Help!

taylornicholson87 · March 2019

Hi all we’re in need of some advice please. We’ve got a split level garden and the access to our garden is via two other houses (we live in a mid terraced house) we purcharced the house and the garden looked manageable, however, we have discovered some real nightmares.
The previous owners “dumped” soil and god knows what in a pile approx 8ft x 20ft behind some concrete kickboards this would be ok to move however it seems to be retaining our neighbours slopped garden. Some of the other fence that meets their garden is also giving way at the kickboards due to the soil being retained by it.
Although im aware it’s the neighbours responsibility to ensure the soil isn’t on our fence this has been the way for 40 years and I don’t want to approach that subject with them as they’re elderly and I don’t want to put that worry on them.
after all my rant I’m basically looking for advice on how to retain their soil and what to do with the extensive pile at the end of our garden.
Thanks in advance

JennyJ · March 2019

The pile of soil - if it's decent topsoil then it's a shame to waste it (and it sounds as if getting rid of stuff through other gardens would be a pain). Could you maybe use it to raise the level of your own garden? Maybe a raised bed along the side where the neighbour's soil is higher than yours, to bring yours up to the same level, then re-do the fence at that height? It's hard to tell if that would look odd or OK - do you have a picture of your garden?

taylornicholson87 · March 2019

Thanks so much for your advice, I don’t think it’s decent topsoil tbh, it’s quite clayie (not sure that’s how you spell it)
ill attach some photos now

taylornicholson87 · March 2019

taylornicholson87 · March 2019

Type your commthr soil is behind the shed too, we’re hoping to put the shed further back in the same position it’s in now

Fairygirl · March 2019

Hi - I'd be inclined to leave the soil, but replace that concrete boarding with a decent wall. If you can get the posts cut down to the current height of them, you could build in front of them. You'd need to leave weep holes so that excess water can get away. You can then plant it up - trees, shrubs, groundcover etc. That will help stabilise it too.
The bit to the left hand side would possibly need a similar treatment - at that far end anyway. The sleeper raised bed along the left side should be fine, but the fence in the corner area is obviously struggling with what's behind it. Some hefty planting with a decent block wall to contain it is probably the best solution. You can render and paint it to make it more attractive, and add a good coping stone along the top.

How high is the soil level on the left hand side? If it's lower than the end section, you might be ok with that part. The extra sleeper course against the fence is probably there for that reason.
I don't think there's an easy solution looking at the level of the adjoining garden, and bearing in mind the difficulty of removing some, or all of, that soil.

wild edges · March 2019

I don't think that's dumped soil, it looks like natural ground level that's been cut away to get that flat area of decking and the shed in there.

JennyJ · March 2019

Ah, you already have raised beds along the side. How much higher is the neighbour's soil? Can you raise that side of your garden to match, or build a stronger retaining wall?

And what's the level of the soil at the other side of the back wall? Judging from the trees your "heap of soil" might be the original ground surface, and it's your garden that's been dug out at some stage, in which case it's best left there or the wall and trees might become unstable.

Fairygirl · March 2019

I think you're right, w.edges, and it just hasn't been properly retained. You can just see a little bit of it in the far left corner in the last pic.
Jenny's right - even if you could remove the banking, it wouldn't be a good idea, and you couldn't go much farther back than it is just now.

If the garden was smallish, it's likely that the previous owner simply wanted to enlarge it - probably to get the shed in. Otherwise, the garden would be very small - the shed looks quite substantial.

Lizzie27 · March 2019

I'd leave the concrete kick boards in place, they are doing a good job as a retaining wall, even if it is ugly and it would be a very difficult and expensive job, bearing in mind the access problems, to remove. You also run the risk of the wall collapsing. To make it look nicer, I would simply put a wooden fence in front of the concrete. Level off the soil on top as much as you can, weed it and then plant some shrubs that won't get too tall and won't need much pruning. I would also ask your neighbours to replace their rotten fence panels, or even offer to pay for them yourselves. You will have to leave the shed where it is I think, but you could put trellis on the facing side an grow a climber. Tidy up and plant up the long raised bed on the left - job done.

hogweed · March 2019

I agree with all the previous comments. If you are feeling adventurous, you could have a dig down from the brick wall and see where the footings for that starts. That will tell you whether if that is extra soil that's been banked up there or it is the natural height of the land. If it is the natural height of the ground, in order to move the shed back, you will have to build a retaining wall behind it to protect the brick wall.

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