Planting an Art-Deco Raised Bed

Hello Folks,

After a very patient wait, over 3 years, I'm finally getting my front garden
redesigned to be suitable for me to maintain, even when I finally end up in a wheelchair. As it's a 1930's plot, I've decided to go for a strong art-deco sunburst design. I arranged for my landscaper to build the box structure and to fill it with no less than 6 tons of topsoil. The offset centrepiece is an old galvanised bin which helps provide the subtle cone effect. Once done, I've managed to add the dividers myself (scrap plastic facia boards) ready for him to deliver around 350kg of red stone. With more stones to add this is the progress so far...









Some panels will have some pale cream / white stone infill and the remainder
will be filled with fine chopped slate - this to pick up the colours of my
art-deco path laid nearly 4 years ago. In the panels where I've built up with
soil will be some chamomile, sedum and hardy geraniums. In the small pots
are some heather plugs; there's still another 8 to 10 pots to bury. I'm hoping
that these will break some of the hardness of the white dividers once they
mature.



Having trialled the sunburst extension on the surround on that front corner,
and liking the result, I'm now looking for some planting ideas in the extended
areas outside the box. The front faces more or less South-East. Drought
resistance and ease of maintenance are prime factors in the planting!

Regards,
Steve

 

Tiz clever, well done looks very nice... just need a few garden gnomes now!! (just kidding)

 

Well I find the design stunning and in pefect art deco
Only snag is How will you maintain the centre parts ? too far to reach

Jack McH

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Looks great

 

Thanks Jack.
Well, the planting will be with very low maintenance plants, so clambering over the surface will probably only happen once or twice a year. It's surprised me that I can reach most of it, without too much trouble so far, even when reaching over the fence. I think it's the offset bin that makes it look like there will be a problem. The longest reach is no more than 1.5m, under 5 ft in old money. Weeding will be something that I hope I can keep on top of - the stones should hopefully discourage most of them.

I've done some alpine planting today...

1. Phlox Subulata
2. Sedum album Coral Carpet
3. Saxifrage Peter Pan
4. Saxifrage Elf

These plants were just £1.69 each from the local nursery and they look like I could probably divide the ones that aren't in flower. There are 9 sunken pots, each with 2 or 3 heather plants, each pot holding one variety in them - £25 for 25 plug plants. They are sunk into the stone covered parts, so should help to break the stark lines. It'll probably be this time next year before it looks as good as I'm intending.

I'll probably do some experimenting as well. So, if anyone has ideas on something suitable but unusual, it'll be good to hear from you.

The only part of the planting that is flumoxing me is what to place in the soil "rays" against the outside of the box.

Thanks Ziggy.

Regards,
Steve

 

Good morning and welcome to GC Steve love your fantastic raised bed.
How about planting dwarf spring bulbs in Autumn.

My raised bed in front is full of spring colour bulbs.

Then in Summer geraniums and fuchsias.

I also have ariculas growing to.

Love your idea of filling out with alpine plants I am very fond of alpines.

I planted out a ladies border with alpines on Tues.

And we are soon ready to make a new raised bed in back garden for ourselves and I am going to plant it out in alpines.

Well done on your fantastic project.

 

I would copy what the planting schemes as done by the councils

will cost a bit more, as you have to replace plants 3 times a year, but you will always have a colourful bed that changes continuously

if you grow from seed, it will be cheap

Our council in Cambridge create some amazing beds in our local parks

 

But this can be a lot of work for Lowie Pete maybe Dim.

So do our council and then after the season they tip some beautiful geraniumns and begonias into the skip.

 

Thanks for the replies folks, and your very kind comments I knew this would be quite a unique style for a raised bed, but I hadn't expected the reaction I'm getting. Even people walking by stop and take a good look!

Hmmmm, that's not a bad idea, though the frequency may be a bit much. Out of the 9sqM there's not much more than 2.5sqM left for actual planting, so it'll not be arduous. I added some broken slate into 3 rays and have 4 left to fill with cream / white stones. I checked my chamomile seeds and they're germinating well.

My current planting _on_ the bed, things like 8 different varieties of heather, will need at least 12 months before it matures toward the full desired effect. At least 3 of the heather varieties will be in flower at any one time, all year round. I also have some fiery red crocosmia planted in random clumps.

The real problem is what to do in the extended rays _outside_ the box. I could simply continue with the chamomile lawn, it'll be fragrant if it's trodden upon, but I'm really wondering about having something much taller. I'll post more pictures when I've got the extended rays in place - that'll probably make things easier to envisage.

Regards,
Steve

 

OK, here's a few more pictures; making progress, slowly...



From left to right, the ray infills will be red stone, white stone, soil, slate, red stone. I haven't filled in the slate panel because I have a water meter right in the way, as seen better below. The red stone on the right isn't filled because my landscaper is going to properly secure the fence with a new pole.



That water meter cap is a complete pain! Anyone got any ideas on how to cover it, still allowing for meter-reading access?



Above, only one more ray divider to insert. The slate path in the foreground is going to be emptied, with the slate topping-up the centre of the car runway. In its place will be some pea shingle.

All the while I've been resisting the urge to visit a nursery. Woottens of Wenhaston is only about 8 miles away and their web site has been a huge temptation...

Regards,
Steve

 

Can't you stand a potted plant on top of the water meter cap?

 

Hello Moyra,

The problem is in getting a pot big enough to deter a passer-by from helping themselves, and it not being too big to contravene some health and safety rule that the meter reader has to abide by...

I had originally planned to have 2 or 3 x 40cm pots, set into concrete in front of the box, but since the rays have been extended, I've abandoned that because it'll probably look too busy. What I may do (not set in stone) is cut the bottom off a large diameter paint pot, paint it matt black and sink that around the meter. Then it'll only need a screwdriver to open it.

Regards,
Steve

 

Phase 1 Completed

Hello Folks,
So, the white stones are in, and what a transformation!



Some more groundworks to be done; that's for Phase 2





Well, I've had this design in my mind's eye for a long, long while, though the reality is quite beyond my expectations...

Regards,
Steve

 

lOOKS LOVELY & A WARM

 

Re: the water meter cap, fill a transparent plant saucer with the same gravel and place it on top!!!

Val