Huglekultur turned Raised Bed

The main Huglekultur has turned into a very large raised bed. Two masonry bricks high with capping pavers on most sides. Lots of volunteers came up this spring; potatoes missed from the potato bin planter, pumpkins, cherry tomatoes and lots of calendulas and nasturtiums I let mostly stay since I am adverse to bare ground and when pulled make for mulch.

Although higher than I would like it has just covered two of the three trunks from the filberts and it has a significant wood/scrap log base. Lots of plants like to grow at the base of the masonry bricks enlarging the growing space a little more. Maybe in the future a cold frame on the south side for extending the growing season.

First picture is the easy step ups from the east end of the raised bed



This is looking down the north side. More of a stair than a step to me. This is the only trunk left showing. I am using some scrap 2x12s for paths in this section.


This is the north east side. Cucumbers, tomatoes and lots of volunteer flowers that I will start pulling for ground mulch soon.


This is Max up on the raised bed helping me out. The little dickens ate almost all of my first plantings of cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. He hasn't yet found all the lettuce or peas and I am not showing him where they are at. Now if only he'd eat zucchini.


You really can't see much of the south side because of plants. It has turned into an impromptu flower, tomato bed along most of it. I still need to think about how this little wall will be used.

 

Hi Jewell. Looks good and do so love the Marigolds and Nasturtiums - both these plants as it happens used by some in salads here I believe. All of these kind of different features in a garden increase the interest and add to that some screened corners to walk round and find surprise plants growing - great. Syd.

 

Got to giggle Syd, I have lots of corners to walk around and many with paths of weeds this year. Need to quit sitting here and get outdoors

 

Your plants seem to love the hugelkultur the way they are growing and it is so pretty with your veggies mixed with all the flowers. It seems so rich and full that I bet you have little trouble with weeds.

 

Hi Jewell. I completely see what you had in mind and also had a good giggle ref walking round the corners and finding weeds as the surprise - could be much worse - the mind boggles at the many possibilities!!. We all have busy lives and can only allocate a certain amount of time (and energy) per day to each of the many various tasks always needing doing. Seriously though it is always great to walk around a garden with these pleasant hidden surprises round corners - much better than standing in one position and seeing all the plot in one sweep of the eyes.
You folk in US mostly seem to have much bigger gardens/plots than we do averagely in the UK and thus much more work to do - all the pics I see on this site of gardens they are either looking very good or are going to in time.
Back to corners I have in the past cut curved Shrub beds across grass to create them - this particular back garden was only approx 130ftx45ft but with all its curvatures and the many different types of plants it took a couple of hours to walk a visitor round it explaining it all as I went.
2ou mentions the veggies in with the flowers - this was a regular thing here in the country cottages tiny gardens over the many years - no space (including wall space) was wasted and as plants were acquired (all types) they were tucked in wherever there was a little room - produced a lovely result. I myself always have worked on this cottage style and did also plant selected veggie plants thus - a favourite was Beetroot here and there with their love dark crimson leaves. The aim over all for me was to produce no straight lines or "rigid" plantings but what I like to call "an orderly disorderliness" - but this always with an eye to a final pleasing harmonious result.
Nice to natter. Best wishes.
Syd.

 

Syd, Your garden sounds like a wonder. I would have loved the long tour with descriptions of every plant.

Since my garden has changed drastically over the 30+ years I remember once having grass with beds around. Now it is beds with paths. My hubby does the mowing. His job is minuscule. Thinking it is time to create a grassy patch or two again. Today we weed whack with the string whacker. Watch out weeds. That and my trusty shuffle hoe will take care of a few unwanted plants.

Shaded areas seem to be easier to maintain with few weeds. Hopefully things won't be let to go too much to ruin before next spring when I retire to only gardening. It is amazing how fast plants grow.

 

Toni, you will be surprised how old logs buried really minimize watering. They turn into sponges hold a lot of water until they turn to loamy soil. Although Huglekulturs aren't supposed to be confined I couldn't make it work in my space without the cinder blocks. Most of the blocks have dirt in the holes to keep them stable. We have bought a few blocks each spring as garden compost, waste and dirt from old planters was added to the area. I will love seeing how yours turns out.

Moss has started growing on some of the first bricks (first photo), but I have native moss on the ground too. (That's Spanish/Irish moss and bark on the ground in the next pic though)

 

Hi Jewell. Ref my gardens - have lived in three different properties. Whilst all of them were fine "housewise" the first was certainly the best and biggest gardenwise - that was the one I referred to. It was a newly built bungalow on open meadowland so I was able to develop it right from scratch. Started with a few small beds of annuals and as the gardening bug bit so did my plant likings but always with the cottage garden in mind. Steadily cut curved borders all round it with some across to create screened corners as already mentioned. A good selection of shrubs, trees and and perennials and later on the "terrace" (area immediately behind bungalow) raised beds with alpines having gravel paths round. One part of the garden was always permanently damp so cut a largeish rounded bed and small pond in it - planted it with moisture loving perennials and with a Cornus shrub at each end - one yellow stemmed the other red.
Wanted as many plants as possible and avidly collected standard, unusual and rarer plants . Did do an audit and listed 500+ species & varieties grown over the 25 years we were there - still have that list somewhere - plenty to talk about whilst walking round.. Hunted them up mainly from small ads in the garden magazines - all over UK - people selling off their spares & divisions etc etc - got some really good interesting plants that way. Did buy from specialist nurseries also.
Apart from regular friends quite a few local gardeners got to hear of it and always a pleasure to stroll round with them.
Both times when we moved - second property was there 28 years - now in third - bought a good selection of plants with us - both these gardens smaller than first but created a pleasing garden at each and both quite nice.
Always also loved to read of plants - their origins, histories, many different "country" names plus all the interesting and often comical fables & myths surrounding so many of them - would highly recommend this to all.
Best wishes. Syd.
PS. One of my "surprises" round a screened corner = A round bed cut in the grass with a Viburnum in it and suitable small plants under. V. rhytidophyllum with its nice shape, long lanceolate wrinkled felted leaves - dull dark green on front and light brownish on reverse - looked especially good with leaves aflutter in the wind.

 

Syd, Your gardens all sound quite unique and breathtaking. Would loved to have strolled through them.

 

Jewell i am laughing out loud here at Max and his love of greens,..no don't tell him where the remainder of the Lettuce and Peas are lol.

Very nice bricks and slabs you have lined up,..impressive,..i wish i had neat flat stones for my small walls,..you have me thinking i could rearrange mine a lot better,..Moss i like and like you i have plenty,..however the Blackbirds love uprooting it looking for a tasty worm

 

Hi Jewell. Thanks for your kind comments - would love to have met you and walked round with you. I have to admit I am a complete PLANT NUT both in terms of collecting and growing them as well as learning as much as possible about them/it all. Have had so much pleasure from my 61 years of gardening and plants - in the so often hard going and problems of life I am sure it kept me sane at those times when it got a little over the top. Would love to turn the clock back and do it all again - as with so many things.
Nice to talk to you. Respects and best wishes. Syd.