June 6, 2018 Garden Paradise

How to plant flowers in a wooden raised bed

When bursting with greenery and seasonal blooms, our wooden raised beds will give a lift to any garden. Here are some tips on making the most of yours:

1. First, find the right sized wooden planter to suit your location. Garden Paradise offer a huge range of shapes, sizes and depths of wooden raised beds. These are the best choice for permanent plantings, as they allow plenty of growing room. The roots will benefit from the warmth of the wood. 

2. You need a drainage layer that will prevent the roots from becoming waterlogged. If you have a Garden Paradise wooden raised bed, it has an open base so there will already be drainage holes. You can add a weed membrane, to help combat weeds from spoiling your display. Pour an even layer of stone chippings (or gravel) over the membrane (about 5cm in depth).

3. Fill the planter about three-quarters full with potting compost (a good quality, soil-based compost such as John Innes Compost No 1). Place your plants into your preferred arrangement - Have you thought about having a focal point such as a tall plant like a sweat pea? You could then surround this with contrasting colours such as Helichrysum or Lysmachia. Get creative!

4. Start planting. Leave at least 5cm watering room between the surface of the soil and the rim of the container. This will stop soil spilling over the edge when you water. You may wish to work some slow-release fertiliser granules into the compost as you go along. Remember to water thoroughly!

Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labour! Do send us any photos of your planter, we love to see them filled and blooming. Why not share your creations on our Facebook page?