Gardener shares ancient gardening technique that skips pricey materials: 'That is so much prettier'

Tired of spending a small fortune on lumber for your garden beds? One gardener shared an old-school technique that skips the pricey materials — and looks way better, too.

In a viral video, TikToker Hygge Haven (@hygge.haven) shows how they built her raised flowerbeds using a traditional method called wattle fencing. No nails. No metal. Just sticks, stakes, and some careful footwork.

@hygge.haven Replying to @murfygirl4 Does the dirt just fall through those sticks? it's a fair question! But this ancient method, rooted in Amish farming traditions, is stronger than it looks. Here's how I built a wattle-style raised bed that holds up and holds soil—no boards required. Let me walk you through it, step by step. #GardenHack #RaisedBedIdeas #WattleFence #NoWasteGardening #PermacultureGarden #HomesteadDIY #HyggeHaven ♬ original sound - Hygge Haven

The trick helps gardeners cut costs, build strong beds, and skip the heavy lifting of timber.

The scoop

The TikToker walks viewers through their homemade wattle fence, explaining how it's held up, even after heavy rain.

"This is the first wattle fence raised bed that I did, I think two years ago?" they say in the clip. "There's no dirt washout. You see a little bit of dirt through here. But for the most part, it's pretty packed in."

They admit some soil slipped out when they first filled the bed. But once packed tight and walked on, the structure held firm. "After you do it, it's strong, it can bear weight, and it's not really going anywhere," they say.

The bed is made using vertical wooden stakes pushed into the ground and weaving long branches in and out between them. As they explain, stepping on the fence helps tighten the gaps and press the soil into place, creating a natural wall.

They say they got the idea from an Amish site showing how the same fence design was once used to hold pigs. "If you do this correctly, it will stay like this for years."

How it's helping

Wattle fencing saves a good chunk of change. Lumber prices are still high in many areas, and metal beds aren't cheap, either. If you've got access to fallen branches or trimmings, this method costs next to nothing.

It's also gentler on the environment. Swapping store-bought materials for natural ones means you're not supporting the cutting and shipping of lumber. Plus, you're reusing wood that might have otherwise been thrown away or burned.

How often will you be gardening this summer? Every day 🥗 At least once a week 🥕 At least once a month 🌱 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

And there's another bonus: growing your own food. These raised beds are perfect for starting a veggie patch. That means less grocery spending, less plastic packaging, and fewer trips to the store. If you're ready to start planting, here's a quick guide to growing your own food.

What everyone's saying

Viewers loved the idea — not just for the savings but for the style, too.

"I'm going to make a wattle fence this week after watching your videos," one person wrote.

Another added, "I'm making one right now for my asparagus."

But the comment that got the most agreement? "That is so much prettier also than a metal raised bed!!!"

Hard to argue with that.

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