This type of garden bed is traditionally a raised circular garden with a “cutout” towards the centre of the bed so you can walk into the middle of your garden – although they are not always circular and can also be built at ground level. From a birds-eye view, the notch cut in towards the centre of the bed and the circle in the very middle used to access your garden is shaped somewhat like a keyhole.
At the very centre can be either a round area where you can stand and have your entire garden bed within easy picking reach, or you could place a circular compost tower that provides nutrients to your plants. The design allows you to access your garden without ever stepping on your beds and compacting the soil.
This type of garden bed can accommodate a large number of plants in a relatively small space. For small back yards the keyhole garden bed with the central composting system works very well. The garden is extremely compact and the compost system in the middle removes the need for a separate composting area. The nutrients are available directly into the garden.
Several keyhole beds can be placed near to each other to create pleasing patterns – this is known as a mandala garden and it is as beautiful as it is functional.
These practical, easy access gardens can fit into any shaped space and can neatly fill those difficult corners of the yard. Due to the flexibility regarding the shape of the beds, they can also be designed so that their position makes maximum use of sun exposure. If you are at a loss as to how to design your garden layout I prompt you to investigate keyhole beds and mandala gardens.
Now run outside and create your oasis!
Jo
