Raised Beds Blogs

It’s easy to make a few adjustments to your garden to make it more eco friendly for 2012. The easiest way to improve your eco friendliness is to start growing your own herbs and vegetables. A small raised bed kit for herbs won’t take up much space in your garden and you will soon reap the rewards. If you have more space for a larger raised bed you can grow a variety of organic foods, such as potatoes, broccoli and root vegetables, as well as herbs. A major benefit of growing your own food is that you know exactly what’s gone into it. This means no harsh pesticides or other chemicals, just healthy home grown, organic food.

Another easy and inexpensive option is to purchase a compost bin. This gives you a place to dispose of all your biodegradable waste efficiently and will provide essential nutrients for your garden. This kind of waste would otherwise end up in a landfill, where air cannot get to the organic waste. This means that when the waste breaks down it releases methane, which is damaging to the atmosphere. When the same material is broken down in a home compost bin, oxygen causes it to decompose aerobically, greatly reducing the amount of methane that is produced. Here at AVS Fencing we stock timber pressure treated compost bins in small, medium and large sizes, so there is a size suitable for most space allowances. So why not grow your own vegetables or recycle your green waste and do your bit for the environment in 2012?!

As the weather becomes cold and wet and the evenings draw darker it’s easy to neglect your garden. However, preparing some vegetable beds or water features now means everything will be ready for you to enjoy when the spring comes in.

Railway sleepers are excellent for flower and vegetable beds, ponds, water features, decking steps, furniture, edging and borders. When using railway sleepers for raised beds remember the importance of membrane and good drainage, as well as choosing non creosoted sleepers for any area in which you wish to grow vegetation. 2.4M 100 x 200mm softwood railway sleepers are ideal for use with plant borders and raised beds. If you prepare the beds during winter, by spring you will already have plants growing ready for the summer months.

There are some plants excellent for winter months that will keep your garden looking cheerful all year round. Holly, Christmas Rose, Dogwood, Viburnum and Wintersweet are all examples of great winter plants to consider adding to your garden.

The winter is also a good time to make new edging round heavy clay soil, as frost can help to break the soil down, making it easier to dig and manage. AVS Fencing Supplies have a great range of shovels and digging spades to help you with your garden projects.

For the full range of railway sleepers, visit your local branch or shop online.

Have you always craved inspiration to start that dream railway sleeper project? Well if you have, AVS Fencing Supplies now has the answer as our inspiration centre is fully packed with sleeper projects. These projects are perfect to help inspire you towards that dream railway sleeper project.

Once again the sleeper projects highlight the versatility of railway sleepers and are great guide, as they show the different stages of construction. Better still, the project pictures show off the eye catching looks from railway sleepers.

There are 4 projects to choose from including using Railway Sleepers as patio walls to creating innovative ponds. Check them out now.

So if your desire is to make a retaining wall, garden path, raised beds, steps etc from railway sleepers, make sure you view AVS Fencing Supplies inspiration centre before starting your project. The inspiration centre will not only show the huge variety of stocked New & Reclaimed sleepers, but also competitive prices currently on offer.

Have you seen the extensive range of railway sleepers that AVS provide? We provide New Softwood Railway Sleepers, New Oak Railway Sleepers, Second Hand Hardwood Sleepers and our exciting Mini Railway Sleepers.

Railway Sleepers can be used for an endless range of things from path edging to raised vegetable beds and retaining walls. They can be recycled or new & unused.

New Railway Sleepers are very popular as they are not creosote treated which means that they are suitable for many more uses in the garden such as flower beds and ponds.

Second Hand Railway Sleepers are normally used for ground contact work and used where there is not the risk of frequent skin contact. AVS Fencing Supplies Railway Sleepers come in a range of section sizes and lengths so you can be assured we have exactly what you need!

So what are you waiting for start exploring the uses of eye catching railway sleepers by either buying online today or coming to visit us at one of 8 branches across the south east!

There was an interesting news article in The Press news which highlights the excellence of community minded gardeners who have worked with local companies to make the perfect garden for children with disabilities to visit.

The pair have constructed raised vegetable beds and they commented on the positives they bring:

"We have been able to transform the plot and it looks absolutely wonderful"

This article highlights the importance of being in the garden and what better way to enjoy your garden than by creating a raised bed to grow your own vegetables.

So if you feel inspired by this example, then why not choose AVS fencing as your ideal supplier, as we now offer a brand new range of raised beds from beginners to premium and raised vegetable beds all of which can be viewed and bought online.

So what are you waiting for? Join the community spirit and get planting!

According to www.thisisnottingham.co.uk, Sue Thompson is a resident of Lark Hill Retirement Village, and she is quite right to feel proud of her award-winning winter garden in this year's East midlands neighbourhood category of Nottingham in Bloom.

Sue and a group of residents worked together to create this award-winning garden, which in turn helped to make the residential home a better place to live. Mrs Thompson explained “The gardens have helped break down barriers and were a conversation starter”.

What makes a winter garden special?

Any garden can be winter garden if it appears to stand out and look beautiful at a time when everything else in the winter landscape is dull, plain and brown is outstanding alone. If you want your property to be up there with the elite, in the height of winter as well as in summer, now is the time to get working on it.

So come and choose AVS Fencing Supplies who are proud specialist suppliers of Garden Fencing, Decking, Railway Sleepers and landscaping products all of high quality, at affordable prices!

Although much of the country is covered with snow – it doesn't stop you from planning your raised bed or retaining wall! Sleepers are becoming one of the most sought after garden fashion accessories of the year and this is not just down to their eye-catching looks but also their outstanding functionality.

AVS Fencing Supplies is proud to introduce its Sleeper winter offers on Second Hand Hardwoods, New Softwoods and New Mini Railway Sleepers! This winter Railway Sleeper promotion offers fantastic value for money.

So what are you waiting for? Act now and take advantage of our fantastic railway sleeper winter offers; either in one of our seven branches, on our excellent website or over the phone with one of our sales team. If you need some inspiration, you can visit our web page packed with inspiring ideas and expert help.

Do you need to get your garden back on track this summer with some improvements?

Why not try AVS Fencing Supplies Railway Sleeper ranges. Railway Sleepers have amazing versatility around the garden from raised beds, retaining walls to vegetation beds, the list goes on! With Railway Sleepers becoming more and more of a popular garden fashion asset, it has become important to choose the right Railway Sleeper for the right purpose.

We at AVS pride ourselves in our consultation services to make sure you have the right product for the right purpose. So don’t hesitate to either call or see our easy to use website for all Railway Sleepers ranges which include New Hardwood, New Softwood, Mini Sleepers and our eye catching rustic looking Second hand sleepers.

Go on, treat yourself this summer and come and see our fantastic deals at AVS and get that garden back on track!

With the economic recession hitting peoples pockets, mixed with the growing demand for organic fruit and veg, the 'Grow your Own' movement continues to increase.
 
AVS Fencing Supplies are able to supply a wide range of railway sleepers that can be used to form garden beds, that can then be used to grow your own fruit and veg.
 
We offer a range of new railway sleepers both softwood and hardwood sleepers that would be ideal to create your own garden bed and as we offer home delivery, so you could be growing your own vegetables in no time at all!

Do you know how to make a bed from railway sleepers?

No? Don't worry, we've found a great movie clip from BBC2's Gardener's World. Click here to see the full instructions and everything you need to start preparing your raised garden bed with AVS Railway Sleepers.

Happy Digging!

AVS Fencing Supplies are a huge supplier of railway sleepers for garden and landscaping projects. This means you can have great confidence in the product with competitive prices and rapid delivery. Railway sleepers supplied included are both new and recycled in hardwood and treated softwood and are creosote-free.

The advantages of raised beds are:

• You can add soil which is suitable for herbs, vegetables or plants you want to grow.
• They save you back strain because you don't have to bend down so far!
• They need less watering than containers.

The disadvantage of raised beds is:

• You have to design and build them.

We can help to take care of that for you. Here are a few important points to bear in mind:

• Remember that raised beds are for the long term, so choose their site carefully. Do your plants want a sunny or shady position?
• Don't make your raised bed wider than you can comfortably reach.
• A height of 30 - 60 cm deep is sufficient for most small and medium sized plants.

How to make a wooden raised bed out of AVS railway sleepers.

What you will need:

Four railway sleepers;
eight tree stakes;
saw and hammer

1. Lay out the railway sleepers on edge in their final positions. Ensure that the best edge uppermost.
2. Hammer the two tree stakes into the ground, about 4cm from each corner, to hold the corners together.
3. Cut off ensuring the top of the stakes are flush with the railway sleepers. If you are making the bed on a paved surface use coach bolts to hold the sleepers together.
4. Fill your brand new sleeper raised bed with a suitable soil or compost. Top tip: If you want to grow herbs, then mix the top soil with grit.