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In a bid to be distracted from the lockdown, we've decided to get rid of a quarter of the lawn and build some raised beds. One of them will have to be triangular due to the garden shape (🤔)
C'mon then show us yours and what you're growing...
Nearly finished mine. 2.4m x 200mm x 100mm oak sleepers.
Before:
Just got the graveled area and new patio to go!!
Still need to do the edging, thought we'd grow paving slabs..
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49858648007_87e0c0a292_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49858648007_87e0c0a292_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2iXQB1c ]Patio[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
That ^ is a sunken bed Drac 🤪
No pics sorry. My wife wanted raised beds for her birthday, last June - I finished them last week 😀.
3 in all
1.2m by 1.4m
1.1m by 1.5m
1.2m by 2.4m
1 bag of topsoil
2 bags of compost
each bag 0.85 cubic metres.
Obviously not finished - 6 x 2400 sleepers
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That ^ is a sunken bed Drac
😀 I was waiting for that.
Artist I can’t help but think you’ve laid those sleepers wrong, they should on their side to create more volume.
Picking up 6 x 2.4m softwood sleepers tomorrow for mine. We have a mini greenhouse full of seedlings all ready. Bank holiday project sorted...
Picking up 6 x 2.4m softwood sleepers tomorrow for mine. We have a mini greenhouse full of seedlings all ready. Bank holiday project sorted
If you zoom in on my pic, you'll see some bolt heads. They are basically long screws that you drive through with an impact driver. Can't remember what they are called, but got them from the place that supplied the sleepers. Sleepers are laid on postcrete. Leave some gaps or pipe through the concrete for drainage. I didn't and water does gather in the bottom
Try and get dry ones - not off the top of the pile. The difference in weight and ease of cutting is quite considerable
My name's Richard and I have a decking problem.
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I've ordered a box of 7 x 150mm timber hex head bolts from screwfix. I was just going to lay the sleepers on the lawn..will that not work?
Sleepers are complete overkill for a raised bed, joists are fine, and a hell of a lot cheaper.
Local guy here sells reclaimed stuff, looks much better too.
Sleepers are complete overkill for a raised bed
But surely they must be the right thing for the job - they're called sleepers!
Agreed that it seems like a stupid quantity of timber to tie up in making something that has no need for such strength!
I think it's a tomb.......
It's only a stupid amount of timber if you don't want to see much timber 🤷
It's not exactly done for structural strength 😂
Local guy here sells reclaimed stuff, looks much better
I've done the reclaimed ones on my previous massive raised bed/rockery. Fancied the newer angular ones this time
I’ve ordered a box of 7 x 150mm timber hex head bolts from screwfix. I was just going to lay the sleepers on the lawn..will that not work?
What size sleepers, sure mine are thicker than 150?
If yoor lawn is firm and level, then will probs be ok
How long are those softwood joists/sleepers going to realistically last? Would they not start rotting after a few years?
How long are those softwood joists/sleepers going to realistically last? Would they not start rotting after a few years
They are tanalised
You'd be surprised how much the ones impregnated with creosote rot eventually
If you want to see timber, build the sides up to height, then mitre a joist on top.
Bit silly though, as it takes up growing space, kinda the reason your doing it is for space.
And tantalised is a bit of a clichee too, when you cut through you'll see how little the stuff they use actually penetrates.
If I put a bit of wood around a flower bed, it becomes a 'raised bed', despite maintaining the same soil altitude.
Makes no sense.
However, I use decking boards for mine. Treated so will last a bit longer.
If you want to see timber, build the sides up to height, then mitre a joist on top.
Or alternatively, build the bed how I want it and not how some bloke on the internet tells me he thinks it should be? 😘
I wasn't giving you advice, you've built yours, the OP hasn't.
Artist I can’t help but think you’ve laid those sleepers wrong, they should on their side to create more volume
Missed this comment - I did consider it, but didn't want to go any higher and opted for a thick wood border
I wasn’t giving you advice, you’ve built yours, the OP hasn’t.
Seemed like a direct reply to my comments, but no worries 👍
We got a couple of potato boxes from the local farmer and chopped them in half horizontally to make 4 beds.
Are we having a scrap about raised beds?!
Here are mine partially planted up
After 8 years they have rotted through and despite being locked down I could not be arsed to replace so hammered in some temporary stakes and hoping for the best
`
Missed this comment – I did consider it, but didn’t want to go any higher and opted for a thick wood border
Errmmm! It would have been the same height more or less. Still you’ve done more than me I’m still looking into it.
@ Bearnecessities - Do you put any plastic lining in those before the compost?
@t3ap0t My raised beds have no linings. You can then plant your potatoes nice and deep and get lovely big long parsnips.
Lining them would make big fixed planter tubs.
@winston might want to remove the turf from the lawn to stop the grass growing up through the new topsoil (seriously). The turf will rot down to lovely compost though.
Enjoy the plants and veg!
might want to remove the turf from the lawn to stop the grass growing up through the new topsoil (seriously)
I’ve seen cardboard recommended to be used between the turf and the new topsoil, to prevent this.
Half arse attempt at an arty angle;
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One of 3 new metal raised beds we have just put into the new garden. It's well established and we have been avoiding replacing the flower beds with veg as they are amazing us with the amount of different flowers. So 3 of these are 2/3m X 0.8m on a mix of hard and ground standing. This one is peas.
Oh and a really shonky one from wood that was laying around.
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FWIW I've made them before using 6*2 tannalised from Wickes with 2*2 stakes but the triangular shape hole I need to fill has me slightly scratching my head.
@nixie - how did you make that metal raised bed? Is it wrapped around a wooden frame for strength?
Hardly anyone had mentioned what they are growing.
I can’t believe I’ve just read an entire thread about raised beds... and I don’t know why!
I spent the last 2 days learning to bricklay, as I didn't want some old wood going soft. This is where I'm at so far..
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Hardly anyone had mentioned what they are growing.
I've been given loads of plants by my grandfather and mother-in-law so I've just been planting what I've got. Will move stuff around as and when I need to.
Currently have:
Existing plants:
Willow tree
Photinia Red Robin
Forsythia
Magnolia Star Wars
Acer Japonicum
Lonicera
New additions:
Hibiscus
Random Rose
Fuscia
A few ribbon grass (Phalaris arundinacea)
Crocosmia Lucifer
Gladioli
Acer Summer Gold
A couple of Hydrangea
Trailing Clematis
Lilac
@ElShalimo I made it with my credit card :). Quite a few out options in different sizes on sale now. There is no wood inside but it is braced across the width where the straight lengths join (2 braces in that big one).
Not the cheapest option but we need beds quickly and getting tighter radius bends from roofing suppliers does not look that easy (that and you'd still need to cut the roofing sheets with an angle grinder to get the height). If I was buying again I'd not bother with coloured and just go for straight galvanised as it was stupidly easy to scratch them and the corner pieces especially were marked on delivery. There are some rectangular designs with square corners that you could diy more easily using flashing pieces as the corners.
As for plants the shonky wooden one is killing green beans. The metal one above has peas at the moment but will also be having some tumbling tomatoes over the side. The other big metal one has courgettes. Small metal will be tomatoes or raspberries (or both).
We've mixed lettuce, cut and come again lettuce, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, radish, spinach, peas and broccoli. More going in today as we've staggered planting.
Of course that means snow due at the weekend...
@t3ap0t If they've got edible things in then I line them because tantalised timber. For actual planters I also line the bottom, but cut slits along the bottom to help with drainage. I use nylon hop sacks.
@bearnecessities - how does timber become tantalised? Is this lockdown related?
I thought that modern tannalised timbers didn't leach out bad stuff into the soil??
Oops 🙂 And I have no idea on the latter and you might be right, I just do it out of caution (and I have shedloads of bloody sacks - you're welcome to any if you're passing)
We need @perchypanther ...there's definitely a joke in there about lockdown, tantalised wood and pressure treatment.
I thought that modern tannalised timbers didn’t leach out bad stuff into the soil??
I've been pondering this, I've got ~3 extra 2.4m sleepers from doing the borders and was going to put them in the veg patch.
The other alternative is make some chunky benches.
@matt_outandabout - where did you get the blue hoops from or is it some re-purposed material?
It looks like a great idea though.
Todays' pics. Bear in mind I am due snow on Saturday...
Salad
Broccoli
Peas
Beetroot
Strawbs
Apples
(new) Plums
– what are you going to grow in there
No idea, that's my wife's domain. Something that doesn't die too easily, I hope, as we're generally terrible gardeners. its intended to kind of split the garden, so maybe something medium-tall?
You can then plant your potatoes nice and deep and get lovely big long parsnips.
That's impressive- plant potatoes and get out parsnips.
@matt_oab - looking good. Hope Jack Fost stays away
Ours are made from joists. The corner posts go right down to what used to be the base of an old 60s garage. We built the beds then filled in around them with rubble then soil.
One big design flaw: they're too wide for Mrs Gti to reach the middle.
Now there's room under your bed for all those guitar cases😛
b'dum tish
This was a few weeks back now
And today
The tulips will come out soon and the bulbs stored until the autumn, to make room for something else
Now filled with soil and my little bit of artificial grass laid
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If I could work out how,
I would put up a photo of my new asparagus beds, with plants actually growing
when you cut through you’ll see how little the stuff they use actually penetrates.
There different grades of tanalised-ness (Classes 1 - 4 - I think theres a class 5 but that seems to be specced for the transport industry and doesn't seem easy for us plebs to get our hands on) )depending on how dry the timber is before treatment (I think) and therefore how deep the treatment manages to penetrate. Classes 1 and 2 are internal woodwork with a bit of risk of getting wet occasionally - upper floor joists, tile battens etc. Anything in contact with the ground wants to be Class 4.
However vendors rarely tell you what class of treatment the wood has had.
Local guy here sells reclaimed stuff, looks much better too.
Wheres you're local guy Nobeer? I always end up going up to Glasgow of Falkirk when I need reclaimed stuff.
Our raised beds were made from gravel boards and are now 7 years old. Some have been repositioned and rejigged since but i think they've still got a few years in them yet. The advice when we first built them was everything rots so might as well get something cheap. We weren't too worried about aesthetics at the time as we knew we'd likely be repositioning in a couple of years. They've lasted better than expected.
Wheres you’re local guy Nobeer? I always end up going up to Glasgow of Falkirk when I need reclaimed stuff
We use Glasgow wood recycling at work. Brilliant people, speak to Peter.
We use Glasgow wood recycling at work. Brilliant people, speak to Peter.
Oh - yes - I go way back with Peter - they're a great gang. In fact I was supposed to go in and do some design work with him last year but work/life balance went all wonky.
Just wondering where Nobeer is using closer to home.
I am going to build some raised beds this winter ready for spring. Can't decide between shop bought metal or DIY wood.
I do like the look of metal but I think it would be good to be able to sit on the edge of the bed.
Built earlier in the year, and before anything started growing. 3x2 with three coats of Sadolin.
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They look good. & 3x2 a lot cheaper than the sleepers I've been looking at.
I forgot to actually post a photo.
Just built up ( new ones are nice and shiny)
I put these together from accumulated off cuts of 2x4. Treated and plastic lined, sited on a row of bricks just proud of the lawn so they should last a bit.
Plants aren't especially bedded in in this picture, they should be fuller in the spring.
Did an elephant sit on that table?
😜
The log wall fell on it!
Get it on Etsy as a "Dali homage alfresco dining table"
Lol.
We grew masses of swiss chard, autumn raspberries, radishes, beetroot, tiny carrots, sunflowers, beans, rocket, coriander, oh and some weeds too.
It really was a bumper summer (probably due to the veg bed soil we bought) but now the beds look like a post-apocalyptic scene, bereft of life.
Those beds in my picture are to provide some structure and demarcation to the edge of the patio. In theory, once they are mature, what we've planted should reach about 1 m high including the beds themselves, giving a modicum of privacy to the patio without shutting it away or excluding the sun. If we've done it right, we should get colour from them during spring, summer and autumn.
We have a separate veg bed, but its only about 1.0m2 and some plastic bins for new potatoes. This setup is really just for my teens to learn about growing food. This year we had Charlotte potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, broccoli (disaster), and french beans. Leeks are still in there at the moment.