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Use the faux wood that's become popular for use as decking. It won't be free, but it won't rot. Maybe a combo of faux wood and small weave chicken wire? At least that would make a sturdy frame.

I'm looking to replace my raised beds in a few years, myself, and from the look of things if you want cheap, wood is about it. On the other hand, a good solid wood construction will last a long time -- from what I can gather my beds were built in 1990, and despite some rot they're still functional. I've been told that if I replace some of the wood, I could get another ten years out of them.

I see regular waterings of any soil encased in stone work slowly shifting the stones and seeping out. wood is definitely the way to go. I didn't realize that wood was considered a not-so-long-lasting material?

Be careful with what sort of wood you use. Permapine is treated with chemicals (the old sort uses CCA which contains arsenic - not good in your veggie patch!). Old railway sleepers are another favourite but they too can be treated or contain a lot of chemicals from passing trains. Last time I checked there was a fair bit of info on this on the web. You probably need to look at some sort of hardwood but I suspect it won't be all that cheap.

I found some more on this since I am looking at doing something similar myself.

CCA info - why to not use it:
http://www.origen.net/arsenic.html

Tanalised timber - using a natural preservative:
http://www.planeandsimple.co.uk/pages/home.asp?content_id=6

Some people also suggest contacting scaffolding companies who often have scaffolding planks they can no longer use and are glad to get rid of.

Good luck!

One more point: some people have used old pallets successfully, sourced from transport companies etc. I don't know how this wood has been treated but it could be worth looking into.

In truth, there is nothing better than untreated cedar, which will last a very, very long time; it will silver, resist the elements, and be perfect for this job. The issue that I have with non-wood materials is their tendency to leach chems into the soil, which you do not want with vegetables

It depends of the style that your father wants, I suggest bricks (not only brick as everyone imagine them but also painted) for a stronger design.

One of my favorite materials for out door construction is cor-ten steel, you can use it very easly for the raised beds so you can create geometrical or wavy forms and have a beautiful color and texture.

There is a product called Everwood, made by Timber Pro in Oregon, that would be great. It basically is a safe way to treat wood to make it last a very long time. Used on cedar, it would be great for beds like you are discussing.

http://www.timberprocoatings.com/technicalinfo.htm