Stylish vegetable beds

Growing your own food proves ever more popular not just because you can be sure of its provenance but because it's also very fulfilling to know that you've personally grown the food on your plate. One of the easiest way to grow vegetables is to do so in raised beds. But far from being limited to the traditional timber sleeper variety of raised bed, expand your mind and get creative with your veg beds. Be a bit daring and paint them a snazzy colour such as the one below in vibrant pink, or construct them in rendered and painted concrete block work for a more contemporary look (see below). If you do decide to go with timber, get creative and go for something stylish such as the ones pictured at the end of this post.

There are various reasons why raised beds are the way to go, not least of which is that you can backfill them with good soil that is perfectly suited to what you want to grow thus ensuring healthy and vigorous plants. Raised beds also mean they won't get trampled by lots of foot traffic which compacts the soil making it difficult to work. Being raised up off the ground means you can create a deeper planting medium than might not be possible when digging directly into ground which may only have a thin layer of decent topsoil. A good depth of soil is essential for good establishment of the plant's root system.

Finally, let's not forget that raised beds are so much easier on the back! Building up the beds to the ideal height means less back-breaking work when maintaining your veg beds and harvesting your crop. And if you want to get the children involved, a raised bed will put them up close and eye-level with the plants they are growing!