[Chivetalkin]

I noticed my allotment neighbour has filled their allotment site with breeze block constructed raised beds. They don't seem to have used mortar. I must say it all looks very tidy and pristine - almost clinically so. I can't see any good information online about using this material to construct raised beds.  What do members think about this? Pros, cons?

[lettice]

Not quite breeze blocks, but you might want to check out muddybootz on youtube.

For reference the first was his 277 numbered podcast and then he updated at 278 as it did'nt seem to quite work.

I do think breeze blocks if a few stacks do hold together quite well. But, its more the soil and plant roots pushing the odd blocks outwards overtime that may be an issue if not fixed.
Also, wont there be be many small holes between the blocks that will become a great home for many pests to enjoy.

[Growster...]

The good thing about this, is that you can lay breeze blocks, or any concrete block - even brick, in a dry state, and if you want to change it all, you can take them all up and start all over again!

I love the concept of dry-stone walling, and using blocks is only another way to build something! I have some really heavy concrete blocks holding up our bean bed here (we're on a slope), and they've been there for years! The mint grows through them and they get covered with 'Mind-your-own-business' leaves, and we love it all! They never move, (but they are darned heavy)!

Concrete blocks are inert, easy to brush off, and while they may look a bit 'ugly' at first, so what! They're cheaper than wooden sleepers, and much more versatile! Maybe try some 'L' shapes, or even a semi-circle so you have lots of holes etc.! Hanging plants like lobelia love them too! And, you can plant stuff right up next to them so it's a no-brainer!

So there's my take on a great idea you have!

(I may even try another similar idea here, but give me time...:0~)

[Rob the rake]

Never used breeze blocks for bed walls, although I have made a greenhouse base using them. I have several beds with the sides made from 3 X 2ft paving slabs. The slabs are upright and half-buried. They abut a flagged path, which keeps them roughly in line and prevents them from leaning too much.

[hasbeans]

The porosity of breeze might be an issue if you don't line the bed? 
I use whatever is lying around - rotting logs, paving, stones, broken wall - more chaotic and grubby than pristine and clinical!

[Subversive_plot]

We call them cinder blocks over here; my sister and brother-in-law have a small raised bed garden made of these. It seems to work, they've had no problems.

We do have something called breeze block, but use that term for decorative wall block with spaces you can see through, and that air can move through. Also called screen block.

[Scottie]

I dug a hole first and filled it with, logs, branches, leafs etc Hugelkultur style, but you can just lay them on cardboard and fill in with compost. Works really well, cover the holes with whatever you have handy or plant up with anything you have going spare.

[Kleftiwallah]

I have five raised beds in the garden, the first I constructed by sinking paving slabs (flagstones) into the earth by about 9", but this wasn't raised enough for me!  The second was sunk into the ground by 6".  This has subsequently been raised more by the assition of a ring of roof tiles.

Final design was to place slabs around the garden as pathways then placing slabs vertically onto the soil butting up against the pathway slabs keeping them upright and in place by a rectangular collar of angle iron with the iron on top of the slabs and down the sides.  The slabs gives me far more surface area than breeze blocks would. (An extra row of carrots or two).

Cheers,  Tony.

[Goosegirl]

We used rectangular concrete blocks for our raised veg bed and connected them together by screwing metal strips (sorry, don't know their proper name). They have two holes on either side right the way through which we filled with soil and planted strawberries in them.