Raised Garden Bed Materials

Raised Garden Bed Materials

Building a 4'×8' raised bed against a Plymouth stone wall or filling a cedar kit on a Brockton patio? The mix that works in New England's heavy clay soil is loam for body, compost for nutrients, and a screened garden mix on top for seed-friendly tilth. Skip the bagged big-box dirt — at 1.2 cubic yards for a 4'×8' bed at 12" deep, bulk delivery is half the cost and you get a real soil profile, not peat-and-perlite filler.

What goes in the bed:

  • Topsoil Loam ½" Screened — the foundational fill. Holds moisture, anchors roots. Use as the bottom 6–8" of any bed.
  • Super Loam — premium screened blend with more organic body. Use as the top 4–6" if you want a richer planting layer without amending separately.
  • Garden Soil Mix — pre-blended loam + compost. Drop-in solution for smaller beds where you don't want to layer.
  • Horticultural Soil Mix — finer blend tuned for vegetables and annuals. Best for the top dressing.
  • Compost — work 2–3" into the top layer or use as an annual amendment in spring.

Sizing rule of thumb: A 4'×8' bed at 12" deep = 1.2 cubic yards. A 4'×12' bed at 12" deep = 1.8 cubic yards. Add 10% if you're settling fresh fill.

Same-day or next-day dump-truck delivery across Massachusetts and Rhode Island for orders over 3 yards. Smaller orders welcome at our Brockton yard for pickup.