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Raising the level of a lawn

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  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353
    True, hogweed - perhaps I was hoping for magic! At the moment my barrow doesn't even fit down the side of the house, I need to find a super narrow one (sigh).



    Leadfarmer, that was the sort of thing I was wondering about, thinking in terms of saving a bit of money. Does anyone else have any views on whether that would be feasible... or a false economy?
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353

    image

    So, the lawn area will be in a sort of squared-off figure of eight  (15×13 and 13x13, joined by 6x12), level with the brick edging. The section with one curved side is planned for a pond, eventually  (though I'm thinking of digging it out sooner rather than later so as to use some of what I dig to add to the lawn height).

    Be gentle with me - this point has taken a long time to get to, pleas please don't suggest ditching the whole idea or anything.  

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • dominomandominoman Posts: 150

    It looks fantastic already - even unfinished!

    I think digging the pond down is a good idea as you can use the spoil to raise the level of the grass.  After that just take your time with a few barrow loads every weekend until it is high enough. 

    I'd use loose hardcore first.  It will be much easier because there is space between the stones meaning you'll need less of it compared to topsoil.  You will be able to get the hardcore free, even delivered, if you look on local freecycle groups.  Builders have to pay to get rid of it so they might even agree to barrow it through if you ask...

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    I don't think the remaining depth is sufficient for hard core as this would make the resulting soil depth too shallow for a good lawn and it would suffer in dry spells and get full of weeds again.  I wouldn't bother lifting the old turf as it will rot down under the new soil.

    Digging out the pond to greater depth (min 60cms of water) will certainly help reduce the amount of soil to be barrowed through - as long as it's not all rubble and sub soil which would need to be barrowed out!

    You can't realistically expect to sow seed or lay turf till later in September anyway so you have time to barrow soil through at your ease - as long as you have a space to store it out front - or you could just ask friends to help out and give them a jolly good BBQ dinner at the end or maybe ask if the Scouts would do it for a contribution to their funds.

    The only other alternative I can see is to leave the lawn at the level it is.  You'll need to apply some good autumn Weed and Feed product and probably aerate it by pricking it with a garden fork inserted to several inches and wiggled back and forth to open it up.  Then you scatter lawn sand and brush it into the holes.  Repeat in spring with the appropriate weed and feed and scarify it too.

     

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353

    image

    Here it is (wet) looking from the patio.

    Although I have considered keeping the lawn at a lower level, the design has always had in the background the idea of being able to entertain an important relative  in a wheelchair, so I'd rather not abandon that aspect. I think I will always regret it if I don't do it properly, so it'll just have to take longer than predicted. 

     

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353

    Having had some time to look at it and walk around it without builders' stuff everywhere, I've decided to stick with my original plan as far as the levels are concerned (sorry Tetley - I agree that your vision sounds very attractive, but I know I would always wish I'd persevered with mine).

    So, here's the plan of action - I'd welcome comments on whether I'm making any stupid mistakes:

    1. Loosen but not remove the very compacted turf, such as it is
    2. Dig what is usable from the pond area and add to lawn area (plus a few other small sections of turf in areas that are going to be flower beds)
    3. Add the small amount of turf I had already removed and stacked from the 'indents' a few months ago
    4. Spread over the topsoil that I have in a pile at the back of the garden (removed for shed base etc - about a tonne I reckon, maybe a little more)
    5. Add the (very poor) turf that is currently under the pile of topsoil (this area is going to have raised veg beds so I don't need the turf there)
    6. Add a bulk bag of sharp sand and a bulk bag of gravel - primarily to save money, but also to improve drainage / relieve compaction
    7. Mix the whole lot up with a hired rotavator and level
    8. See where we've got to and buy topsoil to finish, adding as and when we can (not setting a deadline for this)
    9. Prepare for and lay turf at some point!

    Sound realistic?

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Sounds like a good plan to me and you will end up with an excellent lawn.  Hard work of course but only needs doing once and like everything in gardening, proper preparation is the key to success. image

    If you get on with your neigbours and they have better access to their gardens than you do, perhaps you could persuade them to let you temporarily remove a fence panel and barrow the materials in via their garden?  A bottle of wine or two might help smooth the path! image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353

    Thanks for the vote of confidence! I do get on with my neighbour, but she's put up with a lot of disruption from us in the last year - fences all down (which makes letting her dog out difficult), noise from the building work etc - I don't think I can do it to her again. We *do* have side access, it's just slightly and annoyingly narrower than the width of a normal barrow. It's a matter of getting a narrower barrow and remembering to wear gloves to avoid ripping knuckles on the pebble dash (OUCH!).

     

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    Sounds like a plan but I would just make sure that all the old turf goes in first and upside down.   It should be enough to prick the existing lawn deeply with a big garden fork and then wiggle it back and forth to widen the holes as that will add air and improve drainage.

    Sowing seed is much cheaper than laying turf and will also mean you don't have to barrow yet another load of stuff down the narrow passage.    Best time to sow seed is September or April when temperatures and moisture levels are at their most favourable for germination and growth.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,353

    So it would not be a good idea for the old turf to be chopped up and mixed in with the gravel and sand and existing pile of topsoil? I would estimate that this mixed up, chopped up layer would need a couple of inches of topsoil (at the very least) on top of it, which I wouldn't mix in too much (ie: beyond what raking would do). I thought I would rotavate it all together as so much is compacted and the top layer has some builders sand and cement dust on it too - but perhaps not?

    I'm open to seed or turf, when it comes to it - we'll see. I thought turf could be walked on sooner (I have kids - I can keep them off it for a few weeks I reckon, at a push, but not months).

    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
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