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Garden Gate:  beautiful raised beds  |
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Whimsy_girl
True Blue Farmgirl
576 Posts
USA
576 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 3:12:23 PM
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Can anyone tell me what they have done to create raised beds that are both functional and beautiful? The land we are buying is mostly gravel and very few things grow there except prickly pear. This leads me to believe that I need to do all raised beds which won't look wuite as natur-y as what I was able to do at my last place. I have plenty of time to think on this because we haven't even gotten a well or septic out there and we have to do all that stuff before we can start putting anything else out there... but due to it being the season for gardening I've been thinking about it a lot, so if anyone has any tips, or can reccomend a website that has ideas for layouts I would appriciate your feedback!
It's fun to dream about what I want to put out there when the time comes!
Bobbi.
you can be oh so smart, or you can be oh so positive. I wasted a lot of time being smart I prefer being positive. |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 6:08:58 PM
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Bobbi -- raised beds are wonderful. It is the only way to go in my opinion. Much better than the backbreaking work of digging and amending soil. I just used wood for mine. I have one bed that is about 8 feet long made from 2 x 8's. Then I have two beds that are 4' x 4' made from 2 x 12's. The one recommendation that I would make is to not make them any wider than 4 feet. That way it will be easy to work in them. When I owned my home I had 4' x 4' beds made from concrete blocks. Laid them on their sides with the holes facing up and I planted flowers in the holes too. I did mine 2 blocks high. One thing if you're doing concrete blocks is to fill them and then let them sit for a while before planting because of the lime in the concrete. It can be pretty concentrated until is washes out. The book Square Foot Gardening is great and there is a website for that too. Good luck!
Visit my blog at http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/
Lotion bars, linen water & more in my online shop! http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Jun 21 2006 : 6:14:44 PM
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| I used wood also. My small barn blew down in a wind storm in February, so I used that. They are 8-10' long and 4' wide. I needed cross braising because the barn wood is only 1". It is rough cut true 1" barn board and you can't beat the reusage. |
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kydeere40744
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
Jessica
Kentucky
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 06:30:55 AM
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Make sure to use treated wood to help prevent termites. One of the houses that we looked at had beds with wood around them...well moisture + wood = termite damage.
Another thing to use is brick. They have those landscaping bricks that are flat on one side and a slight curve on the other. You can stack them 3 high and they make a great bed.
Don't forget to lay down the thick plastic to prevent weeds. I read to lay down the plastic, then 1/4 inch of newspaper, then your soil.
I'm getting ready to put in a new raised bed in our backyard. I'm still looking at plans as to what I want and what plants are best. If anyone knows of any websites, please let me know.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
Take a look at my country living photography & more at http://kydeere.etsy.com
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 06:55:46 AM
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Couldn't the plastic prevent good drainage? I guess it would depend on what you built the walls of the bed with but I'd be nervous about getting it all put together and then having to take it all apart again to solve the drainage problem.
I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to put raised beds on a small hill. I want to terrace them. The landscaping blocks might be a good solution.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." -E. B. White
http://www.betweenthecities.com/blog/ljr/
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 09:02:43 AM
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I would not recommend using treated wood for vegetable beds. The chemicals that are used to treat the wood will leach into the soil and you will end up eating it! If termites are a problem in your area you could always use concrete blocks or the "plastic" wood. I just use wet newspaper in the bottom of the beds then fill with dirt. The newspaper will eventually deteriorate -- not had a weed problem other than the occasional one on top of the soil.
"But as for me & my house we will serve the LORD!" Joshua 24:15
Lotion bars, linen water & more in my online shop! http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
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Edited by - therusticcottage on Jun 25 2006 09:03:14 AM |
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 09:21:36 AM
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The neighbors down the road have raised bed and all of theirs are made from flat rock (that's what we call it around here anyway). The beds are gorgeous! Cindy told me she collected the rocks here and there, even finding some while on vacation -- her kids now call her RH -- rock hound, because she can sniff rock out anywhere! 
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
Edited by - happymama58 on Jun 25 2006 09:22:15 AM |
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LadyCrystal
True Blue Farmgirl
593 Posts
Alicia
Rhode Island
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 10:08:11 AM
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We used 4x4 wood. It looks the same as it weathered as our coops. We had thought about using concrete blocks but we wanted a more natural look. The rock idea sounds wonderful. We had the 4x4 on hand and it is great to recycle. I wouldn't use pressure treated around my veggies because of the chemicals used to treat it.
Alicia
http://fromcitytocountrygirl.blogspot.com/
follow your dreams |
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kydeere40744
True Blue Farmgirl
1132 Posts
Jessica
Kentucky
USA
1132 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 7:50:35 PM
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Creekbed rock also works if you have a shallow creek around your neck of the woods. Make sure to ask the folks that own the land if you can take some of it away from the bottom, not sides of the creek. The rocks on the sides are actually helping prevent erosion of soil into the creek.
Jessica~Miss Wilma's Niece
Take a look at my country living photography & more at http://kydeere.etsy.com
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happymama58
True Blue Farmgirl
1210 Posts
Patti
Missouri
USA
1210 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2006 : 9:02:55 PM
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Jessica, that's a good idea. In our state you have to get it from private land because it's illegal to take rock from creeks, etc. I used to think a person wouldn't be prosecuted for taking rocks, but someone did last summer in the county south of here. I think it was a conservation agent who caught the couple, and they had a hefty fine. Their truck was also confiscated, I think. I can't remember all the details.
Some people search for happiness; others create it.
http://happymama58.typepad.com/my_weblog/ |
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Garden Gate: beautiful raised beds |
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beautiful raised beds
