I’m a huge fan of using these galvanized, industrial looking troughs in the garden. Concord Feed has a nice selection of them. This is the one in Pleasant Hill.
A large selection of galvanized containers at a feed store.
People are often shocked when they get quoted for having someone build a raised bed for them. It takes skill to make a really nice, sturdy cedar or redwood raised bed, so it makes sense that it would be expensive. And don't get me wrong, I love a wooden raised bed, especially when they've been built with a wide lip for sitting or resting your tools.
There are a lot of reasons people might want a raised bed, and if they just don't have the money to invest in a well-built wooden one, I think the galvanized ones are a perfect solution. For one, in this area the soil is often hard clay and also very possibly contaminated with high lead levels. It can also be a mobility issue. If you can't bend over or crouch comfortably, you'll want to harvest your veggies or flowers from something at least at the 2' height. These can also just add height to your garden pretty cheaply. I've used them as part of retaining walls.
Another reason these are nice is that you can take them with you when you move. So if you're renting, it will be easier to move these than disassembling wooden beds and reassembling them at your new place.
Homeowners can go to a feed store to buy these or have them delivered, fill them with soil, and they're ready to plant. Adding irrigation is no problem. They have a drainage hole so you can use that to run your irrigation line.
The galvanized troughs will also keep pesky gophers from tunneling up and snacking on your veggies.
I've heard complaints from people about these, and I have counter arguments. If folks don't like the industrial look, you can just paint them. I've seen them look really nice tinted in a coppery color to sort of look like Corten. They might be nice in a dusty grayish-green color as well.
Sometimes folks are worried about chemicals leaching into the soil from the metal. And look, I'm not a metallurgist... but the modern ones are not going to leach anything in troublesome quantities into your soil. Just don't use a vintage one from the '80s or older.