Raised beds.....what next?

padzer

I recently decided to tidy up the garden and dug up a row of slabs that had been down when we moved in to the house last year and put down some raised beds.

I followed the directions that were given on a thread here and all went pretty much to plan. Sourced some free topsoil from a bloke on adverts.ie and after a couple of runs in the car its just about full.

The thing is, I am an absolute novice at gardening and dont really know what the next move is. I had a few onions there, they turned out alright, would it be hassle to go half and half veg/flowers?

I was thinking maybe a few herbs, suppose some flowers or plants for a bit of colour, but i have no idea if there needs to be a plan in place or just throw down whatevers going.

Anybody any ideas? Are plants going to cost an arm and a leg?
Do i need to get some compost/mulch down?
Thanks,

pwurple

Bulbs wouldn't be mad expensive, depending on what yiu got. Aldi and lidl are stocking them at the moment as well.

Do you want veg?

You could pick up a couple of hardy supermarket herbs in pots too. Chives, bay, thyme or rosemary. The soft ones wouldn't survive the winter.... Basil, coriander, and mint would be too invasive.

padzer

pwurple wrote: »

Bulbs wouldn't be mad expensive, depending on what yiu got. Aldi and lidl are stocking them at the moment as well.

Do you want veg?

You could pick up a couple of hardy supermarket herbs in pots too. Chives, bay, thyme or rosemary. The soft ones wouldn't survive the winter.... Basil, coriander, and mint would be too invasive.

Thanks. Im not really that pushed on veg, the herbs and plants will probably do the trick.

Technophobe

Garlic can be planted now if you were interested..

Sonnenblumen

Here's a good starting list, these plants are not expensive but will repay you in bucket loads of seasonal colour:

Herbaceous:
Leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'
Rudbeckia Goldsturm
Salvia Ostfriesland
Helenium Moerheim Beauty
Echinacea Magnus
Echinacea White Swan
Verbena Bonarensis Lollipop

Evergreen Ground cover:
Heuchera Obsidian
Rosemary Prostratus
Santolina Lemon Fizz
Ceanothus Repens
Pittosporum Tom Thumb
Libertia Gold Finger


Ornamental Grasses
Carex Evergold
Ophiopogon nigrescens
Acorus Oghon
Stipa Tenuissima 'Ponytails'
Liriope muscari

rje66

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Here's a good starting list, these plants are not expensive but will repay you in bucket loads of seasonal colour:

Herbaceous:
Leucanthemum 'Broadway Lights'
Rudbeckia Goldsturm
Salvia Ostfriesland
Helenium Moerheim Beauty
Echinacea Magnus
Echinacea White Swan
Verbena Bonarensis Lollipop

Evergreen Ground cover:
Heuchera Obsidian
Rosemary Prostratus
Santolina Lemon Fizz
Ceanothus Repens
Pittosporum Tom Thumb
Libertia Gold Finger


Ornamental Grasses
Carex Evergold
Ophiopogon nigrescens
Acorus Oghon
Stipa Tenuissima 'Ponytails'
Liriope muscari

good choices. Rem plant herbaceous plants in little groups for best effect.