In-N-Out Opens Portland Area's First-Ever ‘Cheeseburger' Restaurant
The cheeseburger restaurant, located at 5801 N. Pioneer Canyon Drive, will be sure to draw lines of piqued Portlanders. The arrival of the In-N-Out, a chain hailing from SoCal, where the famed sandwich was birthed, has been hotly anticipated. The local press has followed it closely, updating keen readers on the progress of In-N-Out's initial announcement, its acquisition of land use permission and permits, and the so-called 'secret' menu; the same dogged inkhounds are also tracking the progress of another Portland-area In-N-Out. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens have been taking photos of the restaurant under construction, gawking at it as if it were a two-headed calf.
Portland has no shortage of sandwich shops and restaurants that serve classic hamburgers, which consist of 'patties' of ground beef and toppings placed between two halves of a sliced roll. But to date, none have been able to master the 'cheeseburger,' and the dish is unknown in the city of roses, which explains the fervor over In-N-Out. (If cheeseburgers were common, surely there would be no great enthusiasm for yet another 'fast food' joint.)
Prior to the opening of the Ridgefield restaurant, the closest In-N-Out was in Keizer, a perilous 45-minute drive from Portland, and it's safe to say that precious few residents have undertaken that journey.
Cheese on top of meat inside bread isn't the only novelty that In-N-Out will bring to the Portland area: It will be a 'drive-thru,' meaning that customers who choose to arrive by automobile will be able to order, pay, and even eat their cheeseburgers without ever leaving their vehicles!
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San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Aging U.S. railroad bridges are self-inspected and their findings are kept secret
FILE - A derailed freight train burns on a bridge spanning Tempe Town Lake, July 29, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz. Ross D. Franklin/AP CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — The fire burned for about nine hours, billowing smoke and scorching the wooden trestles of a nearly 75-year-old railroad bridge that spans the Marys River in Corvallis, home to Oregon State University. Long after the flames died out, Michelle Emmons, a local environmental advocate, could still smell the noxious stench of charred creosote — a chemical preservative used to treat outdoor wooden structures. The bridge is owned by Portland & Western Railroad, which says it made repairs after the 2022 fire. Emmons wanted more. 'It was most alarming to us to see that there were still rail cars that were going over the bridge,' said Emmons, who co-leads the Willamette Riverkeeper, a local environmental nonprofit. 'It was only going to be a matter of time before there could possibly be an accident.' Advertisement Article continues below this ad That time came nearly three years later on Jan. 4, 2025, when the Corvallis bridge collapsed beneath a freight train. One rail car fell into the river while another car dangled from the bridge and was partially submerged in water. Nearly 150,000 pounds of fertilizer spilled from the train into the river — a waterway already the focus of local environmental concerns. Officials from Portland & Western Railroad declined to be interviewed but emailed a statement about the company's actions after the fire. 'Some rail, crossties and bridge caps needed to be replaced,' wrote company spokesperson Tom Ciuba. 'It's important to note that cosmetic appearance and the smell of creosote do not necessarily signify structural damage to rail bridges.' An investigation by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University found railroad bridge safety across the U.S. is hamstrung by minimal government oversight and limited transparency. This leaves rail companies largely in control of inspecting and maintaining their own bridges — allowing them to keep most details about problems out of sight from the public. This system differs starkly from the approximately 623,000 bridges carrying cars and trucks in the U.S., which must be regularly inspected, with results made public. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Among the Howard Center's investigative findings: — Only six inspectors from the Federal Railroad Administration are responsible for oversight of safety for 70,000 railroad bridges. — Roughly 10% of U.S. railroads have not had their bridge management programs audited by the FRA, 15 years after the rule on Bridge Safety Standards went into effect. — Some larger railroads, owned by companies with billions of dollars in annual revenue, have neglected installation of critical but sometimes costly safety features. — Even government officials have difficulty getting information about railroad bridge inspections. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Portland & Western Railroad declined to allow Howard Center reporters to view bridge management plans or inspection records for the Corvallis bridge. 'Bridge inspection reports are not something we typically release to the public, as they are very technical in nature and should only be analyzed by bridge engineers,' wrote Ciuba. Railroad bridge accidents across the U.S. FRA data show 112 bridge-related railroad accidents dating back to 1976, or on average more than two incidents per year. Mike Rush, safety director for the Association of American Railroads, said in every bridge-related derailment investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the cause of the bridge collapse was something other than bridge structure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But a 2016 report from the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation found about three railroad bridge collapses per year over a seven-year period could be attributed directly to failing bridge structures. The inspector general cited FRA data that showed 'structural failures of railroad bridges caused 21 train accidents between 2007 and 2014.' The FRA data includes many railroad bridge incidents the NTSB never investigated. The safety board only investigates the most serious accidents – it did not investigate the collapse in Corvallis, Oregon. Of seven accidents involving railroad bridges the NTSB did respond to since 2010 include multiple examples where companies deferred important maintenance before derailments. In September 2015, a BNSF train derailed while carrying ethanol, a highly flammable liquid, at a bridge near Lesterville, South Dakota. NTSB investigators found almost 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters) of ethanol leaked and caught fire, causing more than $1 million in damage. The safety board said 'BNSF was able to defer maintenance on the track' which, along with 'poor track structural support, increased the likelihood of rail failure.' In October 2023, a BNSF train derailed in Colorado, striking a nearby bridge that partially collapsed and killed a truck driver on the interstate below. NTSB investigators found a broken rail near the bridge approach caused the accident, related to an incorrect weld on the rail. After this incident, BNSF increased oversight of welding and began mandatory audits of every failed weld. In an email, BNSF said it meets all federal inspection requirements and the FRA has audited its bridge management plan 'many times.' Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition to allowing self-inspections of bridges, federal regulations require railroads to also oversee inspections of railroad track they own. But these track inspections do not have to be made public. In March 2017, a Union Pacific freight train derailed near a bridge in Graettinger, Iowa. Fourteen tank cars released approximately 322,000 gallons (1.2 million liters) of ethanol, sparking a fire and causing the evacuation of three homes. The NTSB faulted 'Union Pacific Railroad's inadequate track maintenance and inspection program and the FRA's inadequate oversight of the application of federal track safety standards.' In July 2020, a Union Pacific derailment near the Tempe Town Lake in Arizona prompted train cars to strike the bridge and cause a portion of it to collapse. A fire started and more than 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of flammable chemicals leaked. The NTSB determined that the absence of an inner guard rail, a second set of rails which could have prevented the derailed train from crashing into the bridge, contributed to the severity of the derailment. Union Pacific acknowledged, when questioned by the NTSB, it knew many bridges still needed the safety feature. 'The total number of bridges that require the inner guard rail is 635, and 218 do not have (the) inner guard rail installed,' Tomasz Gawronski, Director of Bridge Inspections for Union Pacific, said in his 2020 NTSB testimony. Gawronski said money may have been a factor. 'It's a rather costly effort, you know, to install the inner guardrails.' In 2020, Union Pacific reported operating revenues of $19.5 billion, with profits of $5.3 billion. Company spokesperson Robynn Tysver wrote in an email that Union Pacific has approximately 16,900 bridges that are inspected twice a year. Tysver did not answer follow-up questions, including when asked if the 218 bridges that still needed inner guard rails in 2020 had since had them installed. Too few staff and resources FRA rules require railroads to develop internal bridge management programs and conduct their own inspections. The FRA can audit these plans. But the audits are not occurring for all railroads. FRA spokesperson Warren Flatau said the agency audited bridge management plans for 677 out of approximately 755 railroad companies under a 2010 rule. That leaves one in 10 railroads without audits under current regulations. Flatau said the outstanding audits are all for Class III railroads, mostly smaller railroads with less revenue. He said smaller railroads change hands often, making oversight more difficult. The FRA's Bridge and Structures team now has just three bridge specialists and three structural engineers who oversee the railroads' self-inspections of 69,509 railroad bridges the FRA is aware of. 'It's shocking and just scary,' said Jared Cassity, a union leader with SMART TD, the largest railroad workers union in North America. 'When you think about six people and the number of bridges that exist in the United States of America, you cannot adequately perform… the oversight.' A new push for change In 2015, Congress passed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which requires railroads to release a small amount of general information about any bridge to government or elected officials who formally request the information. The required information does not include the year the bridge was built or information about the condition of key parts of the bridge like its deck or supports. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said officials who made requests found records 'were extremely redacted — so much so that it was almost a joke.' She plans to introduce legislation this year to force transparency. 'We want to create a public database where residents are able to just readily obtain the information regarding the safety of the bridges in their communities,' Lee said. Lee's initial attempt at rail bridge safety reforms in 2024 stalled, which she attributes to influence from railroad companies and their powerful lobbyists. 'It is not an issue that impacts one type of district — blue districts or red districts. This is an issue of national safety, of public safety, all across the country,' she said. ___ Reporters Matthew Bird, Mackenzie Miller and Justin Patton contributed to this story. It was produced by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, an initiative of the Scripps Howard Foundation in honor of the late news industry executive and pioneer Roy W. Howard. For more, see Contact us at howardcenter@ or on X @HowardCenterASU.
Epoch Times
19 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Day in Photos: Brushfire in Florida, Bus Crash in Afghanistan, and Sail-In Parade
A glimpse into the world through the lens of photography. Listen Save By Epoch Times Staff | August 20, 2025Updated:August 20, 2025 Share this article Leave a comment More Photo Pages see more Day in Photos: Anti-Terror Exercise In South Korea, Barge on Fire, and Annual Weigh-In at London Zoo Day in Photos: Volcanic Eruption in Indonesia, Trump Meets Zelenskyy, and Pygmy Hippo America in Photos: National Guard in Washington, Trump Meets Putin, and Hurricane Erin Monitored Day in Photos: Flood in Nigeria, Air Canada Strike, and Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day in Photos: Trump Meets Putin, World War II Anniversary, and Wildfire in Spain Day in Photos: National Guard Patrols Washington, Air Balloon Accident, Clashes In South Africa Day in Photos: Floods In India, Wildfire in Greece, and Sailing Ship Festival Day in Photos: 105-Year-Old Royal Marines Veteran, Heatwave in Europe, and Grouse Hunting Season Day in Photos: Wildfire in Portugal, Attack on Refugee Camp, and Traditional Sailing Boats To ensure we reach the high standards of reliability and neutrality that you expect from us, we are engaging with Ad Fontes Media to analyze our content. If you find an article you think falls short of the standard, please submit the link through this form. Copyright © 2000 - 2025 The Epoch Times Association Inc. All Rights Reserved.
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Five Raised Bed Options to Optimize Your Garden
I've grown vegetables, herbs, fruits, and native plants (with my grandmother's pruners) at my home in Portland, Maine, since 2015. After 10 years of annual soil amendment, establishing (and reestablishing) borders and paths, and fighting a losing battle against weeds in my in-ground gardens, I was eager to learn why so many home gardeners love raised beds. To research this guide, I spent dozens of hours reading Reddit threads and watching videos that debate the merits of metal versus wooden raised beds. I also researched several gardening books, to get information about soil-depth requirements and growing seasons. To better understand the benefits of raised beds over in-ground gardens, I spoke with Caleb Goossen, organic crop and conservation specialist at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. I also learned about different lumber options and their varying prices and durability from Mike Friedland of Lumbery, a locally owned lumberyard in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I made a mockup design of a DIY raised bed. And then I priced all of the necessary lumber and hardware, in order to assess any possible cost savings that raised-bed kits might offer. Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I'm never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards. Raised beds are an efficient way to use space in a small yard, since they can be planted relatively densely and eliminate the need for walkways. And because you (or your kids) aren't likely to accidentally step into the beds, they help prevent soil compaction. They also warm up quickly in the spring and cool down slowly in the fall, effectively extending the local growing season. You also might benefit from raised beds if: You lack good soil. It's challenging to grow anything in gritty sand, dense clay, or soil studded with rocks and tangled with roots. And soil that is contaminated with lead or other toxins isn't safe to plant in. As Caleb Goossen, of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners, told me, with raised beds, 'You can control the soil.' Raised beds can be filled with a nutrient-rich blend of compost and soil. To save money, you can try layering natural materials using the lasagna method, which requires only about 6 inches of soil, added at the end. (Fall is a great time to begin this process.) You struggle with weeds. Weeds can set up shop in a raised bed, but a wooden or metal frame acts as a buffer and greatly slows them down. It's also a heck of a lot easier to run a string trimmer around the edge of a raised bed than it is to maintain a border between lawn and vegetable patch. Lining the beds with landscaping fabric helps protect against weeds, and it offers a barrier against contaminated soil, but it also limits your garden's root growth to the depth of the bed. (If the soil beneath your bed is uncontaminated and uncompacted, you can increase the planting depth by lining it with cardboard; it will decompose and allow topsoil to integrate with soil in the bed.) You have time to water. While raised beds can improve drainage, they also typically require more-diligent watering than in-ground gardens. That's because their exposed walls can allow heat to enter and water to exit faster than you might expect. Heavy mulch applications can help with this, in addition to adding valuable nutrients. You need heightened garden beds. If you have trouble bending over or kneeling, or you want to grow vegetables or flowers on a patio, you might consider getting an elevated raised bed. These beds have the same benefits as traditional raised garden beds, with the added bonus of being around 3 feet high. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter I chose lumber that should last at least 10 years. Keeping durability in mind, I prioritized kits made with rot-resistant cedar, which can survive outdoors for anywhere from 10 to 20 years. You can find cheaper beds made with untreated SPF lumber, but they will likely rot and decay within about five years. For metal raised beds, I was looking for ones that would last closer to 20 years. Manufacturers of metal garden beds claim these types have impressive lifespans of 20-plus years. Galvanized steel has long been revered for its excellent durability, and writer Jackie Reeve swears by Behrens tubs for easy container gardening. Many companies now employ modern, alloy-coated steel, like ZAM or Aluzinc, for their beds. These metals provide greater corrosion-resistance than traditional galvanized steel, and in theory they can last outdoors for decades. I sought beds with straightforward assembly, requiring few tools. If you're a skilled carpenter, you probably want to design and build your own custom raised bed. If you have middling or nonexistent carpentry skills, though, you likely want a raised bed that's easy to assemble, with clear instructions. I looked for raised-bed kits that could be assembled by one person in under an hour. Most beds required, at a minimum, a Phillips head screwdriver to tighten bolts and screws, but some required a drill. I also looked for versatility in bed shape and size. I decided to focus on 4-by-8-foot beds; these dimensions are ideal for a highly productive home garden. Some manufacturers offer different depth options, and they can be helpful, depending on what you plan to grow. All of the metal raised-bed kits I tested were modular in design, so a single kit could be assembled in several different configurations. This design is beneficial for smaller yards, or for when you need to capture a specific patch of late-afternoon sunlight. With wooden beds, I sought models that come in multiple sizes. Finally, I considered the general visual appeal of the beds. Since raised garden beds become semipermanent fixtures in your yard, they should be easy on the eyes. Cedar beds with simple hardware looked elegant and classic. With metal beds, I appreciated models that offered an appealing array of paint colors and those with safety edging along the top, to hide unsightly panel corners. I assembled the beds at a local elementary school. In order to test seven raised beds simultaneously, I needed space — lots of it. As the nascent chair (and lone member) of the recently revived PTA greening committee at my kids' elementary school, I sought and gained approval to build the beds on school grounds in Portland, Maine. Working with a few parent volunteers, I scrutinized the instructions for each bed, timed its assembly from start to finish, and took note of any tools required. I filled the beds with a blend of compost and soil — and plants. After lining the beds with landscaping fabric (for weed suppression), I filled each one with a blend of compost and soil. Some eager kids helped with this task, and I took note as they bumped and bashed the beds with wheelbarrows and shovels. I watched for nicks, dents, and dings in the sides of the beds, and I assessed how well the materials withstood the hundreds of pounds of pressure exerted by the soil. Students then filled the beds with hundreds of flower and vegetable seedlings that they'd germinated in class. I waited for the beds to settle on less-than-level ground. Because I assembled seven beds simultaneously, I wasn't able to be very particular in our search for level ground. After just a few weeks, I noticed which beds were still perfectly square, despite being placed on uneven ground, and which ones were already starting to suffer from weakened corners. I took the temperature of the soil in each bed on a sunny day. Curious to find out whether the soil in the metal beds was consistently hotter than the soil in the wooden beds, I inserted a kitchen thermometer 6 inches into each bed, and then I tested the soil in the ground to compare the temperatures. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The Gardener's Supply Company Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed is handsome and sturdy, and the high-quality lumber and powder-coated aluminum corner brackets will likely survive many years of gardening. At just under 15 inches tall, this bed offers a depth of soil that can support many varieties of flowers and vegetables, and it's available in four different lengths, ranging from 4 feet to 12 feet. I tested the 4-by-8-foot version. It uses excellent-quality cedar boards. The cedar boards that came with the kit were smooth and attractive, and they should last for around 15 years. One side of each board was planed and smooth (or 'finished,' in lumber speak), while the other side was rough. The instructions said to place the rough sides facing inward and the finished sides outward, and this gave the assembled bed a polished look. A few of the boards were slightly bowed, but they straightened out once we screwed in the internal hardware (called 'flat stock'). Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The boards measure 13/16 inches thick. So they're thicker than the rough-cut Greenes Fence boards but thinner than the finished cedar 2-by-6 boards in the DIY bed. Mike Friedman told me that even though thicker boards are stronger, the thing that affects durability the most is drainage. 'If you have a thick board that is constantly wet, then it will rot or decay faster regardless, whereas if you have a thinner board but good drainage, then it can last a really long time,' he explained. Gardener's Supply Company sells a waterproofer, made with juniper oil, that's intended to extend the life of the wood, but I haven't tested it. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The hardware is durable, attractive, and sturdy. Gardener's Supply Company's signature black powder-coated aluminum corners are easy to install and exceptionally strong. After you slide the cedar boards into the corners, making sure they're fully seated and level with the bottoms of the corners, you secure them with the provided screws. None of the screws are visible from the outside, and that lends elegant appeal. During testing, this bed was placed on a slightly uneven surface, and after three weeks, all four corners were still perfectly square; this was not the case with the other two wooden beds in the test. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Assembly is fairly easy, but the box is huge and heavy. The instructions for the Gardener's Supply bed were on a single piece of paper, and it took some deciphering to figure out the process. But once I laid out all of the boards and hardware, this bed came together quickly: I assembled it in about 40 minutes. Assembly required using a drill and a rubber mallet, and Gardener's Supply provided a buffer of six extra screws. Because some of the boards are 8 feet long, this kit was shipped in a very large box, which took two people to carry. It's the ideal size for a beginner home garden. The 4-by-8-foot model is the perfect size for most home gardens because it can support a large amount of several types of vegetables. Gardeners generally agree that when a bed is wider than 4 feet, it's difficult to access the center. If you're planning on gardening with small children (or you have a petite yard), and you want something that provides even easier access, consider buying this bed in the 2-foot-wide or 3-foot-wide version. This bed is just under 15 inches tall, and this is an ideal height for shallow-rooted plants, like lettuce and herbs, but it can also accommodate some medium-rooted vegetables, including tomatoes and eggplant. To fill this bed, you'll need about 1.5 cubic yards of soil, which many local nurseries will deliver for a fee. Flaws but not dealbreakers This is one of the most expensive beds. The Gardener's Supply Company's Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed costs about $100 more than the two metal raised beds we recommend, both of which will probably outlast the Gardener's Supply bed. But finished cedar lumber is expensive, whether you buy it as part of a kit or DIY-style from a lumberyard, so the price is fair. Despite the 'Deep Root' in this bed's name, its soil depth is best suited for growing shallow- and medium-rooted vegetables. This bed offers the bare minimum of depth recommended for growing medium-rooted vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. To compensate for cramped roots, you can always offer those plants extra support. But if your goal is easy and abundant tomato production, you might be better off with a taller version of one of the metal beds. Key Specs Materials: untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws Dimensions: 48 by 96 by 14.75 inches 48 by 96 by 14.75 inches Soil requirements: 40 cubic feet Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The Gardener's Supply Company Elevated Cedar Planter Box is basically a smaller, elevated version of the Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. This bed is a great option for those who struggle to bend or kneel, and it provides excellent drainage, but the extra-shallow planting depth limits the variety of plants you can successfully grow. It's simple to put together. Gardener's Supply Company provides comprehensive instructions for assembling this elevated bed, compared with the rather spare instructions that come with its Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. This bed's instructions contain detailed images for each step of assembly. And the two end panels come preassembled, which is a nice, labor-saving gesture. The bed came together in just under 45 minutes, and assembly required only a drill and a rubber mallet. The hardware, lumber, end panels, and floor planks fit together precisely, making my job easy. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter This bed adds beauty to your outdoor space. The planting box is elevated in more ways than one: It stands 29 inches high, and it has a simple, elegant look that will complement most outdoor decor and furniture. The cedar boards, which are rough on one side and finished on the other, eventually fade to a silvery-gray, and the rust-proof, powder-coated aluminum hardware is built to withstand the elements. So this bed's aesthetic appeal will only improve with age. And because it adds some height to a garden, this bed also looks great alongside other, lower raised beds. It's remarkably durable and provides optimal drainage. In 2019, editor Hannah Morrill placed four of these beds on her porch in Portland, Maine. The beds have since survived six winters, with very little wear and tear. 'They have faded to gray like all cedar does, but the integrity of the wood remains the same,' she told me. The elevated cedar planting box that I assembled at the elementary school was placed on a relatively uneven woodchip pathway. Yet the aluminum corners are so sturdy that the box shows zero signs of strain, despite its unbalanced footing. And because this bed is raised above the ground, it has built-in drainage, which will help preserve the cedar boards for even longer. Flaws but not dealbreakers The planting depth is shallow. Although the Gardener's Supply Company Elevated Cedar Planter Box is 15 inches tall, its planting depth is only 10 inches. That's a fine depth for growing shallow-rooted vegetables, like herbs, lettuces, radishes, and strawberries, but it's less ideal for medium- or deep-rooted vegetables, like tomatoes, kale, and eggplant. It's possible to grow some of these plants in shallow soil, but you should probably offer them extra support, to compensate for their cramped roots. This bed requires potting soil, which costs more than garden soil. Gardener's Supply Company says you must fill this planter with potting soil (not garden soil) because it drains well and resists compaction. So this box is ideal for container gardens that are not integrated with the ground. But potting soil increases the cost: One cubic foot of organic potting mix is about $20, whereas the same amount of organic garden soil costs about $12. Soil can fall through the planks. The six floor planks, which nestle neatly into the frame, are spaced to allow for proper drainage. Unfortunately, the spaces also allow lots of soil to fall through. So before I filled the bed, I lined the planks with landscaping cloth. Key specs Materials: untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws Dimensions: 23.5 by 48 by 29 inches; soil depth of 10.5 inches 23.5 by 48 by 29 inches; soil depth of 10.5 inches Soil requirements: 6 cubic feet of potting soil Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The Birdies Large Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit is another excellent metal raised bed. Inspired by Australian farmers who repurposed old metal water tanks as garden beds, Birdies introduced its ultra-durable corrugated metal raised bed kits in 2009. This bed is also very easy to assemble. Similar to the time it took to build the Vego Garden 17" Tall 10 In 1 Jumbo Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit, this bed took about an hour to assemble. The instructions were fairly clear, with helpful illustrations, and this kit had only 62 bolts and nuts to screw in, compared with the Vego Garden bed's 72 fastener sets. I used a drill to speed up the tightening process. The metal panels were covered in plastic, which had to be peeled off before assembly, but it was only on one side (unlike the Vego Garden bed's panels, which had plastic on both sides). Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Wire bracing offered extra support, which certain dimensions require, and it was easy to install. Like the Vego Garden bed, this bed also arrived in a surprisingly compact box. But the Birdies box was sealed without tape, so it was easy to break down and use as a bed liner, in lieu of landscaping fabric. (And just like the Vego Garden bed, the Birdies bed has no bottom.) The metal panels are exceptionally durable and likely to last decades. Birdies garden beds are made with long-lasting and reflective ZAM coated steel, which, like Vego Garden's VZ 2.0, is galvanized steel substrate coated in zinc, aluminum and magnesium. Because Birdies has been around since 2009, there is online proof that the beds last. This YouTube video offers a detailed explanation of the state of one person's Birdies bed after 12 years of use. (Spoiler alert: It's in great shape, with the exception of some wear on the plastic cap lining the top edge of the bed.) Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter It's modular and versatile. Like the Vego Garden bed, this bed can be assembled in five different configurations. I went with the 4-by-8-foot version. It comes in only two heights, though, and four colors. But this bed essentially offers the same level of adaptability. If you go with a 2-, 3-, or 4-foot-wide configuration, you'll want to install the included wire support braces. The price is competitive with those of other metal beds. This garden bed's price is comparable to that of the Vego Garden bed, and just like the Vego bed, this one is frequently on sale. Epic Gardening (the company that sells Birdies beds to the US market) offers free shipping for orders over $79. Some gardeners appreciate its manufacturing origin. Birdies initially introduced its product to Australian gardeners and has since expanded globally. Its beds continue to be manufactured in Australia, with Australian steel. This distinction is meaningful to some gardeners, especially as a subtle contrast with the Vego bed, which is made in China. Flaws but not dealbreakers As with the Vego Garden bed, this bed's soil is consistently warmer than soil in wooden beds. I tested this bed and the Vego Garden bed in their versions of light green, and the soil in both beds was about five to seven degrees warmer than soil in wooden beds. Opt for the 'Light Clay' paint color if you live in a hot climate and are concerned about too-hot soil, or go with a wooden option instead. This bed is only offered in two heights. Just like with the Gardener's Supply Co. Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed, this bed's 15 inches of soil depth limits the variety of plants you can successfully grow. You can opt for the 29-inch deep version of this bed, but it requires almost twice the amount of soil. I preferred the Vego Garden's 17-inch depth—those two inches can make a meaningful difference to plants like tomatoes or peppers. The protruding bolt ends are ever-so-slightly treacherous. I wish the Birdies bed had cap nuts to cover the protruding bolts on the top two rows of the interior of the bed, like the Vego Garden bed has. The unprotected bolt tips can scrape against your hands as you weed and plant. Key Specs Materials: metal alloy panels, stainless steel hardware and bracing, plastic safety edging metal alloy panels, stainless steel hardware and bracing, plastic safety edging Dimensions: 95.5 by 47.25 by 15 inches 95.5 by 47.25 by 15 inches Soil requirements: 40 cubic feet Jessica Bell/NYT Wirecutter Many gardeners, including some at Wirecutter, recommend Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks as a customizable option for raised garden beds. The square cement blocks are notched on all four sides, allowing for modular construction. If you don't own a drill, but you're interested in making a custom bed, these blocks will work well. But these beds take more work to build, and they won't save you much money. Assembly is incredibly fast. Once you've unloaded and laid out your blocks and lumber, it takes about five minutes to put together a 4-by-8-foot garden bed. You simply slide the lumber into the notched ends, stacking lumber and blocks as needed. (The blocks are 7.5 inches high, so each block can accommodate one 2-by-6 board. For a 12-inch-deep bed, you'll need eight blocks total, with two stacked at each corner.) You don't need a drill. Our other picks require a drill for assembly. If that's an obstacle for you, this option skips that step. The blocks are inexpensive (but don't forget the lumber). These blocks are around $4 each, so I spent around $37 on eight blocks, including delivery. However, if you buy good lumber, the total cost goes up considerably. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Due to their modular nature, these blocks are endlessly customizable. Maybe you're chasing a specific patch of direct sun in your yard, or maybe you want to maximize a small space. Or perhaps you find squares and rectangles boring. With the Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks, you can build L-shaped beds, U-shaped beds, and elegant tiered beds. You can also start with a small bed, perhaps a 4-by-4-foot model, and then add onto it later, by sliding lumber into open notches on the existing blocks and purchasing more blocks as needed. (Be warned: One successful growing season will likely generate an irrational desire to expand your garden during subsequent seasons.) Flaws but not dealbreakers The notches require specific lumber. Because the notches in the Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks measure 1⅝ inches, they can fit only finished 2-by-6 boards. (A finished 2-by-6 board actually measures 1.5 by 5.5 inches: Its nominal dimension — '2-by-6,' in this case — refers to the size of the board before it was dried and planed.) This isn't an issue if you plan to use commonly available stock lumber, such as pine or fir. This bed costs more money to build than similar premade kit options. If you opt for inexpensive lumber, such as pine or fir, and you stop at 12 inches of soil depth, you could build this DIY option for just over $100. That's not a good value, though, since those types of wood have much shorter lifespans than the kind of cedar that distinguishes the other raised-bed kits. Home Depot or Lowe's didn't have any cedar in stock when I needed it, so I went to a local lumber yard. That place had inexpensive, rough-cut cedar, but only in 1-by-6 dimensions, so I had to go with finished 2-by-6 cedar that would fit in the notches. For a 4-by-8-foot bed with a foot of depth, I needed 48 feet of finished cedar, which cost around $390. In total, this bed ended up costing more than the Gardener's Supply Company Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. If you're interested in using long-lasting cedar, the Gardener's Supply Company bed is a better deal. But to get a custom-size bed to fit your space, this DIY option might be worth the cost. A level surface is more necessary here than with other options. Our other picks could handle slight imperfections in grade. But with this method, those can show through, pushing the pieces out of alignment. To keep things looking square, reinforcements such as rebar (which slides into the holes in the blocks) and concrete adhesive are options to consider. Key specs Materials: concrete blocks and lumber, plus optional rebar and concrete adhesive concrete blocks and lumber, plus optional rebar and concrete adhesive Dimensions: 54 by 102 by 11 inches 54 by 102 by 11 inches Soil requirements: about 50 cubic feet The Greenes Fence Co Original Cedar Raised Garden Bed arrived in a compact, lightweight box and was remarkably easy to put together, employing clever dovetail joints in lieu of hardware. But some of the unfinished cedar boards were quite bowed, and others were cracked or splintered. The 4-foot-long, 3.5-inch-wide boards were only 5/8 of an inch thick, which made them the thinnest lumber in the test. In theory, this means they're less durable than beds made with thicker lumber. The lack of hardware contributed to the ease of assembly, but it also meant that the boards didn't feel secure in the corner posts. The Landguard Galvanized Raised Bed Garden Kit is very inexpensive, and it's just as easy to assemble as the other high-quality metal beds. But it doesn't have plastic safety edging, so the sharp corners of its metal panels may pose a slight risk to gardeners. And rather than employing a more corrosive-resistant metal, like Aluzinc, it uses galvanized steel, which is cheaper but less durable. The Outdoor Living Today 6x3 Raised Garden Bed was intriguing for its finished red cedar boards and enticing accessories. But its dimensions are less than ideal: At 33.5 inches high, it requires a lot of soil, even though it measures only 6 feet by 3 feet. Plus accessories like a deer-proof fence and trellis or a greenhouse cover will drive up the already-high price. This article was edited by Harry Sawyers, Kyle Fitzgerald, and Jason Chen. Mike Friedland, Owner, Lumbery, email interview, June 6, 2025 Caleb Goossen, Organic Crop and Conservation Specialist, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, phone interview, June 13, 2025
