Flower bed idea's please

irelandspurs

Almost finished my raised flower bed,topsoil arriving tomorrow and topping it with mulch.It gets sun all day when we have it.I'm wanting low maintenance flowers shrubs etc and a few bulbs so looking for ideas of what to buy and where to plant if anyone can suggest.Probably not the best time of year though?

paddy147

irelandspurs wrote: »

Almost finished my raised flower bed,topsoil arriving tomorrow and topping it with mulch.It gets sun all day when we have it.I'm wanting low maintenance flowers shrubs etc and a few bulbs so looking for ideas of what to buy and where to plant if anyone can suggest.Probably not the best time of year though?

Dont forget to add/mix in compost,manure and horticultural grit too.:)

irelandspurs

paddy147 wrote: »

Dont forget to add/mix in compost,manure and horticultural grit too.:)

How much of each do you think i need? and would the multi purpose compost in aldi be ok?

paddy147

irelandspurs wrote: »

How much of each do you think i need? and would the multi purpose compost in aldi be ok?

3-1 compost/manure mix is what we did in our garden.And a medium sprinkling in of grit and mix it all up with the topsoil.


We did all the garden and the raised beds in layers....(slowing building up from base of beds to top of beds)....making sure that the topsoil,compost,manure and grit were all mixed in right through the depth/height of the raised beds.


Multi-purpose is fine......we got a load 54 litre bags compost (bought 40 bags) with added John Innes in Tesco for 3 euro 80 cent a bag a few months back.

Leave it all to settle down for around 2 weeks,as it will sink by an inch or 2 under its own weight and also with rainfall.


Oh and congratts on the raised bed...looks lovely.

irelandspurs

paddy147 wrote: »

3-1 compost/manure mix is what we did in our garden.And a medium sprinkling in of grit and mix it all up with the topsoil.


We did all the garden and the raised beds in layers....(slowing building up from base of beds to top of beds)....making sure that the topsoil,compost,manure and grit were all mixed in right through the depth/height of the raised beds.


Multi-purpose is fine......we got a load 54 litre bags compost (bought 40 bags) with added John Innes in Tesco for 3 euro 80 cent a bag a few months back.

Leave it all to settle down for around 2 weeks,as it will sink by an inch or 2 under its own weight and also with rainfall.


Oh and congratts on the raised bed...looks lovely.

Nice one Paddy will have a look around,be nice to get it finished,do you think planting will be ok this time of year,or should i just plant the bulbs now and wait till next march ,april for the rest?

paddy147

Ive used 60 litre bags of Bullrush Ericaceous Compost from Lidl..(3 euro a bag)...and had no problems with it.

Seems to be good stuff and I added in a small amount of ericaceous food aswell,when planting my Rhododendrons.:)


So it might be worth it to buy their Bullrush MultiPurpose Compost

paddy147

irelandspurs wrote: »

Nice one Paddy will have a look around,be nice to get it finished,do you think planting will be ok this time of year,or should i just plant the bulbs now and wait till next march ,april for the rest?

We just planted some nice tall white Anenome plants over the weekend.Also planted some nice purple Verbenas.

Also about to plant some more New Zealand evergreen ferns and will be planting my bulbs in the next 2 weeks of so.

Sonnenblumen

OP - nice job on the RB. I wouldn't add anything to the soil until you decide what plants you are going to use.

Good soil doesn't really need any additional conditioners such as grit, compost, John Innes etc.

Soil level looks low so I would focus on improving this and if you are planning on planting plants which require acidic soil conditions, you will need to add ericaceous compost.

Plan a mix of low growing evergreen shrubs and herbaceous perennials which when the latter go over you will still have something to look at. Here are a few dead cert performers:

Shrubs: Ceanothus Repens, Pittosporum Tom Thumb, Pittosporum Tobira Nana, Libertia, Armeria. Heuchera Palace Purple, Rosemary Prostratus

Perennials: Echinacea Magnus, Echinacea White Swan, Rudbeckia Goldsturm, Lecanthemum Broadway Lights, Anthemis EC Buxton, Helenium Moreheim Beauty, Scabiosa Pink Delight, Scabiosa Butterfly Blue and Verbena.

It is very easy to plan a continuous display throughout the year, which can be augmented with some bulbs, but I would restrict what where to plant bulbs in a RB, most tend to offer a short display only but otherwise a lingering residual mess afterwards.

irelandspurs

Thanks for the advice,i have 4 ton of topsoil coming tomorrow from the sandman in rathcoole and 2 ton of mulch to go on top.Would like to add a tree down the end near the shed but one that not going to grow massive and a water feature.Was planning on a few climbers along the fence.

paddy147

"You get out of it what you put into it"

As in the time and effort towards the soil and its preperation and conditioning.

It will be worth it in the end....and your flowers and plants will thank you for it too.

irelandspurs

Before i put the topsoil in should i remove the rocks and turn the soil that's there now or can i put it straight in as there will be 12" of good soil on top?

paddy147

irelandspurs wrote: »

Before i put the topsoil in should i remove the rocks and turn the soil that's there now or can i put it straight in as there will be 12" of good soil on top?

I presume that theres no sub soil mixed into that soil there,from building the raised bed.
Its very important to keep subsoil from being mixed in with topsoil for plants being planted and their growth
If no subsoil mixed in,then no harm at all to turn the soil and remove some of the larger rocks/stones.get some air in there and also break it up,ready for the topsoil to be mixed in

I would shovel/fork in some manure,compost and some grit with the topsoil,no harm to do it,and its also peace of mind that you have addressed the growing medium.The plants will grow and thrive once planted.



If you are putting in some lime hating plants and shrubs in certain parts of the raised bed,then dig/fork in some Ericaceous Compost in the areas where you will be planting those types of plants/shrubs....(Camellias,Azaleas and Rhododendrons).


If you are going to plant some flowering grasses,then add in some extra grit in those areas,as you dont want too much water lying in/around the grasses.

Have fun with it and happy planting/gardening.:)

jonnybravo

irelandspurs wrote: »

Almost finished my raised flower bed,topsoil arriving tomorrow and topping it with mulch.It gets sun all day when we have it.I'm wanting low maintenance flowers shrubs etc and a few bulbs so looking for ideas of what to buy and where to plant if anyone can suggest.Probably not the best time of year though?

I love how you've done the curve in your raised bed. Did you just take normal sleepers and cut them in lengths and then attach them side by side? I bought a house a few months ago and am in the process of doing up the garden.

irelandspurs

jonnybravo wrote: »

I love how you've done the curve in your raised bed. Did you just take normal sleepers and cut them in lengths and then attach them side by side? I bought a house a few months ago and am in the process of doing up the garden.

Thanks,yes i just cut up sleepers and set them in concrete,

The Garden Shop

This is the ideal time of year to start planting

SPring bulbs have just gone on sale and can be planted now.

In a few weeks all the bare root hedging and trees will be available to buy - so get in there early to get the best of the bunch

and now garden centres are flogging off their old herbaceous perennials which means even more saving to be found.

Planting ideas for your border:
Start with something big and work your way down to small filler plants:

Acer Palmatum
Fatsia Japonica
Phormium Platts Black
Weigela purpurea
Echinacea
Rudbeckia
Carex testacea
Pennisetum Hameln
Geraniums

Add spring bulbs:
Alliums
Crocus
Tulips.

BTW- love the sleepers - they look great

irelandspurs

The Garden Shop wrote: »

This is the ideal time of year to start planting

SPring bulbs have just gone on sale and can be planted now.

In a few weeks all the bare root hedging and trees will be available to buy - so get in there early to get the best of the bunch

and now garden centres are flogging off their old herbaceous perennials which means even more saving to be found.

Planting ideas for your border:
Start with something big and work your way down to small filler plants:

Acer Palmatum
Fatsia Japonica
Phormium Platts Black
Weigela purpurea
Echinacea
Rudbeckia
Carex testacea
Pennisetum Hameln
Geraniums

Add spring bulbs:
Alliums
Crocus
Tulips.

BTW- love the sleepers - they look great

Hi The Garden shop are you the place in Portarlington,i've been buying a few bits off you recently ,i'm in port myself.Thanks for the advice.

Sonnenblumen

The Garden Shop wrote: »

This is the ideal time of year to start planting

SPring bulbs have just gone on sale and can be planted now.

In a few weeks all the bare root hedging and trees will be available to buy - so get in there early to get the best of the bunch

and now garden centres are flogging off their old herbaceous perennials which means even more saving to be found.

Planting ideas for your border:
Start with something big and work your way down to small filler plants:

Acer Palmatum
Fatsia Japonica
Phormium Platts Black
Weigela purpurea
Echinacea
Rudbeckia
Carex testacea
Pennisetum Hameln
Geraniums

Add spring bulbs:
Alliums
Crocus
Tulips.

BTW- love the sleepers - they look great

I wouldn't recommend planting a Fatsia in an RB, way too big, it will smother everything out and you'll be cutting back constantly. Similarly Weigela. List lacks a little colour and Alliums as 'spring' bulb?

The Garden Shop

Weigela purpurea grows 1 M wide at the most so it would be fine in this bed.

If your wondering why I've listed Alliums as spring bulbs is just because they are ready for sowing in autumn - like spring bulbs. My mistake as, of course they are summer flowering

Thank you Sonnenblumen