Due to their special structure, hill beds function similarly to raised beds, except that they are deeper and do not require a special “box”. In the first three to four years, hill beds are more suitable for heavy-feeding plants, including both vegetable and ornamental plants. It is particularly nice to cultivate crops and flowers together, which also offers many benefits for plant he alth.
How do you plant flowers in a hill bed?
Flowers and vegetables can be optimally combined on a hilly bed. Pay attention to plant height as well as location and nutrient needs to ensure harmonious and he althy planting.
The hill bed as a purely ornamental bed
While you have to be careful not to put any plants that store high levels of nitrate in the hill bed for crops in the first three years, this point is completely eliminated when it comes to flowers and perennials - after all, you don't normally want to eat them. Only if you want to use herbs or medicinal plants (such as marigolds) should you pay attention to this point and only plan the planting from the fourth year of use. Otherwise, all flowers thrive on a hill bed as long as they like sun and warmth and have high nutrient requirements. However, ornamental plants for poor and/or shady locations are not suitable for hill beds.
Mixed planting on the hill bed
A hill bed is wonderfully suitable for mixed planting, which not only looks attractive but also has positive effects on plant he alth. Assembling specific flowers and crops often offers significant benefits, especially when you want to keep pests and diseases at bay. Garlic, for example, is a great friend of roses because it keeps aphids away. However, some plant combinations also have a detrimental effect on each other, so a mixed culture should be carefully planned and coordinated. However, with such mixed planting, always make sure that ornamental and vegetable plants do not rob each other of nutrients, light and water. Ideally, you should place the flowers on the outer areas of the hill bed, as a border, as well as in the apex if they are taller species.
Tip
Make sure to place the flowers on the hill bed according to their height: tall growing species such as sunflowers should be sown in the upper area, lower species on the sides. The bushier a flower grows, the more likely it is to be placed on the edge, preferably at the northern end of the bed: this way you can ensure that all other plants also get enough light.
