Arid / desert bed

[Craig A]

Mate, this looks brilliant! I’d love to have some extra space to try and create something inspired by this. I remember seeing some great arid planting in @somerset_Jungle_UK garden.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 7 months ago by  Craig A.

[greatnorthernexotic]

Thanks! I got a lot of inspiration from Paul Spracklin in Essex who has been doing this for a couple of decades and who has given me a lot of advice. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04vwfcv His garden is on my bucket list of must-visit gardens!

[SteveB]

Looks really good, I have been planning a raised dry bed for a couple of years (just finished a few weeks ago) to display my agave here in sunny East Yorkshire and save dragging them to and from the greenhouse each year😂 Have you just used the pots soil to bed it in the gravel? Or added anything else?

[greatnorthernexotic]

Thanks Steve. Yes I’ve just planted them, pot substrate and all, straight into pure gravel. Most were already in a free-draining mix that I potted them in to last year. A couple of plants I bought recently were in what I’d consider to be too organic substrate, but when planted in to pure gravel I don’t think it will adversely affect them.

[SteveB]

👍will post when I get them in

[SteveB]

Got the gravel bed planted up this week. It has a base of crushed brick and about 200mm of gravel. I raised the planting to try and create some interest. I found the gravel and rocks on gumtree free to collect it’s a great way to save a few quid (plant money)🤪👍

[Craig A]

Stunning! Seeing all these arid spiky beds is really making me want one 😂

[SteveB]

Perhaps until it’s time to build the winter protection 🤪🔨💷💷💷