Raised Flower Beds

Hello my green fingered friends,

After some advice if poss with regards to raised flower beds. I'm quite new to this gardening melarky and wondered if anyone had any advice or tips on soil, drainage etc.

Thaks in advance.. :D

 

how high do you want them, is there any reason eg wheelchair access, do you like cottage garden style or modernistic, wanna blow the lottery win or spend as little as poss?
good username btw

 

Thanks! too many users with the name of Sweet Pea!

Do you know i can't remember what the measurements where!! duh! My boyfriends friend is making them for us. (He's a joiner)

The reason there raised is cos i only have a back yard (sniff sniff) and it seems easier rather than having dig up the concrete etc.

I don't really mind the cost, as long as it's not too expensive. I just don't want to cock it up!!! he he
Oh and cottage'y styles are good! :D

 

my preference is for the "aged" wood look like old railway sleepers, so i d have some 10" high and some double that, you mite cover concrete with gravels or cobbles, etc so wants to be sympathetic. the bigger they are the more topsoil u need, is that stating the obvious?
if you go for more modern look, then a lapped timber with a colour wash is good .... wood needs a preservative ,,,,, pressure treated will last 8-10 years, tanalised, maybe 30
id tend to line with a membrane to prevent soil leakage, but it needs to allow water out to prevent.. waterlogging ie not black plastic,

[ 23. March 2006, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

That's the along the same lines i was thinking with the 'aged' look.
Were putting Yorkstone flags down also and filling the gaps with gravel. What do i use to line it the beds with? :confused:

 

See the last sentance of LG's response - the liner recommended was membrane - to keep soil in, but prevent waterlogging.

 

I would think you could use black plastic, but ensure that you cut plenty of drainage holes at the bottom with a knife.

 

better to get proper thing imo, its not dear and is .... the proper thing

[ 25. March 2006, 04:45 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

terram

 

Dear Lady Gardiner - Terram - the proper thing :D :D

Did you know that the Terram that you see in garden centres was originally designed to make disposable panties. The original light weight fabric was coated in glue then covered in wood cellulose flock (the stuff used to line rubber gloves). I was very much involved in this. On one occasion I spent a day with an undertaker to develop a version for lining coffins! The shop Liberty's even made printed scarves out of the bare fabric. When the bottom fell out of the disposible panties market we had to look for other uses.

There was another novel nonwoven product that I was involved with. We were trying to establish it as an interlining for ties, but the standard required was so high we had a lot of sub standard fabric. So we sold this for twice the price as capillary matting (for watering plants). I think this was the first man-made capillary matting. Up till then capillary matting was hardly used, although there was a product made from wool shoddy - but that used to rot and turn horrible. The tie interlining never did take off.

The original name of Terram was applied to a heavy duty material, which is very big business and is still used under motorways etc. This was really designed to replace hessian as carpet backing. Its use as a geotextile was quite secondary until it turned out it was not much good as carpet backing.

And the moral is if at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again!

 

WOW, interesting stuff, i m not surprised those panties used to crinkle as you walked, and they only came in one colour ... grey-white

 

That is fascinating, PeterS And I like your phrasing - when the bottom fell out of the disposable panties market!