How to make raised flower beds?

I want to make some raised beds in my new garden, and will use stone to retain soil, but what should I use on the back side where the fence is, to stop it rotting etc?

How to make raised flower beds?
I built a raised bed right next to my deck and put 30 mil pond liner against the deck wood to keep the dirt and water away from it so it would not rot. One of the biggest advantages of using pond liner is that it roughly the thickness of a quarter, so you don't lose too much space.


You can buy it at Lowes or Home Depot by the foot (1' x 12') and it isn't too expensive. I did this about 3 years ago and have not noticed any signs of rot so far.
Reply:Hi:


There are a couple of different options to making a raised bed.


There are a variety of kits available to you with different materials.


You can also create a raised bed from pressure treated lumber, railroad ties, decorative rocks or brick.





Depending on what you are planning on planting will determine how much top soil to put in. I just wrote an article on my website on raised beds yesterday and a few options.


Take a look at the article and hopefully it will may give you a little insight on some different ideas. Best of luck to you and if you need some more advice, please feel free to contact me.


Kimberly


http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...
Reply:I have often wondered this myself! And keep deciding not put in those raised beds, because I couldn't figure out how to create a barrier narrow enough not to seriously reduce the space in the bed.





I think probably some bricks would be the best and most natural sort of barrier. Leaving a little space between them and the fence would help too.
Reply:Unfortunately, anything you place against wood is going to hold water against it ultimately causing it to rot. If the fence is treated lumber, it will slow down, but not prevent eventual rotting for 10-15 years. Untreated will probably rot out in 2-5 years. Anything that you can use to keep the soil from the fence and allow air circulation will keep it from rotting. We'd allow at least 6 inches of space that you will need to keep clean of leaves, weeds, etc.





Visit our website for more gardening ideas at-


http://www.gardening-at-the-crossroads.c...





Good Luck and Happy Gardening from Cathy and Neal!
Reply:HI Pauline,you have 2 options you can try to solve your problem.


You could buy some weather board,treat it with a weather proofing and slot it between your raised flower bed and your fence.


Or you could also use more stone and make a complete square/rectangle that is say a foot away from the fence.


This would then pose no threat to your fence,and make your raised flowerbed even more of a feature on its own.