Building A Raised Flower Bed

Why Build A Raised Rosebed?

So many people are intimidated at the thought of growing roses. We have all heard over the years how roses are impossible to grow; they are fussy and demanding, requiring constant attention. Although roses are indeed more demanding than many other plants you could choose, they are not the garden horror they have been made out to be. Roses do demand some care to perform at their best. However, much time and effort can be saved by starting off right before adding roses to your garden.

Rosarians throughout the country face challenges in growing their favorite plant. Very few areas have perfect soil for roses. The instructions that come with most roses tell us to dig a nice large hole, put some good soil in there, stand back and watch our roses grow. I believe this is a large part of why so many people have been so disappointed with roses. That advice just does not work for most areas. Some areas have to deal with soil that is almost totally sand. We have the opposite problem. Our soil has a very high clay content. In order to get the most enjoyment from our roses, we need to create planting beds. There are several options available to us.

I am going to focus on the building of raised beds for planting. I like raised beds because they are relatively simple to construct. They are also quickly assembled. With cooperative weather, a bed can easily be built and ready for planting within a day. Raised beds are also a good solution for the problem of growing roses. Finally depending upon your choice of materials, raised beds are very affordable to construct.

Where To Put The Raised Bed?

Most of the modern roses flower continuously, which makes them heavy feeders. This means they need at least 6 hours of sunlight each day to perform well, extra fertilizer to keep them fed, and plenty of water. They should be planted well away from trees and shrubs because these will compete with roses for nutrients. While roses need lots of water, they like well-drained soil so their roots can breath. Raised beds aid in drainage, getting us around our problems with clay soils.

What To Build The Bed Of?

Beds can be constructed from a number of materials. Probably the most commonly used are landscaping timbers. These have several advantages: they are readily available throughout the year, are lightweight enough to be easily worked with, last several years, and are very affordable. Beds can also be made using lumber such as 2x6's or 2x 8's, concrete blocks, railroad ties, or some of the new landscaping stone designed for building walls and beds. Since the use of landscaping timbers is probably the most common choice, this is what we shall discuss.

What Size Should It Be?

To simplify matters, I always build my beds in 4-foot widths. This means I only have to make one cut for the 8-foot timbers. 4 feet is also a sufficient width in which to plant 2 rows of roses. Planting roses more than 2 rows deep is a nightmare. Spraying and feeding are difficult; pruning and deadheading are even more difficult. I also make my beds in increments of 8-foot lengths, thus avoiding extra cutting. Examples: 4' x 8', 4' x 16'

Building The Bed

Timbers are nailed together using 6 inch landscaping spikes and a 4 pound hammer. The extra weight of the hammer compensates for the large nails. It is extremely important that you offset your timbers as shown in the illustration. This helps stabilize your bed by providing multiple points of attachment. Beds should be at least two timbers deep. They may be of any depth you choose, but a 3-timber depth is quite sufficient for hybrid teas.

Filling The Bed

Upon construction of the bed, you will need to fill it. Some people kill off or remove the existing grass, then use a tiller to till up the top few inches of soil, then till that into the soil mix they bring in. Since I do not have a tiller, I simply put down a layer of landscaping fabric, then put my soil mix on top of that. I buy a couple of commercial soil mixes and mix them together. I buy one yard of a mixture of clay, mulch and sand, then add one yard of Pro-Mix. At the company I purchase from, Pro-Mix is a blend of equal parts red sand, loam and pine bark. Upon mixing, this gives me a blend of sand for drainage, clay for moisture and nutrient retention and organic material (mulch and pine bark) for microorganisms. Two yards combined will easily fill a 16 x 4 bed. Upon getting my soil mix in, I add most of a bag of lime, about 1 cup of soil sulpher, 1/3 cup muriate of potash and copperas and 1-2 cups of superphosphate. Ideally, I like this bed to sit and age for a few weeks before planting, but I often plant the same day I complete a bed.

Barbara Olive is a Consulting Rosarian and member of the Memphis Rose Society

TOP