I am both brand new here (first post) and new to hugelkultur, so I am surely asking a novice question, but have not seen it discussed. Please point me to an existing thread if I missed it, with thanks and apologies if I am redundant. That disclaimed --
What I'd like to do is get the benefits of two worlds in one space.
First, a raised bed in the front yard that is attractive enough the neighbors won't kick. I'm in Silicon Valley, fortunately in an area where my circular saw is not alone on weekends, but still: we are packed tightly in a post-WW II suburban grid. I have six beds I built in the backyard over the past five years, and now have faith in my ability to put some lumber together and have it hold up for a time. Painting the outside of the beds to match the house (leaving the inside unpainted; organic food beds) works well for aesthetics too.
Second, the idea of decomposing logs that hold water like a sponge sounds FANTASTIC in our drought-prone region. One of the backyard beds was on the larger side, so partly out of self-defense to not fill it with expensive bagged soil and partly hoping there's something to the hugelkultur idea, I mounded the center of the bed with branches, leaves, and so forth before adding mixed soil on top. Then I forgot all about it, like a squirrel. This year, I have two beds side-by-side on a soaker hose system off the same timer and manifold. One is lush; one needs additional hand watering from the rain barrels. I figured the hose was crimped, and maybe it is, they do that, but wouldn't you know the bed with the buried branches is the one that is doing a whole lot better? It took until seeing this forum to remember the buried difference.
Here's my challenge: let's say I build a nice raised bed about 12" tall in the front yard, and I have other plans for it to hold frosted glass along the back to screen the view into a glass-walled sunroom. Great. Then I add some happy branches and water it all in, some wild flowers on top, life is good. ...won't I also be dramatically decreasing the lifespan of the boards that form the outside frame for the raised bed? What's the best way to manage that?
I realize that traditional Hugelkultur avoids the entire problem by not having a fussy frame around the mound. Got it. But that will not fit in our front yard well, and as I am looking to add frosted glass on the back, something stable (without needing to dig fence post holes no less) is key to my plans.
My hope is there is an answer in the form of "just leave a 6" gap of dirt between the raised bed wall and the start of the buried wood pile" that someone else has already pioneered. Or maybe "if you use redwood for the bed and something easier to decompose in the center, the redwood won't be much touched while the center transforms." Or something entirely different?
I supposed I could paint the inside of the frame too, or use pressure treated wood, but while my plan is mostly for flowers in the front yard I'd like to be able to slip some edibles in there too. We're fortunate to have neighbors with bees on the roof at the end of the block, and another with cabbages and a lovingly tended mixed food / flower garden in place of where the grass had been. I do have some latitude thanks to enlightened neighbors. But there's also getting things past my spouse. Gardening takes patience.
Thanks for any ideas you can toss my way!
