New raised bed in my garden

[David Nicholson]

Mark, what are you using for coping?

Strong drink works for me!

Moi aussi, in quantity

[mark smyth]

The soil arrived today. Good job I didnt order 3 tons which I was going to do.

Maggi the coping stones will add another 10cm of depth

[Paul T]

Mark,

Good job.  Looking forward to seeing it complete and planted out.

The Crocus bed of mine I set up a couple of years ago is 20cm (1 hardwood sleeper height) at the bottom level, then the other two levels would take the middle up to a mazimum of 30cm deep I think.  I've had all my small bulbs thrive in it.  If you're keeping yours as a collection, invest in some plastic mesh pots (i.e something with holes for roots to spread out, but too small for blbs to fit through).  That has kept my bulbs all neatly clear of each other so that I can keep track of everything.  I put a 'Red Pygmy' maple in the corner of mine, to give some height.  Looks wonderful right now.  The problem with something permanent is that roots then invade everything around it, which may or may not be good depending on your moisture levels and what you're planting etc.  My maple worked as I planted it in the corner and tried to sheild the bed from it's roots, hoping that the roots of the maple will tend to go down into the ground below, rather than out into the bed too much.

[PDJ]

I was just looking at your pictures and wondered how you're going to lay the blocks with the soil in?

[mark smyth]

I was just looking at your pictures and wondered how you're going to lay the blocks with the soil in?

  PDJ, the blocks are in place.

The plan now is to level the soil, very wet due to sitting in ton bags, add recycled pot contents, buy some bags of composted manure and fork it in. I'm off Mon, Wed and Thursday.

It's too late now to disturb and plant out pot grown bulbs - or is it? - but I have lots of dry bulbs eager to get in to the ground.

[PDJ]

I was referring to moving the blocks to mortar them.  With dry bulbs I've always found its better to plant them unless the ground is frozen.

[mark smyth]

Paul these are easy blocks to use and need no mortar. Each block fits on top of the one below and held in place by a lip

[Lesley Cox]

In my experience tree roots go where there is moisture and I have found that by dumping a load (6 cubic metres) of potting mix on a nice flat, hard space under a gum tree, the gum roots have come up ABOVE GROUND level and thoroughly infested the compost, within 6 months. They have come up into my tunnel house with its gravel floor and made thick, foot-tripping roots about 10cms in diameter all over the 12m x 4m area. If you are planting under trees, it is smart practice to dig a deep trench at the outer limit of where you want your tree roots (and preferable all the way round) and fill it with concrete.

Gums of course are exceedingly greedy for moisture but so too are birches, maples, oaks, beeches and just about anything you care to think about even larger rhododendrons.

[mark smyth]

The only tree going in the bed is Sorbus cashmiriana. There are no other trees in the back garden

[Lesley Cox]

Mark it wouldn't be too late if your potted bulbs are still dry, or even if in growth and you were to tip the potful into your hand and then settle the whole clump into the bed. Don't try to separate into individuals though, if they are rooted and growing.

[Lesley Cox]

Re the Sorbus. It too will fill the bed with roots in no time at all. In a bed the size of yours Mark, I wouldn't be putting any tree at all and perhaps only a small shrubby plant such as a smaller Daphne or dwarf conifer. Even so their roots will spread out fast. Could you go for a shrubby plant in a large pot OUTSIDE the bed, say at the back corner?

[Lesley Cox]

Or maybe 2 or 3 potted Clematis up against your tank thingy which would give an attractive background plus the illusion of height in the garden.

[Ezeiza]

Mark, in the first two images a good mellow organic based soil appears but in the third one  it is bad, clogged clay. Why is this kind of soil added please?

[mark smyth]

The white bag that was in the centre was filled with pot contents of dead plants - those that died because the freeze in December. The pot mix was grit, sand and leaf mould. It does look and feel good.

Before buying the bags of soil I asked if I can dig in them to see what it was like. They were ok but wet. It's very difficult to get perfect soil here.

[mark smyth]

more rain today today will not help help dry the soil