How to build a raised flower bed

Adding a raised flower bed is a great addition to any garden and gives you the chance to grow beautiful flowers and delicious vegetables. You can maintain and manage your plants without having to stoop over and you also have numerous other benefits such as improved soil drainage and reduced weed growth.

With just a little planning and the right materials and tools – this is a job that most people should be able to tackle!

Step 1: Determine the location and size of your raised flower bed

The first step in building a raised flower bed is to decide where you want it to be and how large it should be. Ideally, you want to choose a location that gets plenty of sunlight and is easily accessible for maintenance. Once you’ve decided on the location, measure the area to determine the size of your flower bed. Keep in mind that raised beds should be no wider than around 1.2 metres or 4 feet wide so you ensure easy access to plants in the center.

These Treated Railway Sleepers are ideal and these are 2.4 metres long. As they are treated they are ideal for growing flowers and if you also want to grow vegetables you can use a weed membrane to create a barrier between the soil / compost and the wood.

If you use untreated wood you will still have to apply some sort of treatment to protect the wood in the weather outside. Otherwise it will degrade and rot much quicker.

Step 2: Gather Your Materials

Next, you’ll need to gather the materials for your raised flower bed. You’ll need:

• The likes of these Railway Sleepers or Rough Sawn Timber
• Weed barrier fabric
• Soil
• Compost
• Mulch

Step 3: Construct Your Raised Flower Bed

Cut your wood to the desired length and width, then screw the pieces together at the corners to form a rectangular box. The likes of a standard hand saw shouldn’t take too long to make any cuts and you can use the likes of these stainless steel screws that are designed to be used outside.

Step 4: Add Weed Barrier Fabric

Once your raised flower bed is constructed, add weed barrier fabric to the bottom of the bed. This will prevent weeds from growing up into your flower bed. You can also fix this membrane to the inside of the sleepers or wood and this will stop the soil and compost from coming into direct contact with the wood – this will extend the life of the timber that is being used.

Step 5: Fill with Soil and Compost

Next, fill your raised flower bed with a mixture of soil and compost. Aim for a ratio of 60% soil and 40% compost. This will ensure that your plants have the nutrients they need to grow healthy and strong.

Step 6: Plant Your Flowers

Now that your raised flower bed is ready, it’s time to plant your flowers! Choose flowers that are well-suited to the Irish climate and the amount of sunlight your flower bed receives. Arrange your flowers in the bed, leaving enough space between them to allow for growth.

Step 7: Add Mulch

Finally, add a layer of mulch on top of the soil to help retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing. Mulch is made from dead plant material so the likes of dead plants, leaves, bark, grass clippings and compost. This will also help protect the seeds from stronger winds and drying out too early. It will add some extra nutrients to the soil too.

As always, our helpful and friendly team is on hand to help in any way needed and we do deliver all of these materials to anywhere in Ireland.