Material Thickness & Nominal Dimensions
When shopping for garden beds, you might notice their labeled size—like 4x4—doesn’t always align with their exact measurements. This happens because most garden beds use nominal dimensions, a system where the stated size reflects more of a general category than precise measurements. For example, a "4x4" garden bed might actually measure 46-1/2 inches by 46-1/2 inches on the outside.
Another factor is material thickness. The thickness of materials will reduce planting area in a garden bed, despite their listed size.
How Material Thickness Affects Planting Space
Garden beds are typically built using materials that vary in thickness. Let’s take a 4x4 garden bed made with common 2x8 boards as an example:
- A 2x8 board has an actual thickness of 1.5 inches.
- That thickness reduces the interior planting area by 3 inches total (1.5 inches on each side).
- So, the interior planting space would measure 45 inches by 45 inches, rather than a full 48 inches by 48 inches.
Why Do Manufacturers Use Nominal Dimensions?
There are two main reasons:
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Standardized Materials: Garden beds are often constructed with materials like lumber, which already have nominal sizing conventions.
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Simplicity: Stating a garden bed size as "4x4" is much easier and more intuitive than listing exact dimensions like "46.25 inches by 46.25 inches."
A great example of this convention is a 2x4 piece of wood. While it’s universally referred to as a 2x4, its actual dimensions are 1.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
How We’ve Solved This for You
At Garden In Minutes®, we understand how common these conventions are. That’s why we designed our Garden Grid™ watering system to fit nearly all common garden bed sizes, factoring in nominal dimensions and typical material thickness.
But we didn’t stop there. We also offer our own line of raised garden beds, designed to pair seamlessly with our Garden Grids™. These beds are thoughtfully crafted to ensure easy setup and compatibility, so you can enjoy an efficient, organized, and beautifully watered garden without any guesswork. Tap the images below to check them out. Happy gardening!
