. We've put in over 90 linear ft. of 3' concrete block
pavers around my hilltop home, and we made a lovely raised bed for my 30
roses. The neighbors all like it, and several have decided to invest in
them. I got mine from Home Depot - (along with some cheap roses!) Big
"Legacy" blocks are $2.98 apiece here in SOCAL. The only downside; the big
ones weigh 60 lb. apiece, and you need to dig and level a foundation
trench
for them and fill it with packed sand. Get some help if you do it.

But the results are very professional looking, and won't rot out in 10
yrs.
:-)

Just my thought!
Sue Solomon



"Snooze" wrote in message
. com...
"JimS." wrote in message
news:SFz_b.377018$I06.4108000@attbi_s01...
Has anyone built raised planters on lawn that is not level? I want to
build
a raised bed on the side of my house, but the ground slopes down along
the
length of the house.

I am pretty sure I want to use some 6x6 pressure treated wood to make
the
beds. But one end needs to be built up to be level with the other
end.

Has anyone done this, and got suggestions? I'm thinking this is going
to
involve some digging to partially bury the front timbers?


Pressure treated wood is generally a bad idea, the chemicals they force
into
the wood to prevent rotting are bad for the environment and bad for
plants
(especially if you grow veggies near them).

You don't say how steep the grade is, but here are some options.
1: Dig a U shaped trench into the grade, and lay wood beams in.
2: Terrace the wood beams as the grade dictates, so the trenching is
minimal.
3: use landscape blocks to build terraced retaining walls.

Sameer