Gopher-proof raised garden bed

By Lloyd Kahn on June 11, 2010

2 rows of concrete blocks stacked on layer of ¼-inch mesh, filled with soil

About Lloyd Kahn

Lloyd Kahn started building his own home in the early '60s and went on to publish books showing homeowners how they could build their own homes with their own hands. He got his start in publishing by working as the shelter editor of the Whole Earth Catalog with Stewart Brand in the late '60s. He has since authored six highly-graphic books on homemade building, all of which are interrelated. The books, "The Shelter Library Of Building Books," include Shelter, Shelter II (1978), Home Work (2004), Builders of the Pacific Coast (2008), Tiny Homes (2012), and Tiny Homes on the Move (2014). Lloyd operates from Northern California studio built of recycled lumber, set in the midst of a vegetable garden, and hooked into the world via five Mac computers. You can check out videos (one with over 450,000 views) on Lloyd by doing a search on YouTube:
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18 Responses to Gopher-proof raised garden bed

  1. Hey Lloyd, a little off topic, but have you ever run the Angel Island trail 1/2 marathon? It's August 28th this year. I am going to be in California for my first time ever for an Army National Guard school at Camp Parks (I live in West Virginia), and I am planning on running in it. I would be thrilled to meet you if you are around then. Victor Snover

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  4. ah, yes, fences would do it. we live in the city, and there is huge cross city park blocks away. we actually leave our side gate open, (on purpose for deer), and have the deer/pheasants/etc going back and forth in our yard. Usually they don't each much garden/trees – usually just grass. but this year they have started to take an interest. of course we could close the gate but, we love to watch them so close. (thought maybe you had a trick)

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  11. Lloyd would you use the blocks if you were to do it again or wood? I need 7, 16 X 4 beds and 7 4 X 4 beds. Trying g to decide on cedar or block. Any leaching of chemicals from the blocks. Any down side?

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  16. Hi Lloyd, I want to make a raised bed : 3’x4′ for my tomatoes n peppers…I thought it was just block on block …but I think u added mesh??? Please help ! Thank u!

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  18. I plan to build a raised bed, partially underground to save on buying soil). How do you prevent gophers fom getting in? I’ve been using hardwarae cloth, but it gets expensive..

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