For a large square bed you can build up in stages

Frame It All GardenBLOX 8 × 8 ft Raised Bed

Name: Frame It All GardenBLOX 8 × 8 ft Raised Bed
Brand: Frame It All

An 8 × 8 ft composite bed, two boards to a side, that stacks from one to four levels. Each level adds 5.5 inches of height and 29.33 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: 29.33 ft³
Soil to fill it: 20 bags of 1.5 ft³

Drawn from the maker’s published figures: the footprint from above on the left, the height on the right, in inches. Every bed on this site uses the same two scales.

Side view beside an adult 5 ft 6 in tall, at one scale.

For a large square bed you can build up in stages

The middle is about 4 ft from every side, and Frame It All itself gives 4 ft as the widest bed you can reach from both sides: plan how you will reach the middle before you fill it. The 8 × 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 × 96 × 5.5 in	29.33 ft³	20 bags	Plan this size: 1 level, 5.5 in tall
2 levels, 11 in tall	96 × 96 × 11 in	58.66 ft³	40 bags	Plan this size: 2 levels, 11 in tall
3 levels, 16.5 in tall	96 × 96 × 16.5 in	87.99 ft³	59 bags	Plan this size: 3 levels, 16.5 in tall
4 levels, 22 in tall	96 × 96 × 22 in	117.32 ft³	79 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 × 8 ft composite bed, Frame It All GardenBLOX 4 × 12 ft composite bed.

What comes in the box, for the 2-level bed, 11 inches tall

Parts

16 composite boards, 44.5 inches long: two to a side, eight to a level
32 snap-lock stacking brackets
12 stacking stakes and 4 anchor stakes
64 plugs to lock the brackets
8 caps

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 square, two boards to a side, with a stake through the brackets at each corner. The anchor stakes go in the joint at the middle of each side; the other joints take stacking stakes.
Only stacking stakes stack: for the second level, push one through each joint’s brackets into the top of the stake below.
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).

Animal fences that fit

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 an 8 × 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 58.66 cubic feet, 40 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 29.33 cubic feet to this 8 × 8, 20 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 width Measure for a soil order Compare the cost of building one

Product specifications

4' x 4' Raised Garden Bed - GardenBLOX Classic, Frame It All
Raised Garden Bed 8’ x 8’: assembly instructions, Frame It All
Warranty terms, Frame It All
Frequently Asked Questions: Gardening, Frame It All
Stack & Extend 'Animal Barrier' with Gate - 4 Foot Wide Straight Panels, Frame It All