Plans for an unusual garden

[TeamAquaLeader]

Well, eventually I'm gonna be in a wheelchair, so I've been doing research on gardening from a wheelchair and now have a little book on it. Apparently raised garden beds are a must. So, what I had been thinking was instead of a front lawn, pretty much pave over everything except for many raised garden beds, and holes with small ridges for trees. They would have no bottom but instead allow plants to still access the ground.That would mean I can wheel up to them and still do my gardening and still look nice- there would be many small ruts along the pathing and paving for water to flow, with the bottoms of the raised beds being lower and having the rain water flow to it. There would be entries for the water there. Do you think this could work for things like rose bushes? The beds would be about 70cm tall each at most, and the trees would have a meter radius around them (I'm hoping for dwarf fruit trees and bottlebrushes). The main reason for this is it would mean no lawn care, and the plants get irrigation that won't get covered over.

I'd also planned for the outer edges of the property (Likely only a single acre) to have two fences, with 3m between each fence. The taller one would be on the outside, while the inner one would be shorter, but have a waterproof base. Between the fences, I'd like a line of bottlebrush trees, and rose bushes between. In front of the inner fence would be a 1m tall, 50cm deep 'moat' of sorts, that would collect rain water and direct it into underground water tanks. Would bottlebrush roots seek it during long rains? The tanks would be in towards the middle of the property.

Finally, the most risky: I love morton bay fig trees. If I stuck one at the back of the property (Only the front yard would be a paved garden), next to a butterfly garden and with a pond at its base (which would also have an overflow leading into the 'moat'), would that pond be enough to stop it seeking the water tanks? Would it outcompete a 10m x 10m butterfly garden if it was near it? I know thet're very destructive trees, I'm hoping to get an acre where I won't be too close to neighbors. I know they can even crack sewers, but my old school had them near small pipes. But they built a huge deck around it so plants wouldn't crowd its base.

 

[TomatoTango]

You can get different rose varieties to accommodate any situation you want them to get accustomed to. I would also construct the raised beds out of gray concrete blocks. They’ll last forever, match the ground, and are more easily height adjustable compared to wood beds.

 

[Gardening Girl]

You can get different rose varieties to accommodate any situation you want them to get accustomed to. I would also construct the raised beds out of gray concrete blocks. They’ll last forever, match the ground, and are more easily height adjustable compared to wood beds.

I like this idea as that is what we use now is the concrete blocks. I have actually had people tell me that they are putting out poisons into my ground and my food. Have you ever heard this before? I do not use pesticides at all in my garden, so I don't really like the idea of putting bad things in there. But I don't know what concrete blocks could possibly have in them to be that bad. This is a picture a couple of years back, We have since added another row of blocks with a cap on top.

 

[TomatoTango]

I have actually had people tell me that they are putting out poisons into my ground and my food. Have you ever heard this before? I do not use pesticides at all in my garden, so I don't really like the idea of putting bad things in there. But I don't know what concrete blocks could possibly have in them to be that bad.View attachment 35035

Newer cylinder blocks are fine, the concern is mostly with older materials or unknown materials. Your setup looks fine to me. I wouldn’t use recycled plastic or pressure treated wood to make beds, some people do. The health benefits of fruits/vegetables almost always outweighs the negatives, even in organic versus conventional.

 

[Silentrunning]

The people telling you that the blocks are poisoning your ground are probably the same people that used pressure treated wood for their garden borders.

 

[MaryMary]

I like this idea as that is what we use now is the concrete blocks. I have actually had people tell me that they are putting out poisons into my ground and my food. Have you ever heard this before? I do not use pesticides at all in my garden, so I don't really like the idea of putting bad things in there. But I don't know what concrete blocks could possibly have in them to be that bad.

Yes, I have heard this before. About a year ago, I was researching coal ash, because my grandfather used to put it on his rhubarb, and I found this:

Coal ash may also be recycled into products like concrete or wallboard.
...(snip)...
Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
https://www.epa.gov/coalash/coal-ash-basics

There's a reason they call them "cinder blocks."


There is also this thread, from this forum - Cinder blocks to build raised beds. It might not be a good idea.


If you read this next quote - there is good news, make sure you "Click to Expand."

Hazardous waste. Yes, there are small amounts of heavy metals in concrete products. Typically the main composition of Class C fly ash contains 3.5 to 40% calcium oxide, 0.5 to 40% aluminum oxide, and 2.5 to 25% Magnesium oxide. However smaller percentages of strontium, chromium, nickel, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and other heavy metals are also present which cause it to be classified as hazardous waste by the EPA.

The spherical particle size of coal fly ash varies from 5-120 microns which is similar to that of silty sand to silty clay. The good news is that this material is bonded, insoluble, and immobile in concrete. However if the concrete or blocks are pulverized in destruction or become soluble with acids, the surface area exposed is greatly increased and the heavy metals may become mobile. https://beauregardparishcountrylife...-note-toxins-in-concrete-blocks-and-concrete/

In my opinion, it is not much to worry about. (There are too many other things to worry about!!) I just thought you ought to have the information if you wanted it. Personally, I believe you have more to worry about if you eat fish you have caught - for instance, the Ohio Department of Health recommends eating no more than one meal a week from sport fish caught in the state, due to mercury and lead in the waters. http://www.epa.state.oh.us/dsw/fishadvisory/index.aspx That makes me sad.

As a side note - My grandfather was known for having the best rhubarb in Armstrong County. He always said it was the coal ash.

 

[Error]

You could make your garden automatic watering too, it will be very handy when you are old.

 

[Robert Cummings]

Well, eventually I'm gonna be in a wheelchair, so I've been doing research on gardening from a wheelchair and now have a little book on it. Apparently raised garden beds are a must. So, what I had been thinking was instead of a front lawn, pretty much pave over everything except for many raised garden beds, and holes with small ridges for trees. They would have no bottom but instead allow plants to still access the ground.That would mean I can wheel up to them and still do my gardening and still look nice- there would be many small ruts along the pathing and paving for water to flow, with the bottoms of the raised beds being lower and having the rain water flow to it. There would be entries for the water there. Do you think this could work for things like rose bushes? The beds would be about 70cm tall each at most, and the trees would have a meter radius around them (I'm hoping for dwarf fruit trees and bottlebrushes). The main reason for this is it would mean no lawn care, and the plants get irrigation that won't get covered over.

I'd also planned for the outer edges of the property (Likely only a single acre) to have two fences, with 3m between each fence. The taller one would be on the outside, while the inner one would be shorter, but have a waterproof base. Between the fences, I'd like a line of bottlebrush trees, and rose bushes between. In front of the inner fence would be a 1m tall, 50cm deep 'moat' of sorts, that would collect rain water and direct it into underground water tanks. Would bottlebrush roots seek it during long rains? The tanks would be in towards the middle of the property.

Finally, the most risky: I love morton bay fig trees. If I stuck one at the back of the property (Only the front yard would be a paved garden), next to a butterfly garden and with a pond at its base (which would also have an overflow leading into the 'moat'), would that pond be enough to stop it seeking the water tanks? Would it outcompete a 10m x 10m butterfly garden if it was near it? I know thet're very destructive trees, I'm hoping to get an acre where I won't be too close to neighbors. I know they can even crack sewers, but my old school had them near small pipes. But they built a huge deck around it so plants wouldn't crowd its base.

Hi there, you certainly have some interesting ideas and maybe some which are quite extravagant hope you don't mind me saying that. The general rule of thumb in landscape design is to let the garden design flow, try not to make too many compartments in the design because you will make garden look bitty and small, for example rather than a designated butterfly garden why not incorporate the butterfly loving plants in amongst other plants like shrubs etc then flow gently around the rest of what you want to do, Even Roses can be planted directly into small planting beds in the ground,between paving, choose varieties that don't get too tall. Raised planters are best planted with lower growing plants as for example Roses in raised planters may be difficult to manage if you are in a wheelchair, your water saving ideas are a good idea but you may need to consider how you are going to clean and maintain the system. I wish you every success this is an interesting project if executed with thought and careful planning