Daphne x burkwoodii 'Silveredge'

Rkwright, how many varieties of Daphne have you got? I really like your idea of growing them in a raised bed. Have you filled the bed, with a particular type of soil?
The reason that I'm asking is because I have a raised bed that I'm in the middle of clearing and I was wondering what would I like to do with it...? I have got a couple of Daphne's in the rear garden which are both very happy with the soil type and a partially shaded site. Have you any tips that might help me as I'm wondering if I could set up a raised bed of different types of Daphne's? My raised border is about 40ft long and about 10ft wide, it is shaded by my neighbours Holly hedge which must be at least 25ft tall, but thankfully you don't get leaf drop with the Holly! I'd appreciate any tips that you might think will be of help... :o)

Most of what I used for the raised bed was topsoil. I used mostly horse manure from a friend's farm and it makes fairly good topsoil after a couple years (cow manure is better or screened topsoil works too). The best tip I can offer is aim for a mix that drains quickly. I mixed the topsoil with pea gravel, peat moss and coarse sand.
The raised bed in this picture faces SE so it gets morning and early afternoon sun but is shaded later on. I have another raised bed for Daphnes that gets full sun and less wind protection and most of them seem happier in the bed with less exposure. Your winters are not as severe and summer temps are a bit cooler so full sun would probably be fine. A lot of the larger Daphnes don't mind some shade and are a little more tolerant of heavier soils but smaller Daphnes seem to do better in more sun and need to have sharp drainage to do well. The only other suggestion I have is to make sure it is raised at least 18". Hope that helps, be sure to post some pictures when it is done!

Thanks so much! I have a friend who has horses and is happy to give away muck...! My first task however is to clear the raised border of Ivy! Thanks very much for the advice - I always enjoy looking at the variety of Daphnes that you grow, and will post some piccies of the progress that I make...!

What kind of Daphnes do you have? I like seeing pictures of Daphne varieties too and hearing how people take care of them.