Artifex - Self-Watering Planter

The Artifex is the modern LifeSpace self-watering raised garden bed — clean lines, low-profile mitered caps, and stainless steel industrial-grade hardware, handbuilt from Western Red Cedar in North Vancouver, BC, with the GardenWells® sub-irrigation system built in. Available at ground level or as the Elevated Artifex at standing height, in standard sizes or fully custom dimensions.

Same modern design, same cedar, same self-watering system — the Elevated Artifex raises the growing bed to standing height, so you plant, tend, and pick with no bending or kneeling. Choose ground level for yards, landscapes, and large plots; choose Elevated for comfort, patios, decks, and terraces.

Anyone who wants a modern garden at a comfortable working height — no bending, no kneeling. It suits gardeners with backs and knees that have earned a rest, and design-led patios, decks, and rooftop terraces where a clean, taller profile belongs.

The Artifex is the choice for modern, minimalist spaces. Prefer classic lines and a cap wide enough to sit on? See the Heirloom — both designs come at ground level or Elevated to standing height. For wheelchair access, the Harmony Accessibility Garden; for balconies and small patios, our CondoFarms planters.

GardenWells® reservoirs sit below the soil and feed roots from beneath — the way nature waters. Moisture wicks upward as plants need it, keeping soil evenly moist without daily watering, drip lines, or timers.

About once a week by hose or watering can — check the FloatGauge and top up. Depending on season and size, a full reservoir often carries the garden for weeks at a time.

Sub-irrigation uses up to 80% less water than traditional overhead watering, because water feeds roots directly instead of evaporating off the surface. No irrigation pipes, plumbing, or timers required.

Herbs, salad greens, tomatoes, peppers, root vegetables, strawberries, edible flowers, and pollinator plants all thrive in the deep, evenly moist beds. Its clean profile also works as a modern planter for ornamentals, grasses, and hedging.

Yes. The GardenWells® are food-safe polypropylene and the liner is food-safe polyethylene, so you control everything that touches your food — soil, amendments, and seeds.

Western Red Cedar with low-profile mitered caps, glued-and-screwed joinery, and stainless steel industrial-grade hardware. The food-safe liner keeps soil and water off the wood entirely.

Cedar is naturally rot-resistant, and because the liner keeps soil and moisture away from the wood, LifeSpace gardens outlast ordinary raised beds by years — backed by a 10-year warranty on the Artifex and Elevated Artifex.

The Artifex comes in seven standard sizes from 2′×2′ to 4′×8′, and the Elevated Artifex in matching standing-height sizes — in finishes from Raw Cedar to Silver Patina, Coastal, and Raven. Both are available in custom dimensions, and an optional trellis can be added.

Backyards, patios, decks, terraces, courtyards, and rooftops — anywhere with sun and access for a weekly fill. For rooftop and structural projects, ask us about load planning and we'll support your review with drawings and specs.

Yes — the Artifex is a favourite of architects and landscape designers, growing at restaurants, developments, senior communities, and public spaces across North America. Spec sheets and AutoCAD files are available on this page, and the weekly watering routine is what makes edible landscaping realistic for commercial teams.

No winterizing needed. The passive system has no pumps, lines, or emitters to drain or blow out, and cedar is a natural exterior wood — the Artifex lives outdoors year-round.

Fill the reservoir and check the FloatGauge before you leave — in mild weather the garden looks after itself for weeks. It's the difference between asking a neighbour to water daily and not asking at all.

Each garden is handbuilt to order in North Vancouver, BC and arrives ready for straightforward site assembly — no professional experience required. Pick up free at our shop, or we ship across Canada and the US, crated and insured; lead times vary by season and are confirmed at your order.

Clean modern lines usually mean a metal or composite planter. The Artifex gives you that look in real Western Red Cedar, with the GardenWells® self-watering system inside — handbuilt in our North Vancouver shop since 2012 by people who grow food in them too.