Unusual design and maximum use of vertical beds in the country
Vertical beds on the site bring a noticeable variety to the typical summer cottage landscape. Enterprising gardeners adapt tires, furniture boxes, various plastic containers for beds or build multi-tiered structures with their own hands, as if competing with neighbors in the most unusual and original garden design options. But is it the only country design that benefits from increasing the number of beds in height? Surely there are other advantages to the idea of building vertical beds.
Advantages and disadvantages of vertical beds
In addition to the attractive design, the device of multi-tiered beds will come in handy in the following cases:
- the limited area of plantings is convenient for caring for them, since summer residents save time and effort on hiking around the garden with buckets, hoses and tools;
- it is easier to care for the upper tiers for people with a problematic spine or the elderly;
- the land in raised beds warms up faster in spring, cover it from above, and you will get a mini-greenhouse for growing early greenery;
- for the device of such beds, improvised materials are used, this saves money and solves the problem of garbage disposal;
- beds in boxes, boxes and other insulated containers will be unattainable for common garden pests, which are difficult to get rid of - moles, bears, larvae of crustaceans, and thus you can guarantee the preservation of particularly valuable varieties and hybrids.
Attach a funny scarecrow to the top of your multi-tiered garden. This funny element of country design will not only scare away birds, but also cheer everyone up all season.
When planning the device of vertical beds with your own hands, you need to take into account their inherent disadvantages:
- the soil in such beds quickly dries up and is depleted, it requires regular frequent watering and fertilization;
- during the winter, such beds will freeze, therefore only annual crops are planted in them;
- when arranging beds in sealed containers, good drainage is needed so that the earth in them does not get wet in heavy rain.
The problem of permanent drying out of the earth is solved by the organization of drip irrigation. It maintains constant humidity even in the absence of owners.
Arrangement of a vertical bed for growing strawberries
The organization of growing strawberries in vertical beds solves several problems at once:
- saves space in the garden;
- beds with sides are easier to mulch, and the berry does not get dirty from damp earth;
- on such a bed, it is easier to monitor the growing mustache and remove them in time;
- garbage is disposed of that is no longer suitable for anything.
See what materials summer residents use when arranging vertical strawberry beds with their own hands. Photos are amazing:
The difficulty lies in the fact that in winter, strawberries in such beds will inevitably freeze out. The problem is solved by the device of collapsible structures or their insulation with straw, hay, covering material, spruce branches. In the spring, it is necessary to remove the insulation on time so that the plants do not mute.
For vertical beds, it is advisable to choose varieties with high yields.Particularly noteworthy are remontant species that bear fruit all summer, and ampelous varieties.
The following strawberry varieties are perfect for growing in vertical beds:
- "Queen Elizabeth". Bushes bear fruit from early summer to mid-autumn. The variety is distinguished by large, dense berries, rather unpretentious and disease resistant. During the season, gardeners collect up to two kilograms of strawberries from one adult bush.
- Alba is a curly variety of strawberries. The variety is characterized by high frost resistance and good keeping quality, therefore it is suitable for commercial breeding.
- "Homemade delicacy" refers to remontant varieties. It bears fruit with large dark red berries of delicate taste.
As you know, strawberries prefer calm, sunny areas. An ideal place for it would be a one-sided vertical bed located near a blank fence on the north side of the site. The landings will be well lit by the sun from the south and well protected by a fence from the cold winds from the north.
To fill containers for strawberries, drainage must be used so that the roots do not get wet. The soil for it must be light, breathable, with a high humus content.
At the end of the season, portable boxes are dug into the ground and covered with a thick layer of mulch. If the design of the bed is non-separable, the bushes are dug out with a lump of earth and stored in the basement until spring.
Ideas for vertical plastic beds
Plastic is one of the most suitable materials for arranging vertical plantings. It is inexpensive, lightweight, easy to cut with a hacksaw and does not rot from moisture.
To organize such beds, ready-made or home-made structures are used. For vertical gardening use:
- plastic bags with holes;
- pots for indoor plants, fastened together;
- gutters from gutters;
- plastic containers for seedlings.
Flowers look great in such designs. They grow quickly and close the frame, leaving cascades of buds and blossoming inflorescences for review. For a vertical flower bed, abundantly flowering ampelous and curly annuals - petunias, verbena, begonia, lobelia, viola, nasturtium.
Vertical beds and flower beds made of plastic and any other suitable materials will revive the design of the summer cottage and help to compactly and profitably place all the necessary crops in a small area.