Advice on how to fill this planter please

Chrisj82smith

Just had my drive way done and had this wooden planter bed put in it’s no bottom

Base on so I’m wanting advice on what to fill it with and what plants to buy . I’ve bought wooden bark to fill it with then compost on top but I’m worried it may rot the wood any one any tips please I know nothing about planting and gardening ! 

Fairygirl

Hi Chris. Has it got no base at all? I'd be inclined to shove some timber on it. A plank of fencing timber or similar will do. If it doesn't cover the entire base that will be fine, as it will leave a length or two of space for drainage. If it covers the whole thing, you can drill some holes in it, or cut it into sections with a saw to leave gaps. Attach a couple of pieces underneath at each end to lift it off the ground too, which also aids drainage as it's on a hard surface.
Once you've done that, it's better to line it with some plastic to prevent rotting. Make holes in that too. 
You can then add your soil/compost mix  for planting. Keep the bark for putting on top - around the plants. It will act as a weed supressant, and also help retain moisture when you water, therefore preventing any plants from drying out too quickly.

Once you have all  that covered, what kind of planting do you want? It will depend on the aspect - sunny, shady etc,  and how much time you have to spend on it. Also, whther you want all year round colour or seasonal planting etc.
There are plenty of choices which will be readily available and easy for you to get going   

Chrisj82smith

Hi thanks for your reply , do
you mean a polythene sheet inside ? Or the membrane weed control sheeting ? I’m wanting a all year round colour 

Fairygirl

Yes polythene - any stuff will do really. Many people use old compost bags as it's a good way of re using them. I'm thinking you probably don't have any of those yet though!
Staple or nail it onto the inside edges, just below the top so that it isn't seen 

Chrisj82smith

Thank you 😊 any advice on what plants to
get for it thinking green around the edges and some colours in the middle 

Fairygirl

Is it a sunny site or shady?
There isn't a huge amount of depth or width there, so you won't have a huge volume of soil to support plants, but you could use lots of bulbs [early and summer flowering] with hardy geraniums in the middle. That would give a long season, although you won't have anything evergreen for over winter. If it's bright enough, Salvias or Veronicas would also be fine and would provide a bit of vertical height, providing the container has a nice,well drained medium in it. Compost mixed together with some soil will be fine for most plants, but you will need to make sure the container gets adequate watering too, especially in summer.

You could use some of the little variegated ivies for along the edge, and something like Hellebores through the middle. The bulbs and geraniums etc would be fine growing around and among those, and they would provide a bit of winter interest. You could poke in a few violas or pansies for some extra colour if you wanted too. 

Chrisj82smith

It’s a sunny site 

Chrisj82smith

Hi again getting nearer to
completion now I was thinking about dwarf conifers maybe 4 of them
what else would go well with conifers ? Was wanting some herbs in as well but not sure they wound look right with conifers in ? 

Thanks Chris 

Chrisj82smith

Would these work well ?? 

ERICS MUM

I like euonymus, an evergreen shrub that can be kept small by regular pruning.  I have a couple - green/white and green/yellow and they add a splash of colour all year round.  You could plant in between with bulbs and flowers according to season.

ERICS MUM

I’m not a fan of conifers in tubs, pots and troughs. In my experience they turn brown in patches if not perfectly cared for.  If you plant two that look identical they won’t remain so, which is an issue for me as I like a certain level of symetry in containers !