For those looking on building raised beds and trellises out of wood, I found a budget friendly method where you use regular stock lumber that does not contain harmful chemicals and is mold/weather resistant.

Originally I bought 8 of those cedar 4'x4' raised bed kits and connected them together to make a bed in the shape of an "E". Cedar tends to hold up better in the elements and with ground contact then stock lumber but the prices are ridiculous. Lowe's wants $20 for one 2x4. Two years ago, I think it was $11 per 2x4 and I used these to build trellises.

This year, I want to add fruit cages around 4 of the beds to prevent the birds from eating the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I purchase 2"x"2x8' furring strips, laid them out flat, made a batch of really strong black tea and used this as a stain. Once fully dried after a couple of days outside, I sealed them with a mixture of 2 parts canola oil and 1 part apple cider vinegar. So far I am happy with the color of the wood and it ability to repel moisture as a good number of these posts will see ground contact.