I made beautiful raised beds for my garden using large stones. You can get them free by going to the Paradise Road ranger station and getting a permit, which will also include a map of the area where you are allowed to pick up stones.

One mistake that I made was to target the very beautiful serpentine rocks. They make a lovely raised bed, but randomly I attended a lecture where it was noted that the copper (I think it is copper) in those rocks is not good for plants. Luckily the part of the raised spirals and beds that used the serpentine I planted with succulentss and local sages, which seem to be tolerating whatever the serpentine leaches out. The vegetable and herb beds are from the usual sandstone rocks.

I leaned from Larry Santoyo that one can make a stone wall three large stones high without using any cement or binder other than backfilling with dirt. You simply off-set the stones, slightly recessed, and place long lozen shaped stones with the long side going into the bed here and there to give it extra strength. Amazingly you can find stones that fit together if you get enough of them. Or hire Larry Santoyo....

Betsy