Raised Beds
We are not currently supplying raised beds direct to folk at backgreens. However, you can order materials directly from our suppliers. Contact info@ecba.org.uk for more information on this.
Our Raised Bed SystemECBA have developed a raised bed system which we think is appropriate for most tenement backgreens. The 4ft by 8ft beds raised beds are built from inch and a half thick timber from a local East Lothian sawmill.
Raised beds at Caleys Community Backgreen
The beds can be fitted with a polytunnel to extend the growing season, and reduce the need for watering during dry summer periods. The polytunnels are made from 32mm MDPE pipe which are fitted to the beds by copper saddle clips, and covered by Enviromesh fabric.
Raised bed with polytunnel
PricesThe prices to have raised beds delivered and assembled in Edinburgh are:-
| Raised bed |
£90 |
| Polytunnel (optional) |
£60
|
If you order multiple raised beds and polytunnels to be delivered to the same address, we can give a wee discount, call us for a quote. Contact us for the cost of delivery outside of Edinburgh.
Sharing A Bed
You might want to consider sharing a raised bed with a neighbour. On request we can supply and extra piece of timber to split the bed into two sections if your prefer. This may be a good option to try out a bed before committing to a full bed.
Paying For Your Bed
You can pay for your raised bed/s by cash at our office at 5 Rose Street (please call us to arrange), by cheque or by debit or by PayPal (you don't need to have a PayPal account).
Digging In Your Raised Bed
Your raised bed will need to be dug in. This will involve removing turf, and digging the earth over (ideally double dug), it is best, but not essential that you do this before the bed/s arrive. It is simplest to measure the area for your beds and mark it out with pegs and string.
You can leave paths as grass but it will be fiddly to keep this short, we recommend that you cover paths with wood chip, so you should remove the turf from the paths too. Once your raised bed is in place, you should dig the top soil from the paths into your bed.
You can get great training for installing raised beds by going on our six week
Grow Your Own course, you could even discuss hosting a course in your backgreen (see below).
Compost
We suggest that you order a 1m3 bag of compost to fill your bed/s. This is quite a lot of compost, it would be enough to fill two beds, if you make good use of existing soil. You can get compost delivered to the pavement outside your door by Forth Resource Management - 0131 339 5554.
The cost of delivering a single 1m3 bag is approximately £45. However if you can order multiple bags between you and your neighbours, you can get the cost down to £25 per bag plus delivery.
Helping Hand
Digging in a raised bed is quite hard, but very satisfying work. If at all possible see if you can rope in some friends and neighbours to give you a hand.
ECBA can provide gardener to dig in your raised bed for you, or to give you a hand, but he/she will cost £15/hour. Alternatively, you could consider hosting a Grow Your Own course.
Hosting A Grow Your Own CourseIf you are installing two or more raised beds in your backgreen, you could host a Grow Your Own course.
This would involve 6 to 8 people from your local neighbourhood joining you in your backgreen once a week for six weeks to learn how to install raised beds and grow vegetables.
ECBA would provide a course tutor, tools and equipment. You would pay a lower price of the raised beds and polytunnels. You would also benefit from having a Grow Your Own course on your doorstep, help installing your raised beds and from having helped folk from your area to Dig For Victory. If you are interested in hosting a GYO course email us or give us a call for more information.
Raised Bed GalleryStep by step guide to creating a raised bed. Instructions on polytunnels coming soon.