Planting ideas for my raised cedar beds
Finally, finally one of my contractors assembled the 9 cedar raised beds intended for the inside perimeter of my fenced backyard. I have accrued a collection of nice hostas, heucheras, and painted ferns for the 2 shaded beds under my neighbor's overhanging mulberry tree.
The cedar beds are 8 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 16.5" deep, except for the 2 in the back corners of the backyard. Those have a central section which is 4 x 4' and 22" inches deep, with the intended planting of a couple of dwarf crape myrtles in the center section, flanked by some heucheras. The arms coming off the central section are 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 16.5" deep. There are also three 4 x 2' beds attached together on the eastern side of my large garden shed (in the middle). I intend to put trellises on the eastern side to support 2 climbing roses I bought.
The 2 corner beds will have full sun, and the two 8' beds on the eastern side of the yard will have full morning and early afternoon sun. I was thinking of planting a central small shrub in each of the eastern beds
and flanking it with sun loving perennials. Does anyone have suggestions as to what I should plant in these long-awaited cedar raised beds? Thanks!
Comments (10)
laceyvail 6A, WV
last yearEsther-B, Zone 7a
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Comments (6)I've seen businesses with cedars in raised pots and most range from totally dead to quite a bit of winter damage (okay, almost dead). One hotel, however, seemed to have theirs fairly healthy looking after winter. I attribute this to maybe having big enough planters (more soil more insulating value?) as well as having their cedars in total shade because winter sun damages them alot as well. Who knows, maybe they water them really well too. I think there are many factors involved. Pots may not insulate the roots properly, at least not the same as if the roots were in the ground. Cedars in planters are usually in a 'hostile' environment: reflected sunlight can reflect off the side of the building, intensifying the damage to the plant. Usually cedars, at least in planters downtown, don't get much in the way of snowcover on the soil around the trunk. Most cedars in planters downtown aren't well cared for with regards to watering. It could be a problem of not choosing the best cultivar as well. For example, 'brandon' or 'rushmore' are known to be winter resistant. 'smargd' is supposedly winter resistant, I just don't believe it is on the prairies. For a smaller round one, hetz midget seems to be pretty winter resistant. Woodwardii for a larger round one. I would say to just wrap them for winter, and ensure she piles loads of snow around and over the planter, but then that would defeat the purpose that she wants them for. Still, if she only wants smaller ones (1 to 2 feet)and doesn't care if they get huge, you can get these fairly cheap at the garden center ($5), so maybe think of them as expensive annuals. I have one cedar growing in a pot on the deck, but I sink the pot into the garden, a shady spot and up to the rim, to insulate the roots for winter. This works well. Glen...See Morelooking for raised beds ideas, sizes, materials for my sideyard
Comments (6)This area gets morning time 5-6 hours of sun. I have no other areas in my garden where I get this much sun. That is why I am thinking of utilizing the sideyard. Wondering how to convert clay into nutrient rich soil for planting without the raised beds....See MoreRaised Garden Bed - Cedar? Vinyl?
Comments (7)Most gardeners that use wooden raised beds build their own. Zillions of online tutorials and they are not difficult, requiring only a hammer and nails. Edge/corner fasteners and other accessories can be purchased if necessary but they are not requirements. This way, you can customize sizes and arrangements that best fit your purposes. Personally, I'd steer clear of vinyl around food production. It is a plastic and it does degrade. It also contains phthalates or plasticizers and various other rather toxic chemicals that can leach into the soil and thus be taken up by plants. Galvanized stock tanks - available at feed and farm supply stores - are also frequently used for raised beds and any number of large garden retailers are selling them for this purpose. Vego Garden Beds Gardener's Supply GardenGate Galvanized Raised Beds...See MoreEsther-B, Zone 7a
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