Raised bed nightmare help needed!

Hi everyone I'm new here

I'm looking for some advice I have a brick built planter that runs the length of my garden, it's partly shady (in the morning) and currently I have it planted up with a couple of palms and bits and bobs. I'm really stuck to know what to do with it because it's only 3ft wide so I can't figure out how to add depth/interest to the bed.

I'm willing to spend a bit of money on it buying plants to fill in the gaps or ones that would be better suited to the area, can anyone offer me any advice please? I am very keen to learn but I have no idea what plants to buy!

The bed is in a right mess and it's currently more of a holding area until I can figure out what to do with it...

Can you help please?

Thanks,

Ash

 

Hi, And welcome to the Forum
Are you a fan of tropicals?

The bed is very narrow, so it will be quite difficult to add depth.

Perhaps some sort of climber on the fence - Clematis armandii is one of my faves.
Or something taller (bamboo, palm, tree fern etc) in the middle and then slope down towards the sides. Give it some depth sideways.

 

I agree with Sirius - climbers at the back. I would suggest something to trail over and down the front of the wall.

Are you happy to have the wall there? In time, would you want to take it down and build a wider replacement? Or take it down and have ground level beds?

Welcome to GC @Ash2015

 

Hi Sirius, that was quick!

Yes I am a huge fan of tropical plants! I like the idea of using bamboo so it over hangs, do you think I should bring my existing plants to the front leaving a space to plant taller ones behind? i.e, like Bamboo or Clematis like you've suggested? I have Bamboo planted in the upper most section of the bed so it would carry the 'theme?' To the rest of it

 

Hi GC!

I've always hated the wall it's an eyesore and it's really restricting what I would like to with the garden, ideally I would knock it down and have more of a sweeping bed in to the lawn, unfortunately it's a retaining wall and I think it would cause all sorts of trouble taking it out!

 

Looks ok as it is but how about covering up the fence with trellis panels or reed that comes in rolls ? Then maybe painting the bricks a matt black,dark green ? Covering the soil with a slate stone and planting up with more smaller trachy humulis, treeferns, and brahea armata ?
Run some low voltage lights along the wall to light up the features at night and it will look

 

Maybe a water feature too ? Attached to the fence and pouring into a holding vessel in the border thsts lit up at night too?

 

Hi Ash, I'm quite new here too. I agree you should leave the wall alone. I like WeeTam's suggestions. It looks like it already has quite a lot in there so you should maybe not add too much more.

 

Good to see someone else on the Forum interested in tropicals.

If possible, I would make the bed wider.....a lot wider

 

Welcome to GC Ash2015,you could always still create a sweeping border in front of the wall and plant it up

 

To the forum Ash2015 .
I agree with the others about putting up some clematis on the fence , that will give it a it of height. I'd then plant something along the front to hang over, that will help to cover that up a bit.
Please keep the photos coming & let us know how you get on

 

I agree with Loli's idea. Larger plants in the raised bed and others in a bed in front to create a two tier effect. It also lacks colour and there are plenty of plants available to cheer it up. Below is my two tier bed to give you an idea on how it could look.

 

I cant see what it is actually retaining.
Soil level in the bed looks only slightly higher than the grass level, and the high gravel boards on the fence behind appear to be retaining what is on the other side.

If the border was wider the slight raise in height at the back close to the fence would not appear to be much in your picture.

 

An overhanging Acer?