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Garden Landscaping Disaster?
andrew.twigg
Posts: 5
Hi, I've recently started having some work done on my garden as part of an extension build. Work so far has not been successful! I'm here now looking for advice, ideas, and inspiration.
So, I think the garden has lots of potential. Its a nice size and has a gentle slope away from the house in a south westerly direction so it gets lovely sun and there's nice sunsets.
The original vision was to split the space into three sections with tiers. A deck on the back of the house would overlook a flat lawn area, then a lower area would have a shed and either more lawn / plants and stuff, or a patio for getting out of the sun (there's trees).
Story so far is, builder suggests quickly doing the garden while there's easy access before the build, then trashes it, and fails. I now have a messy patch which i'm not sure is good or needs redoing. Lots of vegetation has been dug up and buried in the garden and then covered in clay soil. The soil has come from digging parts of the garden and filling others, and a big hole they dug for foundations.
The idea is to have a sleeper wall mid garden, and back fill that to build up a flat section for a lawn. Some of thats been done. Next doors land is not tiered (both sides). I'm overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I'm finding it hard to find information on the correct technique for back filling the land behind the sleeper wall. And whats the best construction (you see all sorts of techniques). What should the edges look like, should there be sleeper walls near to the boundaries to fill into? Once its been backfilled with clay soil, how do people level that, and should it be compacted? Is it then just top soiled?
I've attached images, and any info is most appreciated!
The posts shown here, I'm not sure if thats a good idea to mount the wall against that for support. I've seen other techniques where dead men are used.
The posts shown here, I'm not sure if thats a good idea to mount the wall against that for support. I've seen other techniques where dead men are used.
thanks
Andy
0
Posts
I don't know what your budget is, or how much you would be able to tackle yourself, but I'd get the two boundaries secure first. Fences built, or whatever your choice of boundary is. Then tackle the bit nearest the house by putting in your sleeper revetment wall, somewhere between your house and those posts, to give a decent rectangle of flat, or flattish space. Part of that can be deck/patio, and the rest grass or gravel and/or planting. I've done something similar in a previous garden, using a marine ply wall with timber facing.
What subsoil etc you remove from lower down will form the base for that, and if you decide to have any planting on that top level, you can prepare that when the itme comes. You could bring the sleepers right round to form the two ends of a 'box' if you're concerned about working out how to meet the fence - a standard fence wouldn't be enough support for that, and better safe than sorry.
A set of sleeper steps [ in the middle or to one side according to your preference] will give access to the rest of the plot. You can tackle that over time - whether you make two more sections or have one sloping one. I'd just clear that for now and get it into some sort of shape. You could sow some grass seed and just keep it mowed for the time being.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Are you still speaking to your builder?
Perhaps pay for some advice from a landscaper who has tackled this sort of garden before, they usually have photos on their websites, you can have them do as much or as little work as you need and want, as has been said it depends on your budget.
Love to see work in progress updates.