Raised beds - help?

jtb2412

Valk, I envy you !

We're just starting out and luckily we've got a lovely big garden so plan to have a nice little patch for growing different bits and bobs. We've also sorted out an area for some strawberries and plan to have some runner beans and tomatoes up by the side of our fence. Got it all planned what we want to grow, now just got to learn how to grow it ! lol

Re: the raised beds - that's the exact reason we want them for. Not to have to keep digging them over, plus we think it will make it easier for the kids (plan to have them about a foot high - does that sound ok to you?)

My mother in law made a lovely courgette chutney with her surplus last year - it was rather scrummy !

valk_scot

jtb2412 wrote: »

Re: the raised beds - that's the exact reason we want them for. Not to have to keep digging them over, plus we think it will make it easier for the kids (plan to have them about a foot high - does that sound ok to you?)

Mine are about a standard plank width (7-9"?) high, except a double height asparagus bed. They started off with the soil level more or less at the same height as the paths, but over the past eleven years since I made them the level has risen due to the soil "fluffing" up a bit, plus all the layers of compost/manure/mulch I use on top. And the paths have sunk a bit as they compacted.

If you're going to build them higher, what are you going to fill them with? Or are you going to have a little wall of sorts round the edge to keep the kids out? Topsoil costs, and you need a surprising amount to fill even a small bed.

Incidentally if you're going to get into fruit and veg growing, I can't recommend this magazine highly enough...

http://www.kitchengarden.co.uk/

And it has a forum too!

jtb2412

We've got some topsoil from another part of the garden so we'll put some of that in and then put compost on top. The beds themselves (will be 2 of them) - one is about 5ft long by about 3ft wide and the other is only about 3ft long by about 3ft wide (funny shapes I know but the sun/shade dictated where we needed to put them). We've also got a separate area for strawberries and plan to put our climbers near to our fence.

At the moment the main things we want to grow are runner beans, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, salad, strawberries and possibly some blackberries (we have a small bush in the front garden but we'd like to move it, not sure if it can be done - need to research that ! ) Not really thought about much else yet. Want to see how we get on growing the above first seeing as we're new to growing our own :0) We might kill it all ! :eek:

valk_scot

If you've got kids and only a limited amount of bed space, how about trying square foot gardening? Both my kids have a small bed of their own down the allotment and they both enjoyed growing things this way when they were younger.

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/

jtb2412

Thank you very much for the links valk - they are much appreciated ! Will give me plenty to be getting on with and i've just subscribed to the kitchen garden mag :0)

The kids are very eager to get started and I think they will be out in the garden every day watching their 'crops' grow ! lol

Many thanks again :0)

ajp_2

I'm in the process of building some raised beds on old patio at end of the garden. I phoned up a few scaffolding companies and one was happy to deliver a whole load of old scaffold boards to me. I just left them out a crate of beer for compensation, though I imagine not all are as nice. Once they gets cracks in them then they're not so useful for walking on! Try phoning the bigger companies as apparently they're more likely to chuck cracked boards, whereas smaller companies keep chopping them down to smaller parts and use for laying temporary paths, etc.

All I got to do is find the time to get them sorted now before spring hits us proper.

loumac

I asked for wood on freecycle and had three offers of pallets/fence panels today.

I also had a recommendation to ask the local DIY store who apparently give you pallets for free (unless they need to be sent back).

arkonite_babe

I reused old fencing, posts and some donated chicken wire for my raised bed (so that I could dog proof the whole thing) I hope this year to properly fence the bottom of the garden and make use of the whole patch not just a small square as I did last year.

gazzak_2

I went and purchased some pressure treated wood from Wickes at the weekend. Knocked 3 frames up then found out that treated wood will permeate the soil :eek:

Now looking for some plastic to line the wood!

karren

ta joey emma for the pallet tip, i asked in a local store and had three and used the wood off them and the spare wood will be fab to use in in chimnea, thanks again x