skip to main content

Landscape Design

Flowers and plants for long raised wood planter.

6 years ago

Hi there! I am putting in a 4' x 22' x 2' high wood planter with a seating bench in my backyard that butts up to a fence. It is getting finished up this weekend and will be stained a dark brown color. I've been researching plants and flowers to put in my raised planter but have a hard time figuring out how to make it astetically colorful but not high maintanence. I love flowers like hydrangeas and peonies but I live in dallas zone 8a and my backyard is facing the west sun which makes it pretty hard to grow. Any help or ideas of plants would be greatly appreciated!

Here are some photos of my planter inspiration.

And here is what my backyard currently looks like. It's just a basic builder backyard. I also quickly photoshop some distracting things out so it gives you a better view of what we are up against. Many thanks!

Featured Answer

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

6 years ago

If you don't get a response here, try the TX forum.

Things to help make it lower maintenance include drip irrigation and dense planting and/or mulch. Since it has built in seating you will want low growing plants along the edge of the seating and avoid plants with unpleasant scents. Some foliage smells fairly rank if brushed against.

Pay attntion to the soil mix you use to be sure it is suited to what you will be planting.

Comments (6)

emmarene9
6 years ago
Salvia would be nice on the outer edge. I would use a trailing plant of blooming ground cover for the rest of the planter. Do you like succulents?
Related Discussions
Raised planter box for strawberries
Q
Comments (2)
Whatever container you use, make sure there are drain holes and that the soil you use is free-draining. It might be best to go with name brand bagged soil or mix up your own with plenty of drainage material mixed in (e.g., perlite). You can plant right into the box of soil. How many you plant will depend on the size of the box and type of plant. There are strawberries that generate long runners of babies and they will spread across the box (and will actually give you more plants). Others stay fairly compact. Many people grow them in hanging pots. Just be aware that they do like sun but because of that, the soil can dry out quickly, so you want to make sure the soil will stay moist but not soggy, especially since they are surface-rooters (consider some pine needle mulch around the plants). Otherwise, they are easy and fun to grow! Hope this helps a little!
...See More
What to plant in narrow long brick planter...
Q
Comments (15)
I actually thought about geraniums. I like the iris and lambs ears idea but I'm thinking it would be lovely to see some blooms peeking through the window from inside the house and I don't think iris will get that tall. So...what grows about 3 feet tall, has pretty blooms and would be happy in a narrow space? I am scratching my head all the time with this! What do you think about salvias? with something mixed in. I wish I could widen it but I think that it is just not going to happen as we only plan to live here a couple of years.
...See More
New garden: Cheap raised beds or quality large planters?
Q
Comments (16)
Couple of quick things...don't make the bed right up against the fence - with a bed 3ft wide you will need room on the fence side to reach into the bed. Leave about 3ft between the bed and fence (4ft if you can), enuff room for your legs from the knee to an extended foot (and more) so you can kneel down. The peat has no nutrients so you can leave that out of the mix. I don't think Home Depot does this anymore but I made lots of beds when they sold 'cull wood'. It was bent, warped, chipped, or had some other defect but was fine for the garden. They always cut it to 4ft lengths and the price varied from $.51, $1.01, $2.01, etc. I got most for $.51 or $1.01 Some were treated some not - some 2x some 1 or 3/4". The 2x will last longer. I have some untreated 2x beds 10y/o. I just placed the 4x4 frame on the ground, no corner post needed - they haven't gone anywhere yet either. IMO the SqFt method is the way-to-go.
...See More
Advice on "runners" in raised planter with hibiscus
Q
Comments (7)
I'm particularly fond of Dichondra Silver Falls, it creates a lovely cascade effect and has a very pretty silvery shimmer in the sun. :) I have some planted in a raised planter, like yours, in full sun with roses and spilling ove with ivy geranium and some in part sun in a raised planter with succulents. They have both grown well for many years and you can just trim the length to however long you want it. The individual vines can root along the stems so I let some spilling over and put some vines back within the planter box to root. I found it just meanders along, it hasn't choked anything out, forming a pretty bright groundcover. They also have a newer version called emerald falls, same trailing plant but with slightly larger green leaves vs. silver leaves. I took this pic locally of Silver Falls in a hanging basket that I thought was well done. It looked lovely waving in the breeze.
...See More
..kimi..
Original Author
6 years ago
Faux succulents in small containers in the house, yes :) I don't have much of a green thumb but I attempt to get better at it every year. I am thinking maybe some purple fountain grass, hydrangea bobo, sweet potato vines in purple and green maybe for the 2 sides and add some shrubs behind the bench section with mix annuals as a starter. I'm still researching other forums here for recommendations but thanks for the inputs so far!
l pinkmountain
6 years ago
Do you like to cook? To me the planters cry out for some kitchen herbs, if you like such things.
..kimi..
Original Author
6 years ago
I do like to cook but I have no plans to convert this to a vegetable garden since I used pressure treated wood. I prefer not to use toxic chemicals near anything I might consume.
l pinkmountain
6 years ago
I was thinking herbs, a lot of which are also ornamental, don't even have to be used for cooking. Thyme, for example. Makes a great edging and there are lots of varieties with colorful foliage. Lavender is another great plant although when in bloom has lots of bees on the flowers. I have it in a raised bed and have never been bothered by the bees, they are so interested in the flowers they don't care about me. Another cool plant is silver mound. And there are ornamental sages. Just some ideas. You know best what types of plants you like. I like herbs because a lot of them I can't hardly kill, which is always a good thing for me.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

SUMMER GARDENING Great Design Plant: Iranian Wood Sage

By Annie Thornton

Architecturally spiky yet soft in a breeze, this heat-tolerant plant brings on the butterflies and gives gardens a delicious scent

FARM YOUR YARD How to Build a Raised Bed for Your Veggies and Plants

By Annie Thornton

Whether you’re farming your parking strip or beautifying your backyard, a planting box you make yourself can come in mighty handy

GARDENING GUIDES Bright Plants for Flower Beds That Wow

From new annual and perennial varieties to grasses, get dramatic with swaths of color

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Slipper Plant

By Annie Thornton

Unthirsty succulent looks great all year and offers an unexpected surprise in fall

HOUSEPLANTS 12 Potted Plants That Make Long-Lasting Holiday Gifts

By Lauren Dunec Hoang

A miniature conifer, blooming amaryllis or desktop succulent could be the perfect gift for someone on your list

SPRING GARDENING Inspiring Raised Beds for Fall and Spring Planting

By KitchenLab Interiors

Make Your Next Vegetable Garden Even Better with Beautiful Boxes and Paths

GARDENING GUIDES Plant Native Annual Flowers for a Garden Surprise Every Year

By Curtis Adams

These 15 well-adapted native annuals can add spontaneity to gardens around the country

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Deer-Resistant Native Flowers to Plant This Fall

Learn about natives that embrace some kinds of wildlife but resist grazing deer

TREES 7 Deer-Resistant Flowering Trees to Plant this Fall

If you live in a neighborhood with roaming deer, consider these beautiful trees that won't tempt hungry guests

FALL GARDENING 9 Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrubs to Plant This Fall

These exquisite shrubs will attract your attention but won’t tempt the deer that roam your neighborhood at night

Sponsored

Peabody Landscape Group

8 Reviews

Franklin County's Reliable Landscape Design & Contracting

More Discussions

is it necessary to match boxwood?

8

Need some privacy ideas

13

Landscaping Possibilities?

7

Rocks ok or need plants under Japanese Maples?

14

we would like to line our long governors driveway with river rock.

9