Raised Beds

The design of vegetable beds is all about ease and simplicity. It's essentially just a grid with paths wide enough to accommodate wheel barrows (ideal for adding compost to the raised beds). 

The idea of using raised beds came from the gardener and television presenter Geoff Hamilton. He championed the idea, proving it was an ideal way of growing vegetables. Being able to walk around the beds meant less compaction and less damage to the soil structure. More air spaces between the soil particles resulted in the plants gaining better root run and this producing stronger, healthier crops. 

And importantly, they look good. 

An essential element in any garden, our raised beds are constructed from new scaffolding boards, painted on the outside, and lined on the inside to help preserve the timber. They are built two boards high, meaning a deeper soil depth, and less strain on our backs. 

The original raised beds we built were made from packing cases, given to us for free. We built them, over an Easter weekend, not really knowing what we were doing, but enjoying every minute. 

Raised beds are far from a new idea. In ancient monasteries, it was seen as a way to garden whilst contemplating. The ideal dimensions for a raised bed were said to be wide enough for a monk to easily reach the centre of the bed whilst kneeling. 

These beds would probably not have been edged; the turf would have been lifted, the soil dug over. This, and the addition of manure, or dung, would have "raised" the bed above the level of the paths. 

Natural materials such as timber do not last forever - in over 20 years we have replaced the edging three times. Next time we may look for alternatives such as brick. 

In the meantime however, timber boards serve just fine. 

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