RAISED BEDS FROM SCRATCH

GardenerSuze · September 2023

I would like your thoughts please on raised beds. I am planning on having three in my new garden. They will be infront of a west facing wall not sure what they will be made of as yet.
The idea is to grow plants that like free draining conditions. I have never done this before but seems a good idea as I get older. Will they need alot of watering? About a metre square each.

februarysgirl · September 2023

I have two big raised beds, one east facing and one west facing. To be truthful, I don't think I've watered them since about June although I should add that they're open bottomed and have a good layer of bark chippings. It's probably not best practice but I tend to leave watering unless something is looking a little wilted.

I put my raised beds in after my mum died. She loved gardening but she'd reached a point where she just wasn't able to do it. I figured I wasn't getting any younger and it'd be a lot easier to change things sooner rather than later.

ViewAhead · September 2023

How deep? That will make a difference.

I have 4 raised beds. Two are about 3ms long and 1m wide. The other two are L-shaped, about 2ms on their two longer sides, and 1m on the others. They are all 45cms deep.

Given my time again, I would not put them in. They are made of wood, lined with very heavy duty plastic, and completely open at the base. The wood has worn well and I add layers of wood stain paint as required. The soil gets very dry. Shrubs can cope, perennials mostly cannot. So, spireas, fuchias, a robinia Twisty Baby, philadelphus, lonicera nitada, herbaceous clematis Cassandra, kerria - all manage. Astrantias, a drought-tolerant hosta, native hellebores - pretty OK. Native primroses thrive.

That's just my experience and I am way down south, in the lee of the Downs, so can go months without rainfall of any significance in the summer.

Fairygirl · September 2023

I've always had raised beds, especially in gardens which haven't really been 'gardened in'. Heavy clay soil, lots of wet stuff, so it can a difficult, and lengthy, process to get planting in place quickly.
This garden was typical- a fenced off section of slabs and gravel.
I've made all my raised beds - good quality timber, all lined. Posts at the corners concreted in. Saves a lot of hassle.
I used the turf from the outer area which was just grass [I'd enlarged the space and put a new boundary fence in] and put that in the base of them all, which saved a bit of money when filling them. The areas on the boundary were filled with manure which I had plenty of access to, so I have the best of both worlds for the space.

The big advantage is that they can be tailored to suit the planting. You can have plants which love really free draining soil next to ones which need the opposite conditions, because you can line the bottom for the latter, only add a few holes, and use heavier soil.
Mine are all different sizes and shapes, because the garden isn't a regular shape to start with, and I wanted some straight lines.

Sheps · September 2023

Mine are made of treated decking and roughly 6ft X 2ft X 2ft and are still going strong 6+ years later.

tigerburnie · September 2023

I used the "soil conditioner" free from the council tip as it is surprising just how much "stuff is needed to fill a raised bed. I didn't fill them right up, left room to top up with manure/compost etc.

februarysgirl · September 2023

Probably should have mentioned the dimensions although it'd be far easier to show.

They're 35cm high and I have perennials, shrubs and "dwarf" fruit trees in them, all doing well. Only thing I've really filled them with is Wickes topsoil, haven't much bothered with compost.

GardenerSuze · September 2023

@februarysgirl Thankyou I can remember seeing photos of your raised beds they were lovely. I also recall you were experimenting with various plants and I think I will need to do the same.

@ViewAhead I will have some ideas about depth later this week. As you can see from the photo there is alot of wall. Iv'e had some bad experiences with damaged walls so protecting this will need to be considered too. I hope that raised beds will be another way of' breaking it up'.

@Fairygirl I have always admired the fact that you have made the raised beds yourself! There will be plenty of turf but you can see from the photo the soil is going to need alot of work. The turf is growing in some top soil perhaps this could be used as you say.

@Sheps That has made me think about the type of plants I might use. I was thinking Mediterranean plants but also need to consider the winter months do large raised beds freeze? Plants with some height too? Lots to think about.

@tigerburnie I do think they will take alot to fill exactly with what not entirely sure. The person who will be doing all the hard work will visit next week.

Thanks for your thoughts at least I will have some idea what I now need to ask.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/9f/dn3vkmawa1bu.jpg

Sheps · September 2023

I would imagine, once filled and full of plants the soil will be pretty much protected from frosts and if you use a thick enough material for the construction then the same will apply.

I don't think mine have ever totally frozen, maybe the top inch or two during the early years when there was exposed soil @GardenerSuze

ViewAhead · September 2023

Mine have never frozen, but it rarely gets below -5 here.

Worth bearing in mind, deeper ones may be attractive for rats to burrow in.

Mine were filled with the old grass taken up, top soil and compost. The level does fall as it settles.

Fairygirl · September 2023

Mine freeze regularly, even in what I'd say were mild winters, but it's about working with conditions and climate and having suitable plants- just as in a bed or border. It isn't really a problem, even when they're frozen for several days in succession