If the move goes to plan in January I am planning some raised beds for the veg plot. I'm not keen on sleepers etc which are coated in chemicals and am thinking of constructing some hurdles which will cost virtually nothing and blend in with the cottage garden. I have never seen them used for growing veg - has anyone tried it?Spouse says if they were any good everyone would use them and that creosote in very old sleepers won't hurt anyone.
8 comments:
Doesn't Monty Don use them? Sure I've seen them used, in just the way you describe, to divide beds of veg. Have a look in Fork to Fork.
He does - have just 'looked inside' on Amazon and there they are, thank you!
I tried making them at a basket making workshop, not as simple as they look.
Have to have a clamp to hold the uprights in place while you weave. Look great, cheap to make, they rot down within 3 years unless you coat them with varnish and re-do each year, but great to look at, very natural, not so good if you want them to hold back the soil. Because they are dead wood they rot quickly. if you make them out of living willow, they grow 10feet a year and have invasive roots!
Best of luck
Joy Bird
hmmm... I think the veg beds may be on a slope so they will need to be pretty tough. Back to the drawing board.
If you grow your own willow which is very easy to do, like put a 6 inch cutting in the soil!, then you could replace your own willow every few years. Sustaninable!
Joy
Hi,
Great to see you have put a picture of one of our edging hurdles that I took here in the farm house garden.
We can supply them ready made or provide a kit.
Edging hurdles work best as edging to borders, if you want to make raised beds, you really need to hold the soil back with wood and you could then attach the hurdles to the wood. If hurdles are in contact with the soil they will rot too quickly.
The alternative is to weave a little living willow wall, but the willow would then be taking water from the beds.
If you want any hurdles, willow or help, please contact me.
James
Hi James,
It's not just the hurdles I like on your site - you have some really lovely things (have added a link to the post for all to see). Have bookmarked your site ready to return when we move.
;)
I'm thinking of making few more raised beds for this spring also..Hurdles could be useful, just not sure how difficult are they to make?
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