Willow Raised beds - Yay or Nay?

Mr Jones · 10 Jul 2013 at 11:27

I've finally got around to tidying my front garden and now to tackle my back garden - which I intend to turn a section into a salad garden.

I am VERY limited on budget so I'm looking this:
http://www.tesco.com/direct/willow-...5cm/210-6127.prd?pageLevel=sku&skuId=210-6127

One maybe 2 of them for my pak choi and non deep rooted vegs. Anyone got one or tried it before? My thought is, as I'm doing my garden lawn, bordering about 1 foot away from the fencing for easy mowing. What if I cut the bottom of the bag and use the willow planter as a raised bed plotted directly over my dug up lawn border? Maybe anchored down with some wood pole?

Would that work or a bad idea?

I'm very 'green' (horn as opposed to thumb) to gardening and this will be my first real attempt at growing in my own garden. Thanks.

Mr Jones · 10 Jul 2013 at 11:43

Well, my garden is currently overgrown so anything I do to it will be an improvement. As for tidiness, as long as I set it down right, I think it'll look ok.

No picture yet - till I sort the overgrown / mow. It's basically a 10m long, 7m wide garden, 1/3 patio near side of the house, 2/3 lawn with a shed on the near side. Apart from bordering, I really have nothing planned for the garden.

Growing veg patch is more of an experiment which may spiral out if I get into it.

Raised bed vesus planting straight on
1) My soil is find for grass but just a couple inch down and it's clay - not good drainage
2) Pak choi spreads, so best to confine it
3) Raising it keeps all the weeds and stuff on the lower grown away - or so I'm told

Mr Jones · 10 Jul 2013 at 15:08

I do have some 'tray wood' taken from my work's waste stock, which require some TLC before I can knock them together with some nails - but that's a different kettle of fish because that's to go behind the shed, out of sight.

Wouldn't look quite consistant as willow tree weaves if I decide to expand, thus I'm being a little careful on how I'm approaching it. I understand they rot over time like all things organic mixed with soil, but with the bag, it'd be possible to replace / reenforced with fresh ones.

Pallet wood is hard to find - even those at my work goes back to the company that provides them, which incidently is only down the road. (Maybe that's why it's harder to find them around here...)

Mr Jones · 10 Jul 2013 at 23:36

Thanks guys, will consider a good garden make over when I buy this house - currently on rent to buy so I have another 2 years to save up deposit, thus rather spend less. Keeping a close eye on places like Freecycle and Gumtree.

I've ordered the Willow from Tesco, due to their offers, a 75x75x15 and a 50x50x30. Will experiment and see how it goes. As for tools, I have a spade, a lawn edger and a couple of hand trawl and digger. Gonna be a long weekend me think.