A gravel bed offers numerous advantages. Not only does such a stone bed always look clean and attractive, with the right planting it is anything but a stone desert. Instead, the contrast between the colorful flowers and the gravel creates an exciting contrast - which is also very easy to care for. After all, in a properly created gravel bed, weeds have no chance.
How to create a flower bed with gravel?
Creating a flower bed with gravel requires digging a 15 cm deep pit, filling it with sandy compost, laying down a weed fabric and spreading gravel. Use drought-resistant plants such as lavender, sage and thyme.
Creating a gravel bed – step by step
To create a gravel bed, all you need is gravel and a sufficiently large weed fleece (€19.00 at Amazon). It continues as follows:
- Select a suitable location.
- This should be as sunny and dry as possible.
- The soil must not be compacted or too moist.
- Stake out the planned bed.
- Dig a 15 centimeter deep pit.
- Fill this with the excavated material, which you have mixed with compost and sand.
- Carefully remove roots and other plant debris.
- Now spread the weed fleece.
- Spread the gravel evenly on top.
Variation options
Gravel comes in many different variations. For example, entire mosaics can be created using different colored gravel, which can be given the right flair by adding plants. It becomes elegant with white or gray gravel, where the contrast to colorful flowers is of course particularly great. In addition, such a bed can be decorated not only with flowers, but also with objects - clay jugs, for example, which complement the arrangement as if by chance.
Select and plant plants
For a gravel bed, you should choose plants that can cope well with sun and drought. Perennials such as lavender, sage, thyme and verbena are wonderful, as are yarrow, soapwort and saintwort. The ensemble can be complemented with subshrubs and shrubs, grasses and ground cover plants. The plants are placed in the bed as follows:
- Remove the gravel from the intended planting site.
- Cut the weed fleece crosswise.
- Dig a planting hole.
- Put the plant in and press it well.
- Refill the pebble layer.
- Water thoroughly.
Don't forget to water regularly and, if necessary - depending on the type of flower planted - to fertilize. The latter is made much easier by long-term fertilizer applied during planting.
Tip
Clean the gravel regularly with the water hose, as the stones quickly become dirty. After a few years they also need to be replaced as they become weathered.
