Raised beds are normally used to grow fruit and vegetables in, but they can provide a perfect growing place for a range of different plants. They are also a great way to plant if you have restricted mobility as the soil is higher than ground level and will not require you to bend down as much. Raised beds are suitable for the growing of soft fruits such as strawberries, almost any types of vegetables, herbaceous perennials, alpines that need good drainage for growth, small trees and shrubs and finally, lime-hating plants. The raised beds can be filled with acidic soil to allow plants, such as rhododendrons and heathers, to be grown on areas with alkaline soil.

You may also choose to use raised beds for a number of reasons, such as to improve drainage, increase the soil temperature, increase the growing rate of roots, make managing plant growth easier, match the plant to the type of soil it requires and also to improve access to the plants themselves. Most gardeners find that the best time to construct a raised bed would be in winter although they can be built at any time. Make sure that the ground is not too wet or frozen before you begin building and if waterlogging is a problem, then you may want to consider setting up your raised bed in late summer. You should consider a number of things before jumping straight in and building your raised bed. First, you should work out how big you want your bed to be and where you are going to put it. Next, it is advised that walking or stepping on raised beds should be greatly avoided as this will compress the soil and lead to the damaging of plants. Widths of less than 1.5m should be sufficient enough to allow access to every area of the raised bed. Do not build long beds as people may be tempted to step on them to get to the other side. The pathways around the bed should also be big enough to allow access for walking and also for wheelchairs.

To begin, you should get rid of any weeds or plants growing in the area that you are building on and then level it before marking it out with stakes and string. If you are using a material that isn’t masonry, such as length of treated timber, then you should insert support stakes in every corner and at 1.5m intervals into the soil. 5x5cm pieces of wood should be sufficient for this job. Lay down the sides and attach them to the stakes with screws. You should then incorporate organic matter into the underlying soil. If your bed is deeper than 50cm, you should remove the first couple of inches of underlying soil and replace with rubble, old inverted turfs or subsoil. After this has been done, begin to fill up the bed in layers with the removed soil, making sure that you alternate with organic matter or fertilizer. Firm after each layer has been put down. If the underlying soil is not compatible with the plants that you want to grow, loosen it and fill up the bed with a different, more suitable type of soil. Ensure that once planted up, raised beds are tended to regularly and watered well to ensure that they do not dry out in hot weather. Good luck with your projects.