Supporting edges between paving & flower beds

[kotinka]

We are paving our front garden at the moment. We're including some flower beds which will be dug down to about a foot & filled in with topsoil & compost. At the moment, we've left the flower beds level with where the sub-base, bedding & paving will go & plan to dig out after the flagging is completed (random indian stone & setts for edging).

Will it be necessary to use something like bits of wood to prop up the sides of the flower beds once we dig them out or can I just dig them out at an angle? I'd hate the edging to start collapsing.

Thanks all!

[Tony McC]

If the sett edging is laid on and huanched with concrete (50mm would be adequate for a patio area, but if you plan to use it for vehicles, you'll need 100mm) it should be perfectly capable of remaining intact while you dig out and improve the flower beds.

[kotinka]

Hi Tony, the paving is for light foot traffic only. I've checked your site to find out how to do "haunching" & it seemed to me that the edging I need between the patio & flower beds is a bit like a mowing strip, but I'm a total beginner & am probably wrong! Would it be possible to treat the sett edging as a mowing strip? Or do I need haunching because it's on a patio, not a lawn?

Thanks.

[Tony McC]

The sett edging will look much better if laid on concrete, but as this is just a path, the haunching need only come up the rear of the setts by 25mm or, just enough to prevent the setts being knocked out of place.