Suggest plants for my small raised bed please.

colin79ie · 2011-05-14 16.38.48.jpg

Hi,

I have just finished a raised bed and would like to set some nice plants for year round displays. I am a noob so I dont want to get the wrong plants and then regret it later on.

I am hoping some of the experts here can give me some guidance.

The bed is around 3 ft wide and about 11ft long.

It gets sun up until late evening.

Thanks

tippben · Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject:

Do you want flowers or food? Or both? I'd do some bright lights chard, and callavo nero for winter grub. Maybe a tayberry or logan berry trained up for flowers and fruit. Cornflower and aquilegia always do well. Nasturtiums! Pretty, and all of it is edible. Maybe a couple of tumbling cherry tomatoes on the edge.
Just grow whatever you like. Most plants want to live. Weed out anything that dies, and next year it'll be fine.

colin79ie · Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 6:25 pm Post subject:

Sorry, should have mentioned.

Flowers/plants only. Not food. I am away from home a lot so tried and failed at the food thing due to lack of maintenance.

Margo · Posted: Sat May 14, 2011 6:54 pm Post subject:

Campanula, Aubretia, pinks along the edge all perinial
lupin, canterbury bells with gladioli in between
dahlias at the back
Then come September plant spring bulbs

inishindie · Posted: Sun May 15, 2011 9:40 pm Post subject:

Nice lookin' bed..... How about adding a few flowering herbs into the mix...you never know you might get a chance to use them.... Smile

Maeve Drogheda · Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 6:17 pm Post subject:

Along with Margo's suggestions, try some narines bulbs, some climbing sweet pea on a trellis at the back and some night scented stock thrown around the bed will supply a beautiful scent around the garden in the evening.

Post a photo when you have it done.

colin79ie · Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 9:49 am Post subject:

I am thinking of putting 1 or 2 small fruit trees at the side of the bed (where the 2 off cuts of wood are in the pic. The garden shed is at the back of the furthest away offcut, so space is limited but I want to do away with that small area of grass which is wasted space otherwise.

I would like to know what small fruit bush I could grow here and if indee I could grow 2 varieties in the small space. I had a look in the garden centre yesterday but as they are all just young it's hard to tell how big they will get.

Any help is much appreciated.

artalis · Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 10:36 am Post subject:

colin79ie · Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:23 am Post subject:

Thanks,

I was thinking more along the lines of a rasberry bush or similar but I dont know how big/wide they grow.

Failing that I will definitely look at the apple trees.