We are putting in a patio and pergola this spring. My husband and I want to simplify our maintenance chores so we are thinking of putting in a raised bed around the edges using a bottomless metal container set up. Our grass is Bermuda and This is the first time we've had Bermuda. Is there anything I need to do when I put the container down? Here's what I was looking at. https://vegogarden.com/collect...

Frisco, Tx. tween DFW and The Red River. Bermuda- you have coastal bermuda or one of the newer shorter strains? Bermuda can survive a lot of abuse. Yes, you need to lay cardboard and black plastic under that tin can and scalp the bermuda as short as possible. I have seen coastal come up from 6" underground, but it doesn't like being suffocated with dark heavy blockers. I also lay metal fabric under my beds because our moles are so bad. Unfortunately, very little blocks the fire ants who like that raised ground. If you buy bagged soil, you need to use the bags that say for 'raised beds'

Wow Kat, I love your set up. Thanks for your suggestions, I would not have thought about the metal screening. I often put old window screen in the bottom of pots. It seems to help some to keep critters out. As far as what type of Bermuda we have no idea. Is there any way to tell?
I'll have to look for "soil for raised beds".

Coastal bermuda makes hay, long tall, long runners. Others are real fine as if they belong on a golf course, stay short.
My tin can is actually a horse trough that the bottom rotted out of, and I put it on bricks to help drain. It grows a mean pepper plant.
MG, Kelloggs, both have premixes for raised beds, can tell you they have pretty much no fertilizer in either one, found at Home Depot and Lowes down here, haven't checked what Wally world is carrying...I do mix my soils, I have added Black Kow at 1 part BK and 2 or 3 parts raised bed mix, or sometimes I use Happy Frog potting mix (black gold for price) with the raised bed mix. Depends on what I planned the areas for.

I guess I have some sort of hybrid Bermuda then. It doesn't grow real tall, but then this is our first full year in the house, so it was getting established. I mostly plan on some perennials with some annuals mixed in inside the containers. DH loves color and his favorite is a bright orange tropical hibiscus we just got. We had one at our old place every year. I love the look of plumbago and my favorite thing is the yellow Columbine that is native to Texas. I hope it grows up here.

The hibiscus will have a bit of problems with cold winters, aquilegia grows even in Wisconsin. I went for yellow snapdragons myself- they froze back and rebounded from roots, they are native to us too.

I'm willing to buy a new hibiscus for him each year. Small price to pay for the enjoyment he gets from the many blooms.
Anyway we went to the nursery today and asked if they were going to get a shipment of columbine. The lady said she sure hopes so as others have asked about it too.So I'll just keep making trips there each week. I didn't buy any plants today, just some potting soil and a new hat with a big brim. My old one I've had for over 15 years......
Do your yellow snapdragons come back every year? Do they live through our summers?

No, but I have them in really deep sun around noon and surrounded with yellow johnny jump ups. It is more the humidity that does them in by August. August is the killing month while Sept is Harvest, so very little lives thru August. After August has passed- I can start Fall flowers safely- if they can handle soil at 95* anyway.

They started on the patio/pergola yesterday and I showed DH my vision of the raised bed. Not met with a ton of enthusiasm. But after 40+ years I know how to start the process. 15 years ago we put in a brick patio at our house and he couldn't see what I was describing. He kept saying it needed to be right next to the house looking out to the garden. I put it out in the garden surrounded by beds and after it was done and we were enjoying our coffee there one morning, he said " this is really nice". We were talking about that this morning and when I reminded him of that time he said he'd take care of watching the construction for this one and I was in charge of how it looked....

I dropped by HDepot, their lack of bagged 'Raised Beds and Container' soils were missing. I cruised thru and picked some I can combine, that tub will be a sweet potato tub anyway. Found a bulb I had forgotten I tucked in the crimson clover and forgot totally I had.