Current raised beds, the timbers of which are rotten
Two shower units, each 24 inches (60 cm) wide by 6 ft (1.8m) long, will make a 12 ft (3.6m) long raised bed.
12 inches (30 cm) of soil will be dug out so that only 18 inches (45 cm) of the units will remain above ground (the usual height for a large raised bed)
We inherited a number of fibreglass shower units left lying in a field and rather than break them up and throw them out (no one one wanted them for free off Done Deal!) I have decided to used them as raised beds. Or maybe it is lowered beds in this case!
Because they are almost 30 inches (75 cm) deep, I am going to insert them into the ground and use the 12 inches (30 cm) of top soil which I am digging out to fill the bottom half of the units. This will mean that only 18 inches of the bed will be above ground although the actual beds will be 30 inches deep. The top half will be filled with soil from the existing raised beds, the timbers of which are all rotten.
The units are 24 inches (60 cm) wide and 6 feet (1.5 m) long with one open end. I am going to put two together so that there will be a drainage section in the middle where they meet. Also, I have drilled holes in the base and sides for extra drainage
I hope to have 5 raised beds – very hard work digging out all that soil and refilling the beds (I reckon it will take me 2 days for each) but I see it as a once off effort. The fibreglass should last forever and I will never have to dig again!