Sprawling plant beds abundant with flowers are a delight.
But boy, do they take a lot of looking after, not to mention physical effort, as you crawl on your hands and knees to get to pesky weeds or cut back shrubs.
Have you been considering scaling back your garden activities? Or are you keen to get a low-maintenance planting project on the go? Perhaps you just want to organise your garden into more distinct sections.
Raised beds keep all the things you love to do outside – whether that’s tending a no-dig vegetable garden or attracting insects with your flowers – within easy reach.
We have 15 raised bed garden ideas that could inspire you to transform your garden, balcony, courtyard, or even the most awkward, tough-to-love space in your backyard, for the better.
Incorporate seating or even a water feature
Use pergolas and raised beds together
Take low maintenance to the next level
If you don’t want to worry too much about watering your plants during a summer heatwave , then a bed brimming with fuss-free plants, such as ornamental grasses and outdoor succulents, are ideal.
Keep an eye on them during very heavy rain and cover with tarp or plastic if you find the soil becoming waterlogged during a period of bad weather (particularly if you have compacted ground beneath).
Do plants in a raised bed garden need to be watered differently?
Raised beds typically drain much more easily. So, you’ll need to keep an eye on watering needs of various plants as they might differ to what you’d expect at ground level.
Creating deeper beds means roots can get longer and require slightly less watering, as Burkhill explains. “Ensure that you use a deep, peat-free compost mulch in any raised bed when planting,” he tells us.
“This helps retain moisture, suppresses weeds and gives a long-term feed to your plants. It's the easiest way to reduce maintenance and watering needs.”
He warns that building a raised bed on compacted ground can lead to ‘wet bed’. If your bed is going on top of grouted flagstones or tarmac, it might be best to break up the surface to create drainage. Un-grouted paving slabs, Burkhill notes, will likely already allow for water to drain away.
Get the kids involved with gardening
If you ’re limited on space, but want raised beds that can be home to a range of plants with different root depths , then a tiered option will suit best. This one’s for all the DIY enthusiasts , though there are ready-made designs available .
This will also be useful if you have any awkwardly shaped spaces you want to brighten up with foliage. You can play around with different angles and heights of your planter group until your heart’s content.
This is also a great idea if you are renting a property and/or planning a move soon. The individual beds are easy enough to transport separately, and can be reconfigured to suit their next location.
Corners can be notoriously tricky to make appealing, with many becoming places to store odds and ends, or merely collecting leaves and debris. No matter if it’s dark or sunny, there will be a plant that can happily thrive in a raised bed in a sheltered corner.
You’d never know what it was concealing beneath.
These low-maintenance raised beds are a masterclass in clean lines and simple planting options. Aside from some occasional trimming and topiary, these raised beds more or less will look after themselves, giving you more time to lavish your guests with attention instead.
One way to create them is by rendering breeze blocks.
There has been some concern over older, repurposed railway sleepers containing a chemical called creosote. Creosote has associated risks with regular skin contact, and its use is now prohibited . Though new sleepers are treated with other preservatives now, the RHS advises gardeners with raised beds made using older sleepers to wear protective covering and gloves.
Gardeners should always be aware of the risk that wood treatment chemicals used for raised beds could leach into soil containing plants you intend to eat, so it's worth doing your research to find which treatment is right for your crop.
"Using wood treatment on sleepers will help to prevent rot, insect infestation and mould as well as enhancing their water-resistance capabilities and visual appeal," says Cindy Tsui, B&Q's buyer for landscaping.
"For softwood sleepers, the most common treatment method is pressure treatment. A chemical solution is forced deep into the timber fibres, giving lasting protection against decay. Whereas, some tropical hardwoods do not require such treatment as they are naturally more resilient.”
Rosanna Spence has been a journalist for 10 years, reporting on a huge array of topics – from microwaves to cocktails, sustainable buildings, the Caribbean islands and beyond. She’s interviewed chefs at the helm of Michelin-starred restaurants and chatted to countless CEOs about their businesses, as well as created travel guides for experienced travellers seeking life-changing adventures. Throughout her career, she has created content for Business Traveller, i-escape.com, Pub & Bar, BRITA, Dine Out and many more leading titles and brands.
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