When building raised beds I usually screw deck screws through each of the boards to attach the corners of my raised beds but using brackets to hold raised beds together does work better. With the screw in method I find after a while that the corners begin to rot, the screws begin to loosen, and the corner doesn’t hold together.
Where to Find Raised Bed Brackets?
By using cheap and simple brackets available at any hardware store you can add a little longevity to those raised beds in the vegetable garden and keep the raised bed corners intact longer. The corner brackets use multiple screws which help hold the wood together much better when pieces of the wood begin to rot.
There are many types of brackets you can find to use. Just go to the hardware section or the construction area in your favorite home improvement store and see what is available. Be creative and find something that works for your raised bed design.
While the hardware stores sell all kinds of brackets that are meant for construction they can easily be used to make your raised beds.
How Long will the Brackets Last?
Metal brackets will last much longer than your wood will which means you can use them for future raised beds that you build. Eventually rust will set in but you should be able to get 5 or 6 years at a minimum. Then if you clean them up a bit you can use the brackets for a few more years.
Better Looking Raised Bed Brackets
To upgrade your brackets and make them look nicer than the plain metal brackets you can paint them. If they are zinc covered you will need to spray a primer on first then proceed with the paint you choose. A nice hammered copper color bracket would be beautiful when used for raised bed corners.
As an alternative check out these raised bed corners. They look great and are ready to go (Amazon Aff. Links):
Look here for more Growing The Home Garden posts with information on raised beds, building raised beds, or designing raised beds.
Good tip. Your bed looks most professional.