Helen and Mitchell's bespoke planter bench
A raised border with a difference!
Helen and Mitchell's new-build garden was mainly made up of lawn with a mature border to the rear and small patio area. Though the garden was rectangular, it sloped in two directions and the couple were keen to create a solution for one side and also to soften the boundary fence by adding raised planting instead of cutting a standard border into the lawn and planting it out.
The garden before ---->
Planning the garden
Helen and Mitchell had a vision in mind for their structure, they wanted to be able to see it from the kitchen window, which is why they incorporated tiers. The garden is south-facing so they wanted to include some small trees to provide shade therefore the beds have been designed at a size to accommodate this.
After contacting our design team with measurements and ideas, the team provided a series of designs based on their ideas and measurements and one included an integrated bench. Helen and Mitchell loved the idea and their final design included a tiered L-shaped raised bed design with seating. Helen and Mitchell selected this design for their garden.
Preparation and building
Helen and Mitchell removed the lawn to create a flat surface to build on and used our bespoke step-by-step instructions to build the structure up layer-by-layer. Helen commented that once the first layer was down the building was very easy.
Both the L-shaped and rectangular raised bed includes internal buttresses for extra strength. Before adding the capping, they lined each planter with a protective liner, added the capping and filled with soil.
The finished design
The bespoke planter design has been filled with miniature trees and conifers with underplanting of grasses, ferns and seasonal bedding plants. Bulbs have also been added to add some colour in spring. The majority of the trees and shrubs are evergreen to keep the beds looking interesting throughout the winter months.
A small area of paving has been added to the side of the L-shaped raised bed and a gravel border runs alongside the entire structure to provide a walkway that can be used in all weathers. The integrated bench provides a lovely spot to relax and enjoy the new planter and look out on to the rest of the garden.
Key features
Add functional and beautiful planter benches to your patio or garden
Sit amongst the plants and enjoy the garden. Our planter benches are ideal for getting close to nature and can be easily integrated into our designs. Choose from our pre-designed Planter Bench kits or get our skilled design team to create something bespoke for your garden using our Free Design Service.
