Garden Basics: Why Raised Beds are Perfect for Your Cut Flower Garden
Today we’re answering why we recommend installing cut flower gardens in raised beds, when possible.
TOP FIVE REASONS:
1 - Eye Candy
They look good! Raised beds can be a beautiful focal point in an urban garden that might already be full of mature shrubs and trees. They can make a beautiful backdrop when hosting an outdoor meal. Flowers just look good growing out of these contained boxes.
2 - Stuff Them
Raised beds allow for dense planting of flowers that can be attended to from all sides of the bed. When flowers are densely planted, there will be fewer weeds and the raised bed will be less attractive to our bunny friends to climb inside and nibble. Raised beds are fully open at the bottom, which allows for excellent drainage (you want that!) and for plants to establish deep roots.
3 - Dirty Stuff
Fill it with the good stuff! Many growers don’t think about the importance of soil quality when growing cut flowers but we consider it absolutely key. We can create a perfect microclimate in a raised bed with a blend of soil that’s superior to the native soil in our urban yard. In our urban area, poor quality soil is common due to construction debris and compacted soil. Mixing an ideal soil blend for your cut flower garden will allow cut flowers to thrive. Plants grow well in loose soil that is packed with nutrients because roots can grow freely.
4 - Tiny Spaces
We’re not in the country! Growing space is limited in our urban yards. We are limited by where the sun greets the plants and for how long (we want 6+ hours btw!). Growing in a raised bed allows for flexibility in choosing the best location for your flowers. We recommend raised bed sizes no greater than 4 feet wide so that plants can be easily accessed during maintenance. This is usually difficult in a traditional landscaped flower bed that can be several feet deep.
5 - Pest Pressure
In my experience, a raised bed can offer a bit more “safety” for plants from ground crawling bugs and bunnies, especially when the plants are young. It’s not fool proof, but your plants might have a better chance of growing when off the ground in a raised bed. I have my fingers crossed for you!
OPTIONS You’ve got them! Maybe it’s 4x4, 2x4, on the ground, hanging from a railing, square or rectangle, just 1 or maybe 3, we just hope it’s corten steel. One thing all Seattleites have in common is that we’ve learned to adapt to the many months of rainfall. This is just one thing that we LOVE about corten steel (the material in the raised beds we recommend and install) - it develops a beautiful rust patina on the outside, but stays protected and durable, even during months of rain. This material will outlast even the highest quality cedar wood. And that’s what you want to invest in, right? An outdoor feature that looks good year after year and doesn’t need annual replacement like some of our outdoor furniture! Corten steel looks so good to! It has a clean and minimalist design and works well with any house style. We install a variety of sizes and shapes to fit your cut flower garden needs.
Should my raised bed be on rocks or concrete?If possible, it’s best for your raised bed to be installed on the dirt for several reasons: 1) the bed can be leveled to ensure even watering, 2) earthworms and other beneficial creatures will have easier access to the soil, and 3) plants can grow deep roots and find water sources down in the soil.
A Goatsbeard Garden Co. installation will be a cut flower garden in a raised bed, but when necessary a planter box or pots can be used, depending on your growing needs. We’ll choose the flowers you love that will thrive in your growing space and conditions.
Check out our latest raised bed projects here: PROJECTS
Now that we’ve talked about raised beds, are you curious to know the difference between a cut flower garden grown in a raised bed versus a landscaped flower bed? Check out our comparison here: A COMPARISON: Cut Flower Garden vs. Landscaped Flower Beds
GOATSBEARD GARDEN CO.
Helping you grow flowers for your home, your friends, your neighbors, and all your flower hobbies.
We provide cut flower garden consultation, design, and installation for your urban spaces.