Perfect plant for raised bed

[AsMuchUseAsAMarzipanDildo]

...and somewhere to stable my unicorn!

I have a concrete raised bed in my front garden (2ft by 4ft). Oddly it was built in front of my window and I’m struggling to think what to plant in it.

Ideally I’d like something low growing (no more than 1-2ft) so it doesn’t block the window, that still has winter interest and fits with my “cottage garden”. I love herbaceous plants but once they die back my garden looks empty. I’d love something with berries/pretty bark/coloured leaves in winter - but they all seem to grow tall

Have a look at the variety of Hebes. They sound like the plant you’re looking for.

Ooh! Will do, thanks for replying!

If you have any spare soil, Cyclamen coum for early spring (Jan on), C hederifolium for autumn. Sarcococca has evergreen leaves and sweet scented flowers in winter. Gaultheria sharon (think it's now been moved to Pernettya, but the small leaved pernettyas can grow quite large) is a creeping shrub with evergreen leaves and red berries, but probably won't like dry soil in summer. If you have the room, you can get a dwarf Abies koreana - a bluish tinted fir with neat foliage and fir cones when it's only a few inches high - but again it probably needs to be kept moist in summer, might be achievable if the bed is north facing.

Careful with hebes - some species grow tall (I'm working hard to keep one of mine below 6ft) - make sure you have one of the low growing varieties.

If your raised bed gets sun, the obvious thing is mediterranean herbs - rosemary, lavender, sage for height (rosemary is evergreen and flowers early in about April), variegated thymes to drape over the ages. Winter savory (white flowers late in the season), hyssop (deep blue), golden marjoram. They'll all appreciate the good drainage in winter.

Thank you. Those are really helpful ideas. It’s got me thinking about a herb bed with some cyclamens for winter interest.