When building the raised planter against their wall could I not apply a damp proof course where it joins onto their wall?
seacrows, did your raised brick and mortar bed have foundations?
I just want to add the first two images were from properties which are opposite to me and they have south facing gardens.
Ironically my neighbour has achieved what I want to achieve. You can see from the photos at they have climbers growing up my party wall. So stuff can certainly grow in North facing conditions.
On the last image, you can see damage to my wall from the inside where water is getting in. I am wondering if their climbers are causing this damage? They are attached to the wall with suckers so I do not see how they could be penetrating the mortar.
Oh, OP, I feel really sorry for you after reading this thread, it feels like no one really listens to you or tries to find some solutions for you. The whole concrete floor (assuming it's 10cm thick surface only) over the yard certainly can't count as foundations for the neighbouring house - where would that end? Your house floor? Maybe look into it, consult it with someone who knows more? What if you wanted to change the yard floor for something permeable?
Anyway, raised beds with trellis over them are probably a better solution anyway. If you could remove at least a narrow strip of the concrete, so it can drain into the ground, that would be a huge benefit. If you make it big and deep enough and use topsoil to fill it up, you don't need to change the soil at all. Maybe feed it twice per year and add a little bit of compost or mulch in spring if needed.
Is that not in your garden? It looks like it’s planted in the corner by the fence there?
The vast majority of it is attached to the wall. Just a screen grab from google maps shows it in a fuller picture, it does appear to only reach halfway down the wall though.
Any extension you built would obviously have its own DPC which would be keyed in to the existing one. Applying a damp proof membrane over the DPC can actually breach the DPC. But I give up … You seem to have no understanding of how a Damp Proof Course works, seem not interested in finding out, and despite having asked for advice you seem determined to dismiss it. We have suggested that you should seek professional advice but you seem determined to dismiss that idea too.
On your head be it, but don’t say you weren’t warned.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Any extension you built would obviously have its own DPC which would be keyed in to the existing one. Applying a damp proof membrane over the DPC can actually breach the DPC. But I give up … You obviously have no understanding of how a Damp Proof Course works, seem not interested in finding out, and despite having asked for advice you seem determined to dismiss it. We have suggested that you should seek professional advice but you seem determined to dismiss that idea too.
On your head be it, but don’t say you weren’t warned.
I totally understand what you are saying. I will query this with an architect, this will require detailed plans.
I guess what I was trying to say is a properly designed raised bed with its own keyed in DPC keyed into the existing one would be no different from building an extension. The only difference it is would have soil in it.
There is still the issue of having to attach screws to the wall to fix wires for the climbers to attach to but I would of course discuss this with the neighbour. I assume there are varieties of climbers out there that do not penetrate brick work?
I am very pleased to hear you’re going to get some professional advice. I was worried (could you tell? 😉)
Now we have the question of what sort of climber and how big a raised bed needs to be to provide enough root space?
Remember that the bigger the top growth of the climber is, the bigger the roots will need to be … and unfortunately some of the more obvious climbers for shade, such as honeysuckle and some clematis need more moisture than is usually available in a raised bed, and also need sunshine in order to flower. Others, such as Hydrangea petiolaris, would probably be too happy there … as you’re finding out on the other side of your property. 🙄
Perhaps someone can come with something …
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
As for the damp problem in your wall (your photo copied above) … old bricks can be porous … they need to ‘breathe’ … that climbing hydrangea of your neighbours will be preventing the brickwork from drying out. That’s causing the damp problem … you need to get a surveyor to take a look at that.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
seacrows, did your raised brick and mortar bed have foundations?
I just want to add the first two images were from properties which are opposite to me and they have south facing gardens.
Ironically my neighbour has achieved what I want to achieve. You can see from the photos at they have climbers growing up my party wall. So stuff can certainly grow in North facing conditions.
On the last image, you can see damage to my wall from the inside where water is getting in. I am wondering if their climbers are causing this damage? They are attached to the wall with suckers so I do not see how they could be penetrating the mortar.
The whole concrete floor (assuming it's 10cm thick surface only) over the yard certainly can't count as foundations for the neighbouring house - where would that end? Your house floor? Maybe look into it, consult it with someone who knows more? What if you wanted to change the yard floor for something permeable?
Anyway, raised beds with trellis over them are probably a better solution anyway. If you could remove at least a narrow strip of the concrete, so it can drain into the ground, that would be a huge benefit.
If you make it big and deep enough and use topsoil to fill it up, you don't need to change the soil at all. Maybe feed it twice per year and add a little bit of compost or mulch in spring if needed.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I guess what I was trying to say is a properly designed raised bed with its own keyed in DPC keyed into the existing one would be no different from building an extension. The only difference it is would have soil in it.
There is still the issue of having to attach screws to the wall to fix wires for the climbers to attach to but I would of course discuss this with the neighbour. I assume there are varieties of climbers out there that do not penetrate brick work?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.