What to plant in raised beds?

[mummysandwich]

Any ideas what would be good to plant in raised beds to provide green and/or colour over autumn and winter?

Our soil is heavy clay with some topsoil added, garden is south facing. Beds are approx 1m deep and 2m wide (there are 2).

I'm currently looking at the remains of the marigolds, nasturtiums, poppies and sunflowers we planted from seed in the spring. I know (think) they all need pulling out but don't know what to put in their place!

I'm not very green fingered but trying to improve!

Are you looking for shrubs or perennials? If shrubs, skimmia japonica would be lovely over winter. Buy a male and a female if you want them to pollinate each other. You can also get a hermaphrodite one. Holly also lovely and very easy. Some Daphne are winter flowering. Dwarf conifers to give shape. If you're looking for bedding, then cyclamen, winter pansies and violas are all bright and pretty.

Thank you, that's really helpful! I'm thinking shrubs along the back (against the fence) and bedding plants towards the front.
Thanks again!

I like planting tomatoes in soil beds. It has the best grow when it will be planted in beds. Anyway you can also plant different kinds of herbs.

In a word, BULBS!

Narcissus, crocus, tulips, alliums....

layer them so the earliest ones come up first and the later ones last. (plant small and early bulbs like crocus just 2 inches deep, tulips need to be a good 6 inches deep.)

You will need some other small shrubs or plants to hide the foliage of the bulbs when they die down ( you can't cut it off for a few weeks.)

You could plant some lavender shrubs (choose small types like Hidcote), small compact grasses, or even herbs like thyme, sage and lemon balm or compact hardy geraniums.