@WildFlower85 see if he can get hold of tile crates as well. Below are some of my parsnips, which surprisingly do very well in my carefully designed raised bed
I actually did something similar earlier this year, using unused slated lawn edging and some other spare wood to make two 40x100cm raised planters, lined with an old tarpaulin. One courgette plant did very well in one of them, and the other is my dry/herb bed with lots of lovely smelling and bee friendly plants. But will still ask about tile crates! I'm definitely not bothered about how they look (nothing a lick of paint can't sort, anyway).
Personally I wouldn't put coriander and basil in the bed - they will do fine in pots or troughs, and the bed space will be better used for the other veg.
I had actually planned to put these herbs in plant pots, but thought (as I eat so much basil!) that I might add another plant or two in the raised beds as well. Definitely won't let the herbs take over the much-needed space!
Your basil and coriander will do best in sun and free draining soil, and lettuce prefers a bit more shade and dampness. You may want to have a couple of beds rather than just one
The plan is to have two square beds although they may sit next to each other. They get full sun as otherwise we only have space which is all shade (the rest 'part shade' is a meadow and patio area). The lettuce I plan to grow suggests a 'sunny spot' but I was thinking on those rare really scorching days I might just provide some DIY cover? Otherwise I might have to rethink where I grow the lettuce, which is fine.
I built three raised beds for my veg, about 120cm x 80cm x 45cm . The timber merchant was very helpful, cut the wood to size and delivered it, with 12 corner pegs. It cost a little under £200. The assembly was a piece of cake, I just had to drill holes in the pegs and fix it all together with rustproof screws. I'm a little old lady and I did it unaided in half a day.
That looks fine - the stuff in your link, but might be too heavy for the basil etc. It seems expensive to me though, but maybe that's because I've never bought anything like that! You might need to add some lighter compost or grit to that to ensure the drainage though. Raised beds also settle quite a bit, so be prepared to buy more than you think you might need too Lettuce grows very well in shadier spots- it's inclined to bolt when it's in sun/heat for long periods, so you may need to play about with the positioning as you go along.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
WildFlower85 No-one seems to have mentioned the option of paving slabs which a) come in a variety of sizes, b) are easily supported by lengths of angle iron driven into the ground, thus overcoming your question of getting 2x2 timber installed firmly, and c) your family member could probably get them for you 'trade'. So, you'll avail yourself of a set-up that will last decades, unlike scaffold boards, thus being cost effective in the long term. Should you ever feel you'd like to move them, no problem.
WildFlower85 No-one seems to have mentioned the option of paving slabs
Thanks for the suggestion! Funnily enough, this was something I was thinking about earlier this year as we had some slabs leftover from a newly laid patio. However we quickly realised this wasn't an option as they're very different sizes! While I appreciate their longevity, I think I'd prefer the aesthetic of the boards more. But thanks again
"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need"
Concrete gravel boards work as great raised beds, they'll outlive any timber structure and do paint up really well. Obviously they are quite hefty in size but I built some for a customer and just used angle iron at the corners and drilled through the board and the steel then put small bolts through. It's a 2 man job for most people but they do give a truly lifetime solution and quite cheap as a gravel boards are about £18 each from proper builders merchants, certainly 6ftx6ft bed is very doable
I would recommend Wayfair for good kits. Using (enuine) old sleepers - for flowers - is great, if you have the space. They make a good seat too. Sleepers would be my preference as they last forever.
We bought our raised bed wood from www.scaffolding-direct We bought the treated boards, which are more expensive. We covered them in non-permeable black plastic, to preserve them for longer. This looks awful, and isn't great for the environment, but if it preserves the boards for a lot longer (even treated wood can rot down quicker than you would expect), then we think it's worth it in the long term.
We have lined raised beds in the past with weed suppressing membrane, which is water permeable, so they rotted more quickly. We always line with a waterproof material now. A lot of our neighbours at the allotment cover their raised bed wood with the plastic tarpaulins which scaffolding companies use to curtain buildings that are covered in scaffold. The above mentioned company sells that too.
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The plan is to have two square beds although they may sit next to each other. They get full sun as otherwise we only have space which is all shade (the rest 'part shade' is a meadow and patio area). The lettuce I plan to grow suggests a 'sunny spot' but I was thinking on those rare really scorching days I might just provide some DIY cover? Otherwise I might have to rethink where I grow the lettuce, which is fine. How about something like this, available locally to me?
https://www.mulch.co.uk/products-pricing/soils-conditioners-composts/soils/denises-delight/
It seems expensive to me though, but maybe that's because I've never bought anything like that!
You might need to add some lighter compost or grit to that to ensure the drainage though. Raised beds also settle quite a bit, so be prepared to buy more than you think you might need too
Lettuce grows very well in shadier spots- it's inclined to bolt when it's in sun/heat for long periods, so you may need to play about with the positioning as you go along.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We have lined raised beds in the past with weed suppressing membrane, which is water permeable, so they rotted more quickly. We always line with a waterproof material now. A lot of our neighbours at the allotment cover their raised bed wood with the plastic tarpaulins which scaffolding companies use to curtain buildings that are covered in scaffold. The above mentioned company sells that too.