Raised beds are a step up from troughs and can be made to any height, which can make plant maintenance easier, particularly if you have problems with mobility. These large-scale containers are built up on the ground into any shape from any material you have on hand and can be as complicated or as simple as you like. They are versatile and can fit in with any designs, from the most rustic to the most contemporary.
•If you like the rustic look, raised beds can be created by building dry stone walls with large stones carefully piled together and cramming it with cottage-garden flowers tumbling over one another, perhaps even growing through the gaps in between the stones. Plants like Erigeron lend themselves beautifully to this look. You could give this an even more authentic English-garden feel by growing edibles or perhaps some herbs among the flowers. Leave an antique fork sticking out of the soil (for effect, of course—you should never leave your real tools out in all weather!), and you have a stunning traditional cottage-garden bed, all within a beautiful hand-built container.
•The choice of planting is also completely up to you. You can soften the hard edges of the raised bed with tumbling plants or, if you want a minimalist style, enhance them with a single species to create straight lines formed by vertical plants such as reeds or bamboos. Or go for something modern and not-in-the-least naturalistic with plants such as mosses, balls of Buxus, tufted grasses, or other rounded species, such as thrift. The latter in particular goes very well with a beach theme.
•A very straight and uniform raised bed gives a completely different look. Made out of wood (see page 84), concrete, or metal, it gives a really modern look.
•If you want a more natural but sleek bed, you could try using railway sleepers. Don’t buy reclaimed railway sleepers because of the health risks associated with the creosote they are soaked in; instead, get new ones that have been pressure treated (ometimes called tanalized) for an incredibly crisp and fresh look. This kind of timber will turn a pale, washed-out silver after a few years in situ, but you can paint it whatever color you like—perhaps whitewashed for a strong minimalist statement—or try growing something tropical in a deep blue or a vibrant red raised bed.
•Raised beds are also excellent for growing your own food and can be filled with herbs and vegetables. Romantics will enjoy growing flowers, and Post-Modernists like foliage and greenery.
