Raised flower beds not only look great, but they can also make it easier for you to enjoy gardening. The flexibility and mobility issues that many of us face as we grow older can make gardening hard work!
Raised beds can make a huge difference, by allowing you to do what you love without the need to kneel or bend down. Take a look at our handy raised flower bed tips below.
What are raised flower beds?
Raised beds are structures that are usually made of wood. They allow you to plant above ground level and you can set them up over existing lawn or hard surfaces such as paving, gravel or concrete.
Standard raised beds are usually approximately 28cm high, but some can be as high as 84cm depending on what you like to plant! Once you’ve built and filled your beds, it’s a case of ready, set, garden!
The advantages of raised beds
There are many advantages to raised flower beds! As we’ve already covered above, they are easier to manage than traditional garden beds and are wheelchair friendly. They are suitable for the unpredictable UK climate as you can control the soil easier. They offer better water retention in areas that have super sandy soil, and better drainage in areas with clay soils.
Because raised beds are densely planted, weeds have little room to grow. And when they do find space, it’s easy to pull them from the loose, rich soil.
The soil in raised beds warms up earlier in the spring, so you can get a head start on whatever you choose to grow. Not only that, but the soil is also warmer for longer!
Think about your location
For optimum plant health and productivity, most vegetables should receive at least 8 hours of full sun each day. The more sun, the better, so it makes sense to locate your raised beds in the sunniest part of your garden if vegetables are the goal.
Avoid low light, wet areas where the soil could stay soggy. Because your raised flower beds will need to be watered a lot during the warmer months, you’ll want to have easy access to a garden hose.
Choosing the right soil
Good soil is the single most important ingredient for a good garden. Raised beds give you an immediate advantage over a regular garden because when you fill your raised bed, you can fill it with a blend of soil that’s superior to the native soil in your local area. Soil that’s loose and rich with nutrients and organic matter will allow the roots of your plants to grow freely, and ensure that they have access to the water and nutrients they need to sustain healthy growth.
Do you want raised garden beds?
Here at Rosewood Garden Maintenance, we have an experienced landscaping team that can build high-quality raised garden beds tailored to your specific needs.
We also offer a range of landscaping services such as paving, patios, decking, sheds and pergola repairs.
We’d love to chat about how we can help you! Give our team a call on 07393 821797, or head to our website and fill out this form.
