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[chamomeleon]

Plastic seems to be the cheapest, easiest, and most recyclable when it comes to waterproofing.  You could always use marine paint or fiberglass resin...but they can get pretty pricey and the fumes are no bueno 

[BubbleCat]

Maybe we want to look at things the other way round: Since money and most likely time are limited: What tools and skills do you have ? Advising on basic mansonry wouldnt be smart if you never dealt with it and are probably lacking the tools and skill thus needing more money and time acquiring those and paying for the f**k ups.

Also: what material or what kind of shops do you have acess too, do you already have anything we could think of reusing or repurposing, again: no reason in suggesting plywood if there none to be had.

A childrens pool doesnt sound applicable to me since if I got Uranium right he does want the outcome to be pleasing to the eye too, hence not only "a few containers".

"otherwise it would have drained my finances fixing it." Thats why I try to garden as little as possible in or on my houses, if I pass my favourite victim building today I'll snap a pic

Edit: the fumes of epoxy and poly are a sacred gift !

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[chamomeleon]

Bubble makes a good point.  Carpentry is pretty easy, tools and materials wise.  I don't know anything about masonry though 

[BubbleCat]

Even more easy tools wise and for basic brickwork skill wise, not so much when making vaults without support structures

Edit: this style: https://m.

Maybe Uranium could also camouflage a "inferior" garden like make a container garden and stick a few boards around it for the nice looks, then individual plants stay portable but all lut together the looks are nice.

See signature btw

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[chamomeleon]

I like that idea!  build a simple wood bed/ box/ whatever, stain or paint it however you like, load in your container(s), aaaaaand done! Makes it easier for watering/ harvesting/ rearranging/ ect.

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[BubbleCat]

And maybe even hide a rectangular pool in there in case the kids pay a visit, but yeah I still vouch for a layer of protective felt and pond lining if available.
He'll most likely want to stick with one size of preferrably square pots then.

[chamomeleon]

Maybe sterilite/ rubbermaid bins, those are rectangular and pretty easy to move around. Hmmm, Uranium, what will you be growing?  And how much? 

As for watering...do you have a gutter system you could attach a rain barrel to?  Or are you good on water supplies?

[Radium]

We have underground water here aside tap water, which is pumped up to rooftop to supply coolers. it's very cheap.
And we have episodes of no rainfall at all for long periods of time, plus short days of flooding crazy rainfalls.

Kids are forbidden to enter the rooftop, after two of kids died there.
One of them dropped down and died (due to walking backwards carelessly) when flying her kite up there.
And some years before than that, a 5 years boy jumped off the rooftop while holding an umbrella in hand, thinking it would slow him down and give him a nice aerial ride. The parents said he watched a TV kids show yesterday where two crazy inspectors dropped off a 10 story building using umbrellas. poor kid was impaled on the sharp cherry tree in the backyard.
After all these, all residents decided to lock the rooftop, and I was chosen as the only key holder.

Anyway... back to our topic:
I am also thinking about using papercrete to build the raised bed.
I've worked with it before, it's a fantastic material, cheap, light, and easily workable.
The only drawback is that it's not waterproof, but that can be solved by elevating it 10cm, and also placing a layer of plastic sheeting under it on the rooftop surface.
I just worry about rot and destruction.
I'm not sure if papercrete does rot and deform gradually when exposed to water, or not.
Especially the variation made out of paper and plaster of Paris, because concrete is only sold in bulk here, they won't sell less it less than 200kg.
But I'm sure wax can be applied on papercrete because of its texture, allowing the wax to stick to it perfectly.
I haven't decided what to grow in that garden, but I will grow mostly annual vegetables, and maybe some grape vine.
Also if I can build a bed that can last for years, I will make a greenhouse and grow various tropical sacred plants like mimosa and caapi.

take a look at here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/472203/

I like to build one of them, but in the shape of a vast and big box, around 2x6 meters, and 40cm soil depth.

[Radium]

Long live Pinterest!

I just found this:
http://www.thehypertufagardener.com/oh-the-possibilities-draped-hypertufa/

Can be used to build big boxes.

[chamomeleon]

That seems like an interesting concept, the draped hypertufa...but how will you get it 2x6 meters?  Maybe a custom frame...

Also, is it at least water resistant?  Because it seems like a lot of trouble to go through (i.e. waterproofing the inside, keeping the bottom dry).  And then you have to worry about the sides, because they'll get wet when it rains... The best bet would probably be a waterproof coating of marine paint or fiberglass resin, which would take care of any potential rot or crumbling.

Or just smother the whole damn thing in beeswax! 

[Radium]

I haven't ever worked with cement, but I've heard it's water resisting on its own.
I will elevate the bed, by placing 4 bricks under it as legs.
And place a plastic sheet under the bed, to gather any water that leaks out of it.
I have to look for a frame for molding now.
Maybe an old door placed on two blocks?
It doesn't need to be 2x6, actually it will be better to divide it into multiple parts for better portability.

[chamomeleon]

A door would work.  Sawhorses might be better than blocks as supports, but use what you've got 

[BubbleCat]

Hypertufa isnt waterproof

[Radium]

Hypertufa isnt waterproof

What happens to it after awhile if constantly watered?

[Chicsa]

I haven't ever worked with cement, but I've heard it's water resisting on its own.

Concrete is porous. Cement is like a glue you used to bind together an aggregate to make concrete. You can however seal it using a variety of techniques, and have the water go where you want it to go. If you don't it will just leak through the concrete. I know I said Green Roof Systems are complicated but habibitable roofs in general are complicated systems due to the fact that you have to drain water, and it has to be sealed so that water doesn't get into the building. This is why we like sloped roofs so much, its much cheaper and doesn't involve a detailed of a process

Thats not to say its difficult, its just a very evolved process.