For the usual 4 × 8 bed, built up in stages
Frame It All GardenBLOX 4 × 8 ft Raised Bed
A 4 × 8 ft composite bed that stacks from one to four levels. Each level adds 5.5 inches of height and 14.67 cubic feet of soil, by the maker’s figures.
4 sizes and layouts
Each size drawn from above at the same scale, with the maker’s listed capacity.
- Listed capacity
- 14.67 ft³
- Soil to fill it
- 10 bags of 1.5 ft³
For the usual 4 × 8 bed, built up in stages
From two levels up, a board runs across the middle of the top level, so the bed reads as two 4 × 4 ft squares. The 4 × 8 ft size is nominal, so measure inside after assembly.
- Style
- Open-bottom bed
- Material
- Composite of 38% HDPE plastic and 62% wood fibers
- Warranty
- 5 years; 10 years if you register within 60 days of purchase, which Frame It All calls its Limited Lifetime Warranty.
- Bottom
- Open to the ground
Choose the size or layout
Use the widest outside footprint to plan paths. For a soil order, measure between the inside walls after assembly and choose your filled depth; advertised dimensions can be rounded. Rectangular sizes below read length × width × height.
Frame It All doesn’t publish inside measurements or an outside size for these beds, so the soil figure below is the maker’s own stated capacity. If you’ll fill it less deep, measure between the inside walls once it’s built.
| Size or layout | Advertised size | Listed capacity | Bags of 1.5 ft³ for that capacity | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 level, 5.5 in tall | 96 × 48 × 5.5 in | 14.67 ft³ | 10 bags | Plan this size: 1 level, 5.5 in tall |
| 2 levels, 11 in tall | 96 × 48 × 11 in | 29.34 ft³ | 20 bags | Plan this size: 2 levels, 11 in tall |
| 3 levels, 16.5 in tall | 96 × 48 × 16.5 in | 44.01 ft³ | 30 bags | Plan this size: 3 levels, 16.5 in tall |
| 4 levels, 22 in tall | 96 × 48 × 22 in | 58.68 ft³ | 40 bags | Plan this size: 4 levels, 22 in tall |
Notes on these sizes
- All sizes: The soil figure is what Frame It All recommends ordering.
Also in this range from Frame It All: Frame It All GardenBLOX 2 × 2 ft composite box, Frame It All GardenBLOX 2 × 4 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 2 × 6 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 2 × 8 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 4 × 4 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 4 × 12 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 8 × 8 ft composite bed.
What to plant in it
Four planting plans drawn to scale, a salad bed, a kitchen bed with herbs, tomatoes and peppers, and roots and onions, with every plant counted: 4 × 8 ft bed.
What comes in the box, for the 2-level bed, 11 inches tall
Parts
- 13 composite boards, 44.5 inches long: six to a level and one across the middle
- 22 snap-lock stacking brackets and 4 four-way brackets for the middle board
- 12 stacking stakes
- 52 plugs to lock the brackets
- 6 caps for the top joints
Tools you need
- A hammer, Frame It All says; a rubber mallet is gentler on the boards
- A hacksaw, only for a bed on a hard surface
Before and while you build
- Slide each board end into a bracket and push a plug into the hole on each side to lock it.
- Lay out the first level as a rectangle of six boards with a stake through the brackets at each corner. With a second level to come, set the stakes upside down at first, so the shape can still be adjusted.
- Lay the second level out flat and try its middle board on the upturned stakes. Once it fits, hammer the stakes in and stack the level.
- Taller beds take two middle boards, the manual says: for three levels, 16.5 inches, they go in the first and third levels, with none in the second; for four levels, 22 inches, in the second and fourth.
- On a patio or other hard surface, saw the spike off each stake and use the cut-down stakes in the first level only.
From Frame It All’s assembly instructions (PDF).
Covers and animal fences that fit
- Frame It All insect cover: Frame It All’s 4 × 4 ft cover, an A-frame of fine black mesh 64 inches tall. Joined in a row with the connectors in the box, covers fit a 4 × 8 bed, Frame It All says: two span this one. Every bed it fits.
- Frame It All animal barrier: a 2 ft fence of rigid plastic mesh on stainless steel uprights, with a gate, that fixes into this bed’s stacking joints. Frame It All sells it in a 4 × 8 ft size; a second kit stacked on top makes a 4 ft fence. Every bed it fits.
Sold separately; each fit is as Frame It All states it on the product’s own page. Every cover, trellis and fence we list.
Questions about this bed
Does it have a bottom?
No. Frame It All’s beds are bottomless, it says, so roots grow on down into the ground below and water drains away. What to put in the bottom.
Can it stand on a patio or deck?
Yes: cut off the part of each stake that goes into the ground and the bed sits flat on a patio, driveway, deck or roof, Frame It All says. The roots can’t reach the ground there, so it suggests a deeper bed and a plan for the water that drains out. Before you fill it on a patio or deck.
Which soil figure is mine?
Count the levels, not the inches: one level is one 5.5-inch board, so the 11-inch bed is two levels and takes 29.34 cubic feet, 20 bags of 1.5 cubic feet. Read the one-level figure for an 11-inch bed and you buy half the soil you need, Frame It All warns.
Can I make it taller later?
Yes, even once it is filled: a new level of boards goes on top with stacking stakes and you top up the soil, Frame It All says. Each level adds 14.67 cubic feet to this 4 × 8, 10 bags. The 2-inch boards stack up to six levels, 33 inches, and the 1-inch boards up to four, 22 inches; the two take different brackets and can’t be mixed in one bed.
Can it go straight onto lawn?
Yes: cover the grass with cardboard or several sheets of newspaper before filling and it dies off and rots down in place, Frame It All says. Running grasses such as Bermuda can push through one layer of cardboard, so where they grow, lift the turf or overlap several layers. Preparing the ground.
Does the ground need to be level?
Yes: level it first, Frame It All says. A bed out of level strains its joints, collects soil and water at the low end and sets stacked levels unevenly. On a slope, dig into the high side and fill the low side to make a level base.
What tools does it take?
A hammer: each bracket slides onto two board ends, locks with push-in plugs and is held by a stake driven through it, with no screws, drilling or measuring, Frame It All says. A rubber mallet is gentler on the boards.
Frame It All’s answers, from its questions page.
Prepare and assemble this bed
Compare the material, bottom and care choices if you are still deciding between families. Follow the site preparation and liner checklist for the supporting surface.
- Choose the exact configuration and lay out its parts. Check the required tools in the selected kit instructions.
- Prepare a stable, level position and confirm the outside footprint with working paths.
- Check corners, fasteners, protective edging and any layout-specific braces against the kit instructions before adding fill.
- Measure the finished inside and outside separately, then update your plan. Preserve the maker’s fill restrictions.
Mark the outside footprint on the ground before assembly, including any legs or protruding corners. Leave a route for carrying bags, reaching the plants and maintaining nearby beds.
This bed is open to the ground. Check the soil and drainage where it will sit before adding fill. Its wall height is not a prescription for how deep the growing mix should be.
Choose a reachable widthMeasure for a soil orderCompare the cost of building one
Product specifications
- 4' x 4' Raised Garden Bed - GardenBLOX Classic, Frame It All
- Raised Garden Bed 4’ x 8’: assembly instructions, Frame It All
- Warranty terms, Frame It All
- Frequently Asked Questions: Gardening, Frame It All
- Insect Cover For 4' x 4' Raised Bed - Vegetable Pest & Bird Barrier Netting, Frame It All
- Stack & Extend 'Animal Barrier' with Gate - 4 Foot Wide Straight Panels, Frame It All