Hi Nanny, The house is elevated ie steps to front door, 3 bed end of link. It was built by Bellway in 2001. I've been here 13 years and I've only just got round to it. I'll attach a photo to what it looked like before. The gravelled area belongs to my house. The tarred hard stand is for next door to park their car. Weird set up. She can't drive so nobody parks there (under my lounge window). I want to make the area attractive. Give the front some greenery. I hate clay and it does nothing for drainage. Because of that and the blue sheeting underneath the original gravel it left weeds to grow and slimey algae on gravel. It was used for nothing. But as its part of the house I have no lawn or other borders apart from drive on the other side of steps. Removing clay to a hard base is what I wanted to do then I'll also get drainage. My neighbours opposite said same thing as Lox ref he'd have just skimmed top of clay then laid membrane and decorative gravel. I made work for myself but like to do it the proper way. So here I am looking for advice which is pretty much what I intended by Lox advice ref hard-core. Now I need inspiring with the decorative gravel which would compliment the house brick. Oh then I intend to find some planter boxes for the area to finish it off. Especially over the gas meter box. Might have to build one myself to hide it. It'll be far better than what was there before.
You mean refill with soil? I've thought of it. I've certainly made that effort to evacuate the clay to replace with soil for shrubs so will be like a small area of ever greens etc but I'd have no idea what to plant or how I'd arrange them. Is this what you meant Lox?
Yes, you've removed 6" of clay already. You could dig out a little bit more and break up the material that's left as best you can (perhaps add the gravel you previously excavated back in) and lay new topsoil. There will be low maintenance evergreen shrubs (and non evergreen) you can plant. They'll have to be quite tough as the soil will never be like a beatiful free draining loam, but there are plenty of options. You'll need to leave access for the meters on that back wall.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Ok finished removing yucky clay. As I told my neighbour it would have been harder to skim a layer off top than to place spade in push down to you hit bottom and jerk the spade and lift. At least 6 inches of clay pops up. It has no benefit. Levelled the area out ready for hard-core. Just need no bigger than 10mm right? Don't want bricks to form a base for decorative stones. It's a sound base there now. Just have to raise it 3 inches then 2 inches of decorative aggregate. Haven't decided on decorative aggregate yet. Attached couple of pics.
Gravel on a slope tends to shift downwards. You can get resin to bind it so that water goes through but the gravel doesn't shift. We had our drive done by these people. They did a good job, dug out the concrete, laid hardcore, limestone, then resin bonded gravel.
Bonded gravel is great, keeps in place and water soaks away so not slippery for your neighbour. If not slate would be better as it won't move downhill so easily. Just remember to put a membrane under whatever you do, or you will be constantly weeding.
If it was me I'd remove the concrete edging and get a contractor to tarmac the bit you've dug out. Personally I think it's too small an area to look effective with gravel. Then buy some really nice large terracotta pots if your budget can stretch to it and plant foliage plants. Hostas perhaps.
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The house is elevated ie steps to front door, 3 bed end of link. It was built by Bellway in 2001. I've been here 13 years and I've only just got round to it. I'll attach a photo to what it looked like before. The gravelled area belongs to my house. The tarred hard stand is for next door to park their car. Weird set up. She can't drive so nobody parks there (under my lounge window).
I want to make the area attractive. Give the front some greenery. I hate clay and it does nothing for drainage. Because of that and the blue sheeting underneath the original gravel it left weeds to grow and slimey algae on gravel. It was used for nothing. But as its part of the house I have no lawn or other borders apart from drive on the other side of steps.
Removing clay to a hard base is what I wanted to do then I'll also get drainage.
My neighbours opposite said same thing as Lox ref he'd have just skimmed top of clay then laid membrane and decorative gravel. I made work for myself but like to do it the proper way.
So here I am looking for advice which is pretty much what I intended by Lox advice ref hard-core.
Now I need inspiring with the decorative gravel which would compliment the house brick.
Oh then I intend to find some planter boxes for the area to finish it off. Especially over the gas meter box. Might have to build one myself to hide it. It'll be far better than what was there before.
It has no benefit.
Levelled the area out ready for hard-core. Just need no bigger than 10mm right? Don't want bricks to form a base for decorative stones. It's a sound base there now. Just have to raise it 3 inches then 2 inches of decorative aggregate.
Haven't decided on decorative aggregate yet.
Attached couple of pics.
If not slate would be better as it won't move downhill so easily. Just remember to put a membrane under whatever you do, or you will be constantly weeding.