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Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:28 pm
by michaelthegardener
Ive got a customer with a very steep front garden that is basically sub soil nothing much will grow despite my best efforts 
i planted ivy but its just stayed there so to speak and not grown. She said she would like gravel but i think it will make its way down hill over time if you see what i mean sorry the pics bad i only had my phone
i was thinking maybe putting another row of blocks on to the existing "walls" to level it off a bit ? but im not to sure at all if im honest so i thought i best ask for advice and not balls it up !
Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:58 pm
by GB_Groundworks
make raised beds and gavel them in steps and stick a few nice slabs in the middle for pots or dig out tree pits and fill with good soil mix and plant some small trees etc and gravel round them, better than having a sloping gravel scree slope
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:14 pm
by simeonronacrete
How about Ronadeck Tree Pit resin bound aggregate. Mix the two part resin with a drill and paddle, mix that with the supplied aggregate in a forced action mixer and lay it 50mm thick with a trowel onto a50mm bed of loose gravel.
Form open areas within it to plant up...or lay the Ronadeck Tree Pit around shrubs, etc with enough room for them to grow.
See Ronadeck Tree Pit on Ronacrete website
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:57 pm
by michaelthegardener
what would you sujust makeing the beds out of ? 
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:38 pm
by GB_Groundworks
haha do you want me to come do the job for you hahahaha
i'd paint that horrible wall, then make the beds out of block, render it and paint the same, top the walls of with a flag or block edge etc
sort the steps out, maybe keep the treads but relay and do rendered walls as well with the same copping.
same for the front wall, clean off if you can and render or rebuild render paint etc copping.
get google sketchup and within an hour you'll be able to draw it out for the customer and get the job, you can donate to the gaffer for brew cabin services rendered haha.
or use Tony's design service and again help out the brew cabin and the main site.
Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1281044391
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:48 pm
by michaelthegardener
ok sorry i asked an cant spell thanks for the advice though
i cant really see how more beds would be much different to just leveling off the existing ones ......
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:51 pm
by GB_Groundworks
thats what i mean just smarten it up,
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 10:58 pm
by michaelthegardener
the bigest problem is the top part where that white pot is its a large lump of concrete but its not in contact with the floor im unsure what to do there as that top part of wall is part of the next houses shed and they are going to be nocked down one day
Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:11 pm
by mickg
the existing soil beds are not that steep Michael and I would of thought for one minute the gravel is going to migrate towards the pavement
remove all of the ivy and weeds and at least 75mm of the the soil and lay a geotextile membrane to each of the area's and cover it with at least 50mm depth the colour of the gravel or chipping the customer requires
if you try to use less depth than 50mm with the gravel and anyone walks on it the geotextile membrane will start to show
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:38 am
by Dave L
I got hold of some gravity-defying stone once on a steep job, did the job well!
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 4:23 pm
by DNgroundworks
how did you manage before you found the brew cabin michael?
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:21 pm
by michaelthegardener
I stuck just to what i know thought i could get some good advice here and i have but seams i anoy people to so sorry about that
Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 8:40 pm
by lutonlagerlout
hes only joshing you michael dont take offence mate
the fact that you are on here trying to learn is a great start
putting the knowledge into a money making venture is the next step
LLL
Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 12:48 pm
by DNgroundworks
I wansnt trying to offend just asking, i take on jobs that i wouldnt of otherwise before i found this site!
I know a groundwork contractor, hes in a big way, he takes on all sorts of stuff that he doesnt have a clue on eg underpinng buildings with a counter leaverd pile arrangement, he reads up on it, gets advice on and off site, the equipment and cracks on.
Id never do that myself as i dont have the nuts, if it all goes wrong............oh dear.
I find looking around my loacality the people that take the plunge into the unknown outside of their remit do well eg - ££££££, like that mush from america that moves buildings with wheeled dollies, i wouldnt have the nuts to do that!!!
