Raised bed planting help

My garden is raised beds, wooden, ibc cut in half and concrete type beds, all deep, each at least 2ft tall. All are veggies, spuds in one 22 x 6ft, onions 22 x 4ft, broads in the ibc halves, the other 3 beds are 1 is broads, 1 is chard, 1 is half broad/half chard!

I'm completely out of space, now all the big black pots will be filled, peas, lettuces, leeks, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, sunflowers, zinnias, sweet peas, French and runner beans, I'm in North Shropshire, if you are within walking distance, can I nab your beds please and I'll help feed you all summer?

I went bonkers you see with sowing and I don't like to kill seedlings that I've managed to get this far! But I'm also out of space!

However, answer to your question, veg?

Croatia1

I have recently had some raised beds built, they are approx 1 meter wide, several meters long . They are in full sun all day (well if we ever get to see the sun again rather than rain!). I've yet to fill them with top soil/ well rotted manure so can adapt this as required. I'm thinking I'd like tropical/jungle theme planting. Any ideas for plants? I'm quite new to gardening so any help or ideas appreciated. Thank you

If you want tropical plants, they like moisture too so could you set up a watering system? A raised bed might dry out more quickly.

They might need to be protected in harsh winter weather too.

I'd love to have some raised beds.

Thanks for the reply SheepyIzzy, unfortunately I'm in Suffolk! Mine are about 2 foot tall too. Strangely enough I was thinking of planting some rhubarb due to the large leaves to keep with the tropical theme! ( Obviously helps I like eating rhubarb too)

I have some raised beds and find that plants which don’t need much water are best suited to them as they dry out more quickly than the borders. I can’t help with tropical type plants I’m afraid, not my thing.

Yes I could have a watering system set up Callistemon21. I'm guessing my potting medium will be important to retain some moisture. From reading up a little I'm also thinking some less hardy plants could be planted in pots, sunk into soil and lifted and put in the summerhouse over winter if necessary. I like the idea of things like, but not limited to, Cannas, cordylines and types of palms ( not all need to go in the raised beds I have plenty of other garden to fill.

I have several large raised beds, but they all contain fruit or vegetables, or will soon. I have never heard of a’themed’ raised bed.
This year, apart from the permanent rhubarb, gooseberries, and blackcurrants, I have broad beans in situ. Tomatoes, aubergines, fennel, courgettes and squash just pushing through in the greenhouse. Lots of others soon to be set off.
So Croatial will you be trying to grow bananas, guavas etc in Suffolk?

Croatia1

Yes I could have a watering system set up Callistemon21. I'm guessing my potting medium will be important to retain some moisture. From reading up a little I'm also thinking some less hardy plants could be planted in pots, sunk into soil and lifted and put in the summerhouse over winter if necessary. I like the idea of things like, but not limited to, Cannas, cordylines and types of palms ( not all need to go in the raised beds I have plenty of other garden to fill.

We've got one cordyline left out of two (very neglected, poor things) and they were both babies from one which grew into a small tree.
It was fine until we had a very cold winter and snow and ice got into it, we should have tied up the leaves and protected it with fleece or stacking.

They should be fine with tlc.
Frangipani is more delicate
Fatsia Japonica
Chusan palm

Is Suffolk very cold and windy in the winter?

Sacking!

I've gone a bit Mediterranean bonkers in my raised bed, a nod to the south of France. Lavender, salvia, agapanthus, aliums. They provide different heights while sticking to a purple, blue and white colour palette.
Mine is good draining coastal soil. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your replies and recommendations and the lovely photo Joseann . I was thinking some of the less frost hardy plants will need to be wrapped in fleece over winter. I know Musa Basjoo is a hardy banana that I would need to protect from frost by wrapping. I have a very good garden centre near me called Urban Jungle which I think has inspired me to give this a go! I think they will be fed up of me picking their brains! After reading everyone's replies I think I shall also consider planting vegetables in at least one of the beds.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-97305-front-garden.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-444089-raised-bed-1.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-761639-tulips1.jpg

I have a big garden, which unfortunately I cannot really manage, but I also have several raised beds around the sides and at the front of the house that I can.

My suggestion would be to start with evergreen structure, then you have interest all year round, you could use variegated plants such as Pieris Flaming Silver, it doesn't grow too big and mine at the moment look glorious!

Tropical looking plants like Fatsia Japonica Spiders Web are good, I have 2 large ones which overwintered well, the ones without variegation are slightly hardier. Ricinus are poisonous but grow large, Red Giant has very large leaves and will grow tall in one season, they can be overwintered with protection. Tetrapanax is another one.

Heuchera, can be found in all sorts of colours, black, red, orange, purple, lime green - they are evergreen and give brilliant colour. There's a red/black one next to my tulips in the pics.

You can underplant with spring bulbs so that the herbaceous perennials/annuals that give summer colour can take over when the leaves are looking grotty and are dying back.

Good luck!

Phormium also give good structure and are mainly okay in the UK, although some of the pinky coloured ones may be a bit tender. I've had a 'yellow wave' in a pot for years, but also have a red one in the ground.

Thankyou MadeInYorkshire for the recommendations and advice. I shall be googling Fatsia Japonica and your other suggestions. Your photos look lovely

Croatia1

Thankyou MadeInYorkshire for the recommendations and advice. I shall be googling Fatsia Japonica and your other suggestions. Your photos look lovely

Thank you, I wish you luck, keep us posted with what you do!