Hi,

I've just dug an 8 foot by 3 foot by 1 foot deep hole in my lawn. I intend to fill this hole with some of the soil that has been removed (broken up), compost, some sterilised loam top soil, manure etc.

My intention is to build a raised bed (raised by about 6 inches from the level of the lawn). I intend to employ square foot gardening in the bed.

Various web sites I've been to suggest using an untreated, rot-resistant wood such as red cedar. I've just enquired as to the cost of this wood and, unless my calculations are wrong, I'm looking at £320!! That's quite a bit more money than I want to pay, especially since I'll most likely be moving house in about 2 years.

Any other (much cheaper) materials I can use. Looking for something that will last 2 years minimum and not leak any dodgy chemicals into the soil. Will, untreated normal wood last that long outside?

Thanks very much