A beautiful Raised Planting Bed constructed with Donegal Quartz stone with a Sandstone wall capping | Owen Chubb Garden Landscapers

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Raised Planting Beds | designing functional features for optimum performance

Posted on 16th January 2021 at 18:19

Although the principal reason for most raised beds is to provide optimized growing conditions for growing edible or ornamental plants or both, the scope for also creating an important architectural garden feature or an informal seating area cannot be underestimated. Raised Beds also referred to as Raised Planting Beds are an effective means of providing good, deep, fertile free draining soil conditions. Of the many advantages of raised bed gardening, easier maintenance is key, and with plants growing above ground levels (typically 40-60cm), makes accessing the plants much easier and for less agile gardeners or with restricted mobility a much more comfortable and practical way to garden. The 50cm height not only requires less bending it is also an ideal seating height.

The improved growing conditions also encourages improved plant development, better growth, and an extended growing season. The elevated growing conditions also means that during winter the soil temperatures in the raised beds are not as cold as ground temperatures, however during summer, soil temperatures in raised beds are often higher leading to drier soil conditions and plants may require extra watering.

Raised beds can be made in many shapes, sizes, and using various materials. Timber is a popular, inexpensive choice but within a relatively short period of time, starts to degrade and soon signs of rot become very evident. Other material options include concrete block, bricks, and natural stone. Shape and size can also influence choice of material. Although timber is frequently used for basic long, low, and narrow beds, a more elaborate raised bed will be constructed with durable materials, for example natural stone. Although incurring more costs, a raised bed in natural stone provides a much more durable, resilient, and versatile solution. A raised bed in natural stone is also easier to configure and construct to any size or shape. The results make for a superior solution, often becoming a key architectural garden feature as well as an excellent informal seating area.

We design and construct Raised Planting Beds in a range of materials including treated timbers, brick, and natural stone. We have considerable experience in designing and constructing many raised beds especially in natural stone. Whether you wish to grow specimen trees, ornamental or edible plants in a raised bed, our portfolio of raised bed gardening will provide many design ideas.