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Raised beds along a fence

david.i.armstrong86david.i.armstrong86 Posts: 2
in Garden design
Hi all, we are hoping to construct raised beds along our fence line, i wondered if my raised beds need to be 4 sided or if i could have 3 sides made from sleeper and line the fence with some damp-proof type membrane- purely a cost saving exercise but it would be 12 less sleepers £££

Thanks,

David 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I lined mine with heavy duty plastic, and pond liner when that ran out. I had a roll of it from a previous house. 
    Still fine ten years on. I've done it before too, but the fence has to be in good nick as well.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • david.i.armstrong86david.i.armstrong86 Posts: 2
    ah perfect thank you Fairygirl - the fence is pretty new, we had it installed last year so hopefully it should hold up! thanks!

  • WaysideWayside Posts: 845
    edited July 2023
    From experience, you want the fence to be able to breathe to ensure its longevity.  Our neighbour piled earth up ours, along with other rubbish, which is quite easy to do as our gardens are all on a slope, and the fence barely lasted 5 or more years.  It's also good if the fence can drain easily at the bottom.  I'd aim for a good sized gap.  If it's a weather board at the bottom of the fence, then they are sacrificial anyways. You might be able to use something like old slabs on edge and back that with a membrane.

    Weird though, I have excellent drainage in the garden.  And yet some posts have still rotted out, with the exception of ones in an open aspect.  And yet my uncle has hit and miss fencing that is at least 40 years, and it is in fine fettle.  I guess it was soaked in something initially.  It has never been treated since.

    I got some fencing from a bloke and he said all his posts in concrete had rotted out.   The others hadn't.  I concreted my last posts in out of desperation, putting drainage beneath.  Will be interesting to see how long they last.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Of course piling earth against wood will cause a problem - hence lining it properly. As I said - I've done it many many times, and I live in a wet area. 

    There would also need to be something wrong with the quality of the wood if it didn't last more than a few years. I only ever use good quality heavy duty timber which lasts. All my posts are concreted in - would never dream of doing them any other way. They'll last twenty years easily - again if they're decent quality. Fence posts for field boundaries can last a long time without that, but they're completely different from the usual ones available for domestic fencing- they have a pointed end, and are too short for a fence of any height. 

    You would also never use membrane - it's porous, and therefore useless.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    david.i.armstrong86 said:
    Hi all, we are hoping to construct raised beds along our fence line, i wondered if my raised beds need to be 4 sided or if i could have 3 sides made from sleeper and line the fence with some damp-proof type membrane- purely a cost saving exercise but it would be 12 less sleepers £££

    Thanks,

    David 
    Is it your fence?
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Whilst you might be careful not to pile soil etc up against the fence, the slightest gap will trap wind borne dust, so beware?
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    @M33R4, it should be as @david.i.armstrong86 installed it.

    I agree with @Fairygirl.  
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    It depends how deep your bed is I suppose. Personally I would construct a back to the raised bed independent of the fence, I get that other people have done it and it's been OK for them etc, but I would want to be able to replace a fence panel without affecting the bed. I would perhaps use treated softwood boards for the back side rather than sleepers, to save money and space.

    If it's only a 300mm deep raised bed I would probably just use a gravel board at the back. I would think about whether you actually need a raised bed though! What are you truing to achieve with it?


    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I would have a back with a gap big enough to get a broom (sideways) between the back of the bed and the fence.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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