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  • Amateur Gardening

    Ask John Negus

    May 10, 2022 6 minutes

    John has been answering reader queries for 50 years

    What can I use to plant my raised bed?

    Q Wehave built a raised bed with a water feature in a sunny area. The soil is clay improved with compost. What should I plant in it? I do like heucheras. Helen Scot, Lincolnshire

    There are various considerations when choosing plants for your raised bed. The first is the soil. Free-draining is good for most plants, but if it goes very dry in summer this limits the plants that will thrive. The second is the sun. There are many more plants that enjoy a sunny spot than those that prefer shade but sun on plants that are dry at the roots can cause problems. Third is the spray from the water feature. It ought to help keep plants a bit cooler and provide extra moisture at the roots, but if water is landing on leaves in the midday sun, they could become scorched. It is best to avoid plants with hairy leaves as these tend to hold on

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