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Lucia Huntington
Expert Guru
I have been writing and editing professionally for nearly 20 years. I am comfortable writing on nearly all topics -- business is an exception -- and my specialities include gardening (I am a former professional landscape designer) and Afghanistan, where I lived for nearly a year.
Interview
What books have most influenced your life? "The Great Gatsby" -- What can I say, I was young. "The Southpaw" -- A more flawed book than "Bang the Drum Slowly," and I am fonder of it because of that. E.F. Benson's "Lucia" books -- They're fun, and she's my namesake.
Who are your favorite music artists? Elvis Costello.
What are your favorite websites and why? Any news site.
Where else can people find you on the web? Here.
What are your professional highlights? Writing in Afghanistan.
What advice do you have for the journey of life? Trust in God and do your best, then have fun.
What are you most passionate about in life? My garden.
What ticks you off? I have a near litany.
Any thoughts or ideas on living a greener life? Plant something. Plant anything. Leave something that will contribute after you're gone.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I'm much nicer than I appear.
Philosophy
My motto is "Si delectare non potes, modo spatium consumes" -- "If you can't be amusing, you're just taking up space.
Soil, important in any garden, is especially crucial to a raised bed because it is by definition finite: what you put in is what your plants will get. Plants will in time use up the nutrients contained in any soil, so start with a good base: good-quality top soil well-mixed with humus or manure. Annual top dressings of humus will keep your soil and your plants healthy.
Drainage for raised gardens
Fill the bottom of the bed with a 6- to 8-inch layer of crushed rock (medium-, not pebble-sized) to allow for good drainage.
Building a dry wall for a raised garden
To build up a raised bed using dry rock – meaning rocks without mortar – proceed in layers. After excavating the hole and laying the drainage rubble, fill it to nearly ground level with prepared soil, firmly packed, then place your first layer of stones. When completed, again bring the soil mixture to near level; then repeat. (The same applies if using railroad ties, pre-fabricated kits or even tires; what matters are a sturdy frame and a level bed.)
Cascading plants to soften the edges of raised beds
Gaps in a raised bed made of stone can be filled with cascading rock plants, such as the perennials phlox stonlonifera or subulata, hens and checks, thyme or false strawberry, or annual bacopa or million bells. Cascading plants can also blur and soften the edges of a severe frame, giving a more natural look to a man-made structure.
Planning the dimensions of a raised bed
When planning the dimensions of a raised bed, it’s important to remember that all gardens need maintenance. The stunning effect of a very high or very wide bed is lessened if it’s choked with weeds or spent blooms; consider access points in planning. Wide terraces can include paths or steps for easy access, or decorative flat rocks can give the gardener a place to step.
Raised kitchen gardens
Soil in raised beds warms up faster in the spring than ground soil does, so they can extend your growing season. A small raised garden by the back door is ideal for a kitchen garden filled with vegetables and herbs, many of which are annuals.
Tall flowers for raised gardens
Raised beds, especially small ones, are rarely appropriate for trees and large shrubs. Use tall annuals or perennials to add focus and height: Ornamental grasses, ferns, foxglove, coreopsis tripteris, bee balm, some black-eyed Susans, balloon flowers and delphiniums are among the plants that can reach four feet or more.
Watering raised gardens
Raised gardens require less intense watering than beds in which small plants could face competition than long-established trees or shrubs, but regular deep watering is still important.
Mulching raised gardens
Simply because raised beds are raised, they can be harder on the back to mulch. Buckwheat hulls, while more expensive than wood mulch or leaf mold, are a great option: They’re very light and easy to spread, they’re decorative, and add nutrients to the soil as they rot down. As with any mulch, keep the hulls from touching the base of the plants themselves, and don’t mulch too deeply. Two inches is adequate, four inches is too much.
Plant selection for raised gardens
The finite space in a raised garden means it’s important to consider the mature nature of the plants selected for it. A two-foot azalea that’s charming in a nursery may want to be 12 feet; well-established lilies can spread to the point of excluding other plants.
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