Building A Raised Flowerbed
Happy September from Desert Rose! In this month's blog we are going to go over the process of building a raised flowerbed against an existing wall. A raised bed creates an elevated focal point that can add height to your yard and place some of your favorite, smaller plants at or around eye level. Not only can this add some color to an otherwise empty space, it can also give your favorite plants a completely different look.
However, before you start to build the flowerbed there are some things you need to take into account. The first thing you need to consider is what kind of moisture barrier you are going to put down to protect the stucco/wall. The soil will hold moisture against the wall and can cause some serious damage if the wall is not protected. Another item to think about is what kind of material will be used to build the raised flowerbed. Mossrock and landscape block are the most commonly used materials to build beautiful looking raised beds. Lastly, you need to consider whether or not irrigation will be run to the raised bed. If your preference is for irrigation run into the raised beds, you need to feed the main line underneath the first layer block or moss rock. This extra bit of effort placing the line before the raised bed is in place makes watering the bed substantially easier in the long run as well as is more aesthetically pleasing than running tubing over the beds.
To start building the flowerbed, mark the area the block will be placed. You can either start by putting the moisture barrier in place at this point or after the wall is done. Just make sure the moisture barrier is established before any dirt is backfilled into the flowerbed and that the moisture barrier covers all areas that will be touching dirt.
Pro Tip Alert! When Desert Rose builds raised flower beds, we apply 2 thick layers of "Asphalt Emulsion Sealer and Damp Proofer” to the area where the moisture area will be. Once that is dried we use a roll of self adhesive "Waterproof Rubberized Asphalt" to cover the area.
The next step is to trench down 1-1.5 the height of the blocks in order to create your foundation. If you are using mossrock, do 1-1.5 of the biggest mossrock to use as the foundation. Make sure any main irrigation line that goes under the foundation is not getting pinched by the foundation. As a reminder, the foundation is the most important layer you will place, so be sure to double check that it is level!
Once the flowerbed is completed, and the moisture barrier is applied and dried, you can begin backfilling the flowerbed. Make sure the dirt is amended with mulch and yum-yum to give your plants the best start. Finish off the area with bark to help conserve moisture and reduce weeds. Lastly, enjoy your newly built raised garden beds filled with your favorite plants and flowers!
