Raised beds/planters on decking

Posts

• nick615 Posts: 1,487

  June 2020

  First, there's no actual need for raised beds in any location - purely a matter of choice.  You've clearly gone to a lot of trouble/expense to get to the current position, so it would be a shame to spoil it?  If you don't think drainage is going to be a problem, you could use the structure you've got for sizeable shrubs in pots.  A 2ft strip immediately outside the decking, currently lawn, could then be used to create a flower bed or another lower level raised bed if preferred.
  

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• FlyDragon Posts: 834

  June 2020

  How much bother would it be to lift them and put them outside the edges of the decking so that they will drain into the garden soil not onto your decking? 

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• Klink Posts: 261

  June 2020 edited June 2020

  Why not convert them into a seating/storage area?
  

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• nicolabirkin Posts: 3

  June 2020

  Thanks for your responses so far!
  
  

  One option is to move them off the deck (quite straightforward) but this would also require reducing the size of the deck as there is not enough space on one side and it would look odd on the other because the deck is aligned with the house. We haven’t ruled this out but would prefer an easier and less expensive solution. 

  
  

  Putting tubs inside them is another option- I’ve still to find the right size but will keep looking.   They are 60cm high which is taller than most tubs though a false bottom could address this. My husband is thinking about building an inner structure if we can’t get tubs that are the right size. 

  
  

  We do want flowers on/alongside the deck so we wouldn’t convert them into seating or storage although it’s a good suggestion otherwise, which I’ve seen on decks. 

  
  

  Thanks again for your responses and we welcome any other ideas. 

  
  

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• FlyDragon Posts: 834

  June 2020

  Here's an idea then, move the ones that are against the long edge onto the grass, then move up the ones on the shorter edges so that they line up but keep those ones on the decking and put tubs or storage/seating in those?  You will probably also want to add another plank to the top of the ones on the grass so that the height matches. 
  
  You'll never get to realise their full potential with pots, sorry, but I think they'd look a bit odd. 
  
  
  

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• Kili Posts: 1,104

  June 2020 edited June 2020

  I'd just drill loads of holes in the bottom of each raised bed through to the underside of the decking below so any water runs under the decking. 
  
  Or cut the bottom of the raised bed out completely so your raised bed is now at soil level. Now line the hole you've created in the bottom of the bed with wood at soil level so it remains an enclosed structure.
  Line your raised beds with plastic matting material to stop the wood from rotting .Fill the bottom of the raised beds with rubble then a layer of gravel/shingle then top soil/compost/organic material.
  
  Then I would put 2/3 air vents around the edge plinth below each raised bed planter to ensure any water under there will dry out sufficiently by the air flow that will blow in through the vents.

  'The power of accurate observation .... is commonly called cynicism by those that have not got it.

  George Bernard Shaw'

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• steephill Posts: 2,841

  June 2020

  You could try an angled base plate inside to direct any drainage to the outside of the planters. Line this and the side walls with heavy duty plastic sheeting. You might need to remove the bottom plank on the outside edge and replace it with some perforated strip material for free drainage.
  

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• Nollie Posts: 7,529

  June 2020

  I think I would take the easier/path of least resistance and line the internal structure with waterproof membrane, it will need that anyway to stop the wood rotting. Don’t forget to protect the strengthening struts too. Before lining it, drill a series of holes in the bottom plank of the raised bed to create weep holes for drainage. Having then lined the bed, where the membrane covers the holes, take a sharp knife and cut a cross in the liner, then push through short lengths of pipe (copper piping maybe) from the inside out, which would need to protrude about 10cm so draining water doesn’t drip onto the base plate of the deck. Fill bottom with rubble/chunky gravel as your drainage layer.

  
  

  OK, you will have a series of sticky out pipes on the outside of the beds, but if they are visually irritating, removing a strip of lawn and planting some ornamental grasses or shrubs would disguise them!
  

  
  

  The problem with moving them off the deck onto the grass is one of deck drainage - assuming the deck is laid to a slight fall away from the house for rainwater runoff. It would then pool at the back of the raised bed and not do the deck or raised bed structure any good.
  
  

  Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.

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• nicolabirkin Posts: 3

  June 2020

  Thanks for taking the time to think about this for us!  We really appreciate it. 

  
  

  We’re going to take steps to protect the beds and set up a good drainage system, taking on board some very good advice from everyone’s posts. 

  
  

  Have a good evening!

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