This inspiring headline Showcase Garden, at BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair, was designed, built and planted to celebrate the way in which raised beds have revolutionised gardening. It brought to life elements from The Raised Bed Book, written by David and published in spring 2024.

Below are some of the great ideas which David incorporated into the ‘The Raised Bed Revealed’ Showcase Garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair – and there are plenty more in his book scroll down for details of how to buy a copy signed by the author

The tiered section demonstrated growing edible crops – the more conventional use to which raised beds are put. Different heights show how access can be provided according to ability. The front, lowest section is set at 50cm to give a good working for children; the middle level at 70cm high allows easy working from a wheelchair; and the highest part provides stoop-free access for the standing gardener.

Where mobility is not an issue for the gardener, it is advisable to build shallow raised beds, no more than 50cm tall. For general growing, fill them with good quality topsoil, topped off with plenty of organic matter, such as homemade garden compost or bagged soil ‘improver’. In all cases, it is a good idea to dig out any existing soil to the depth of a spade where the raised bed is to be made. This soil can be mixed in with the new topsoil and materials used to fill the bed once constructed.

Make veg growing easy by raising bed height

The Raised Bed Revealed display incorporated a viewing panel into the sleeper wall at the front of the tiered section to show layers which the bed can be filled with. The lowest layer comprised rocks, coarse rubble and logs; on top of this was a layer of twiggy growth and fallen leaves; this was capped off with good quality topsoil; and finally a layer of well-rotted organic matter was used as a mulch on the surface. This demonstrated the ‘Hugelkultur’ system that is widely used to make mounded banks for growing in Germany and Poland.

The stones and logs at the bottom help to fill up space in the lower part of the bed, reducing the amount of topsoil required and thus the cost. They also trap moisture in the soil around them, which the plants can tap into. But this shouldn’t be used as an excuse to get rid of all sorts of rubbish. Limit the fill to large pieces of material and ensure that soil is thoroughly packed around them to avoid air pockets. See David’s video below for more advice.

The ‘keyhole’ concept – with a compost heap incorporated into the raised beds

The Raised Bed Revealed display incorporated an integrated compost bin, accessed by a cut-away section in the bed. This makes it easy to make compost directly where it can be used in the surrounding growing areas. It takes its inspiration from the ‘keyhole gardens’ of Africa, where growing spaces can be easily created, particularly in townships, to allow fresh vegetables to be cultivated at low cost.

In Africa, Keyhole Beds are often circular with a segment cut out to provide access to the central compost bin – rather like a popular brand of cheese triangles with one section removed from the box. Vegetable peelings and soft green garden materials can be mixed with chopped up twiggy growth and shredded cardboard to create a 1:2 mix of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ ingredients. This will rapidly decompose to create great compost.

A smaller version would make an ideal ‘starter garden’ for a child to get their first experience of growing. The raised nature of the bed will lift it to their level. Filled with a mixture of easy, colourful flowers and quick-growing summer veg and salads, it will be great looking and provide tasty pickings, too.

The garden also featured a ‘raised lawn’. Here the bed was filled with a gritty, but moisture-retentive loam which prevents the lawn from becoming waterlogged and provides a sitting or lounging area on which to relax without getting a ‘soggy bottom’! Avoid building raised lawns higher than 50cm about the surrounding soil as they can dry out too much, especially when made over free-draining, sandy soil.

For sitting on the edge, 50cm is a decent height, but may require steps to gain access onto it. For lounging, and to make it easy to step up onto, a raised bed of just 10-15cm should be enough to allow the lawn to drain and dry quickly after heavy rain.

The show garden also demonstrated a range of ornamental planting. The soil can be tailored especially to suit whatever is being grown in the raised bed – extra sand and grit for plants that benefit from free-draining conditions, heavier clay-based loam (or soil) with plentiful organic matter for specimens which require more moisture at the roots. David created four different ornamental plantings using specific plants to give particular ‘looks’.

Always ensure that you get a good quality topsoil to use in raised beds. The Raised Bed Revealed has used Rolawn Beds & Borders Topsoil which conforms to the British Standard so that you can be sure that it will have a good structure, with good levels of organic matter and be free from contaminants. Other suppliers are available, but be sure to check that they conform to the British Standard, so that you can be equally sure on the quality of what you are buying to grow your plants in.

The corrugated metal panels created a contemporary feel to set off the exotic, tropical look

In the back left-hand corner of the display garden, David used palms, bananas and a host of other exotic-looking plants to create a tropical effect. Such lush plantings of specimens with large foliage and bright flowers have become very popular in the past 20 years or so. Growing them in a raised bed allows the soil to be enriched with plenty of moisture-holding organic matter. The planting was complimented by a corrugated metal retaining wall.

Hardy palms, including Trachycarpus and Chamaerops, create a year-round display while colourful Cordylines and Phormiums can be used to compliment the shape of their foliage. Hardy begonias, ferns, Bergenia, Fatsia and Euphorbia are also great for bringing a tropical look. Meanwhile, in summer, tender plants can be added to beef up the display in the form of cannas, Ipomea, Alocasia and Coleus. Such plantings can be used to make an exotic oasis for summer.

The boulder-filled gabion baskets made a great retaining wall for the late-season colour section

At the centre of the plants was a more conventional border planting, but with the emphasis on using plants for strong form and late-season flower colour. A birch tree provided shelter and shade for the underplanting. It also demonstrated the benefit of adding height to borders to make use of the third spatial dimension. The bed for this section was retained with metal baskets or ‘gabions’ filled with large beach cobbles.

There are lots of bright and cheerful flowering perennials that can help to extend the summer. David opted for eye-popping Echinacea, Rudbeckia and Crocosmia, complimented by a range of different ornamental grasses. The latter create a long season of interest from late summer, right through the autumn and on into the winter with their decorative seedheads.

Other stars of the show were Japanese anemones, Allium, Cirsium and Hydrangea. And all this was complimented with the rounded forms of ball-shaped Cryptomeria, Prunus and yew.

The back right-hand corner of the raised bed garden was, in part, formed by a ‘pot wall’. This involves lining suitable containers closely together to act as a retaining wall. The pots are filled with soil too, for stability, and planted. Planting in this section was chosen to be weather resistant, being able to cope with winter wet as well as summer heat and drought. It included herbaceous perennials, ornamental grasses and succulents.

The innovative planting method shown in the show garden, used good quality topsoil in the lower half of the bed onto which the rootballs of the plants were placed. Coarse, horticultural grit-sand was then used to fill the rest of the bed to the top. This system of planting allows the roots of the plants to grow down in search moisture when they need it, but prevents the crowns and upper level roots becoming waterlogged during periods of heavy rain.

The succulent pot wall created perfect planting pockets for succulents

Raised beds are ideal for a collection of favourite plants

The fourth ornamental section was planted with a collection of colourful dahlias. One of David’s favourite groups of plants, these are perfect for late-season colour. But such a raised bed area could be used to grow any favourite plant type, with the soil tailored to suit their needs. It could be a collection of succulents, alpines, hostas, ferns, or whatever takes your fancy.

Make sure that you choose the right situation and aspect for the raised bed according to what plants you intend to grow in your collection. A partly shaded position might be ideal for hostas and ferns, while fun sun is best for succulents and alpines. Remember to do your research first!

• Agapanthus ‘Blue Infinity’
• Alocasia macrorrhiza
• Begonia grandis subsp evansiana var alba
• Begonia’Benitoshiba’
• Begonia luxurians
• Begonia ‘Torsa’
• Blechnum spicant
• Caladium ‘Aaroni’
• Caladium ‘Aaroni Whorton’
• Cuphea x hybrida ‘David Verity’
• Cuphea ignea
• Chamaerops humilis
• Cordyline australis ‘Peko’
• Cordyline australis ‘Pink Passion’
• Cordyline australis ‘Torbay Dazzler’
• Ensete ventricosa
• Euphorbia amygdaloides var robbiae
• Fatsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’
• Gloxinia nematanthodes’Evita’
• Impatiens kilimanjari x pseudoviola alba
• Ipomoea ‘Black Tone’
• Ipomoea ‘Sweet Caroline Green’
• Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’
• Miscanthus Cosmopolitan’
• Musa ‘Everred’
• Phormium ‘Rainbow Surprise’
• Polystichum setiferum diversilobum
• Trachycarpus fortunei

• Actaea ‘Queen of Sheba’
• Anementhale lessoniana
• Anemone ‘Frilly Knickers’
• Anisodontea ‘El Rayo’
• Betula utilis ‘jacquemontii’
• Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’
• Crocosmia x crocosmiflora ‘Constance’
• Cryptomeria japonica ‘Little Champion’
• Echinacea ‘Sunseekers Mineola’
• Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
• Hydrangea paniculata ‘Phantom’
• Hylotelephium’Matrona’
• Prunus laurocerasus ‘Sofia’
• Rudbeckia ‘Summerina Orange’
• Salvia ‘Pink Amistad’
• Verbena rigida

• Aeonium ‘Castello – Paivae’
• Agave pictorum ‘Kichijokan’
• Allium ‘Lavender Bubbles’
• Cirsium rivulare ‘Trevor’s Felly Find’
• Cordyline australis’Peko’
• Echeveria ‘Green Pacific’
• Euphorbia seguieiana
• Galatella linosyris
• Kalanchoe ‘Chocolate Soldier’
• Pelargonium
• Pennisetum advena ‘Rubrum’ – Summer Samba
• Pennisetum alopecuroides’Little Hameln’
• Rudbeckia ‘Goldblitz’
• R. fulgida var sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’
• Salvia ‘Blue Spire’
• Seseli montanum
• Verbena bonariensis
• Yucca rostrata

For lots more inspiration and practical advice, turn to The Raised Bed Book, by garden writer and presenter David Hurrion.
Signed and dedicated copies are available to buy through David’s on-line shop, the Norman and Vera Gardening Emporium.

Want to learn more and share it with your local gardening club?
David is available to present his Raised Bed Essentials talk to groups, and has a wide range of other informative presentations and masterclasses to help you become better gardeners. Click on the button to send an email enquiry to find out about the range of topics and fees.