Sunburst Design

I’ve gone a bit ‘pattern-crazy’ this year and decided to plant up all my beds in some kind of design. This bed is mostly salads and I’ve planted it in a sunburst design. I suppose I just got bored of planting in straight lines and thought I would do something different this year.

I planted a Box hedge along the bottom and a row of pot-grown Shallots along on the right-hand side to give it some structure. Then I laid some sticks down on the ground to make a sunburst pattern. At the head I’ve planted one Perpetual Spinach plant, which will eventually get quite big. Then around that some Cauliflowers, and a row of American Cress seeds (which you can’t see in this photo) in a sort of half-moon shape. Then on the ‘rays’ of the sunburst I have planted (right to left) Carrots (Early Nantes), Spinach (Kimono), Lettuce (Tom Thumb), Mustard Greens, Lettuce (Henderson Simpson), Aubergine – yes I know it’s too early for Aubergine but I’ve got my fleece ready and waiting! Pak Choi and Red Cabbage. I have yet to plant anything in the space at the top.

This bed is only 2.6m by 3.6m and it already has some Strawberries and a Whitecurrant bush in it. As you can see I’ve packed them in quite tightly, far closer than the recommended growing distances. In a nutshell I want this bed to be completely full, with no earth showing at all. Also, as the larger plants grow so the smaller crops will be harvested. It should all work, but it’s the first time I’ve grown like this so I’m experimenting a bit.

What do you think? Anyone else trying anything similar?

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Tags: Design, Sunburst Design   Posted in Gardening Consultant