Back-Pain Free Garden plots/boxes

I really like growing fruits and veggies these days. It is a really peaceful outlet that I can do on my own, but there was a span of a few years where I had to give it up on my favorite pass time. It was getting super painful to bend over and squat down to maintain the plants. In order to not permanently loose my one actually productive hobby, I started to think of alternative ways which I could plant and maintain my mini-field. On day it suddenly hit me when I was watching a YouTube video on indoor hydroponics. The farm where the video was being filmed was actually growing vertically all the way up to the ceiling. Needless to say, when I can afford a home of my own (or rather if I can? ), I am going to get into some hydroponics. Before that though, I am building myself the perfect raised bed to practice outside for a few years. I say practice, because I have can't say I have had the best track record of keeping my plants alive since I've been sick. I also have a lot to learn about getting the most productivity out of my garden too. This time I want to start with baby steps, simple and slowly to absorb all the information at my new pace.  If you want to join me and try my new styled raised plot here are the instructions and a little doodle for reference:

Materials:

• 1 strong, kind friend or parent (or several days of time, I got a helper for this but if I did it alone I'd probably be laying no more then 3 blocks a day)
• 42 thin cinder block bricks with or without holes or 4 long boards (I am doing cinder blocks to make it more permanent, if you use wood be sure to hassle the store people to cut it for you they do it for free, and that means less work for you)
• 4 48 inch long wooden stakes (Wood version only)
• 4 tubes of a Cement sealer/ glue or if you are using wood pick up nails, hammer and wooden stakes.
• 1/2 a gallon of paint or stain in your favorite color and paint (optional)
• A shovel with a rectangular shape
• 8-12 bags of potting soil (I used a mix or yard dirt that my helper dug up while grading and cheap dirt to fill in the lowest levels of the plot and good dirt on the last 8 inches).
• Your least favorite or only gardening gloves

Instructions:

•  Pick your location and remove any grass/level the spot for the size bed you want. The materials list above makes a bed that is roughly 8' by  3' in size.

       For blocks:

• Once your location is mostly level and clear, start laying your first tier of bricks you'll want to use 5 bricks each long side and 2 blocks for the short sides, put your cement glue or sealer on the sides of the bricks in even squiggles and make sure to push them together tightly. For the next row, do the same and also add glue to the bottom of your brick, if any glue comes out smooth it back into the crack with your gloved hands. Repeat for the last layer.
•  Paint and fill with your choice of dirt and plants

      For wood:

• In the store request each board except one cut in half (these are the long sides), have the last board cut so that you have 6 pieces which are 2 1/2 ft long(these are for the short sides).
• Once your location is mostly level and clear, take your long wooden stakes and hammer into ground till the stand roughly 36-40 inches tall.
• Now that the stakes are in, nail the planks into the stakes for the short sides, then the long ones. Be sure to line the planks as close together as possible. 
• Paint and fill with your choice of dirt and plants.

I am no expert in building, but so far mine is looking like it will hold steady. Let me know how I can improve this or if you have any questions in the comments below. Shameless plug, if you want to keep tabs with this blog and my journey for inspiration, gardening ideas, or tips on how to live decently with fibromyalgia subscribe with your email today. I don't get any of your info, but you get a little notification whenever I post win-win right!?