That is really smart, @GardenerSuze! Is it some kind of limestone tiling with some kind of wood-effect below? You can't see breeze blocks, that is for sure! Have you put any spring bulbs in there too?
I have a raised west-facing area, but not as big as yours!
Do You have tall shrubs or trees protecting your raised beds?
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@clematisdorset It is breeze blocks topped with porcelain tiles. It is a type of cladding to the sides. I have put the plants into them from my old garden and treated it like a nursery bed. I expect I will move them all to somewhere else in the spring including repositioning in the raised beds. So bulbs will be added next autumn. There is just the wall and then behind that a road and what will be more houses. Sadly no trees other than near a lake nearby. I have found a few worms in the soil it'self which is thick clay with a stoney pan. Thank goodness for some raised beds.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
They are very smart raised beds indeed @GardenerSuze! How high would you like your plants to get and are climbers a consideration? My only concern would be the clay at the bottom but if you think that it will break up then that’s fine. I would be tempted to repeat the same plantings or colour palette in each of the three beds but it depends on the overall style or theme that you are aiming for.
@Plantminded I think the answer as far as height is concerned is about five feet but possibly higher still. I want to be bold and give it a modern look with grasses and some evergreens to give something in the winter. These raised beds are viewed from the lounge window. Perhaps some' spillers' too.
I have ideas but perhaps too many, I need to focus and other gardeners thoughts will help. I hadn't thought of climbers were you suggesting fixing to the wall or to grow on say an obelisk? As far as the soil is concerned I am now working daily on getting it into shape. The soil at the bottom of the planters will be addressed, I have spent many years fighting clay in my old garden where it was impossible. Now I have learnt the importance of good soil prep before anything else. I have the winter to tackle this issue if not too wet. The garden isn't big and I think I will probably start with a dark leaved Sambucus in a long border the other side of the garden[east] adding some varigation with Hedera Ice Cream and Calamagrostis Overdam. I will need some plain evergreen too and I have seen a Portuguese Laurel Sofia shaped into a dome. It's early days and I may change my mind! I have never had my own raised beds before so open to any suggestions.
Perhaps I should start with pen and paper but I always find it easier to be in the garden looking at what I am doing.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I like the look of that Portuguese laurel Sofia @GardenerSuze, it looks perfect for your evergreen. A tall grass that I have been impressed with is Panicum Northwind, it’s columnar and tidy, with good autumn and winter colour. Euphorbia also help with evergreen structure if you like them. There’s an unusual one with deep red/purple foliage called Miner’s Merlot. My favourite spiller is Erigeron karvinskianus, still flowering here, the white flowers will stand out against your wall. I’m yet to complete a border that I’m fully happy with all year, but that’s the joy of gardening! I look forward to seeing how your plans develop.
@Plantminded Thankyou for your thoughts the Euphorbia looks very interesting. I hadn't considered Euphorbias but will take a look at E Minor's Merlot new to me. I do have a small pot of E karvinskianus, there were hundreds of plants in the path in my old garden. I guess you can't bring everthing when you move! I do have E Lavender Lady too which I found for half price late summer. I prefer the white but I think both could prove useful plants. I have Panicum Mum's Best Red grown by a friend, I think from seed. But you can never have too many grasses can you.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
An update on my very wet garden, new to me I have struggled to understand if I am going to experience serious drainage issues in the future, or have we had such heavy rain fall it is only to be expected? Which ever way I will need to get it sorted before planting. The garden slopes down slightly to the bottom border which faces north, I have added manure here and over a ton of fine top soil, dug down a spade and a half to the pan where the best tool would be a pick axe! This border is 1.9 metres deep and it took me a week just breaking throught a little at a time. Manure and topsoil seem to have just disappeared.On the positive this border is draining but still very wet, no water has found it's way to the other side of the fence which is a drive.
I cannot do a thing with the narrow border at the side of the path the pan of soil remains and it is water logged, I will also need to take care of the cement at the path edge. One other concern is the lawn, doing well as it was only planted a few weeks ago but the pan was never broken through underneath. Think I will need to simply wait and see what happens next. All the plants are looking good thanks to the raised beds which make great nursery beds until the plants have permanent homes.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
@JennyJ I think you can see my concern. I will have a better idea if the area I have dug over eventually does drain. If there is a build up of water under the lawn that cannot get away it will ultimately drain into this bottom border due to the slight slope. At the moment I'm not touching it. They used a bobcat and literally moved soil all over the place in the middle of storm Ciaran. There were low areas where water accumulated due to compaction, I have no idea what I am dealing with at present, something to puzzle over. The whole garden could have been made into a large pond, no liner required.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Posts
I have a raised west-facing area, but not as big as yours!
Do You have tall shrubs or trees protecting your raised beds?
There is just the wall and then behind that a road and what will be more houses. Sadly no trees other than near a lake nearby. I have found a few worms in the soil it'self which is thick clay with a stoney pan. Thank goodness for some raised beds.
I have ideas but perhaps too many, I need to focus and other gardeners thoughts will help. I hadn't thought of climbers were you suggesting fixing to the wall or to grow on say an obelisk? As far as the soil is concerned I am now working daily on getting it into shape. The soil at the bottom of the planters will be addressed, I have spent many years fighting clay in my old garden where it was impossible. Now I have learnt the importance of good soil prep before anything else. I have the winter to tackle this issue if not too wet.
The garden isn't big and I think I will probably start with a dark leaved Sambucus in a long border the other side of the garden[east] adding some varigation with Hedera Ice Cream and Calamagrostis Overdam. I will need some plain evergreen too and I have seen a Portuguese Laurel Sofia shaped into a dome. It's early days and I may change my mind! I have never had my own raised beds before so open to any suggestions.
Perhaps I should start with pen and paper but I always find it easier to be in the garden looking at what I am doing.
I do have a small pot of E karvinskianus, there were hundreds of plants in the path in my old garden. I guess you can't bring everthing when you move! I do have E Lavender Lady too which I found for half price late summer. I prefer the white but I think both could prove useful plants. I have Panicum Mum's Best Red grown by a friend, I think from seed. But you can never have too many grasses can you.
The garden slopes down slightly to the bottom border which faces north, I have added manure here and over a ton of fine top soil, dug down a spade and a half to the pan where the best tool would be a pick axe! This border is 1.9 metres deep and it took me a week just breaking throught a little at a time. Manure and topsoil seem to have just disappeared.On the positive this border is draining but still very wet, no water has found it's way to the other side of the fence which is a drive.
I cannot do a thing with the narrow border at the side of the path the pan of soil remains and it is water logged, I will also need to take care of the cement at the path edge. One other concern is the lawn, doing well as it was only planted a few weeks ago but the pan was never broken through underneath. Think I will need to simply wait and see what happens next.
All the plants are looking good thanks to the raised beds which make great nursery beds until the plants have permanent homes.
At the moment I'm not touching it.
They used a bobcat and literally moved soil all over the place in the middle of storm Ciaran. There were low areas where water accumulated due to compaction, I have no idea what I am dealing with at present, something to puzzle over.
The whole garden could have been made into a large pond, no liner required.