Toppers

[Dave_c]

We have a small terraced house garden, had some raised flower beds put in a few years ago and we also have a fair few pots. But still we are running out of space so I had the idea to make my own raised bed. As a retaining wall I'm using some old and very heavy sandstone wall toppers (I think they are called coping stones too)
My problem is how to get them to stay upright, as I said they are very heavy and will roll over easily. I can bury 3 or 4 inches below the ground but I don't think this will be enough to hold them. They are currently standing on soil.
Please see the photos attached
Thank you

 

[Tetters]

Dave, firstly you need to make this little bed as wide as possible. then dig a trench where the edge is going to be. Take away all the rubble from under the stones, they won't help at all. Push the edge of the stones down into the trench you made and lean them inwards, stacking soil and maybe some small rubble in the bottom of the bed for them to rest on. It is of no use trying to make them completely upright, and the bottom of the bed must be the widest part. Back fill with plenty of decent soil, and add some compost or rotted manure. This can all be piled up as high as you can make it as it will settle and probably need topping up in a week or so. Have fun!
Do you know a place called Langold?

 

[Dave_c]

Thank you @Tetters . I was out there hours today trying to figure it out. I do have a huge railway sleeper that I was going seat behind the stones but its one of those really old ones and I figured it would leak chemicals in to the soil. In the base of the bed is concrete and I toyed with taking it up but that would be a big job. It only runs about 3ft length of the 8ft bed so deeper rooting plants can be planted further up the bed.
I'm not familiar with Langold, why do you ask?

 

[Tetters]

I would get a hammer and chisel on that concrete if it was my job. I've had great fun devising walls over the last four decades (yep, I'm ancient) - all sorts, and have usually learnt the hard way
Langold is less than 30 minutes south of Doncaster - just over the border. I was born in Worksop, and we lived in Langold. I remember a lovely lake there, it used to have a swimming pool next to it. My grandad used to work in the awful lead mines somewhere in the region, not sure where.
Edit...I wouldn't bother with that railway sleeper - there would be no space left for plants, and you're right about the contamination!
If the concrete goes right underneath there, consider breaking it anyway. Plants NEED drainage!!

 

[Dave_c]

Being a terraced house the majority of the back garden is concrete and thick concrete at that. As a result my garden lawn is AstroTurf and I already have raised beds on the concrete and they are just fine. Once I tried to lift the concrete, got 6 inches down and still concrete so a hammer and chisel is out of the question. I've heard of Worksop and Doncaster as I used to deliver that way. I'm a southerner, born and raised on the outskirts of Brighton and moved to Barnsley in 2004

 

[Dave_c]

 

[Tetters]

That's looking good, but now you need to top it right up to the top with good soil etc. and a couple of inches higher than that. It will need as much weight behind there as possible. Can you easily find some soil? I bought a dumpy bag full of decent stuff from Travis Perkins once when I was stuck, and it turned out pretty good. I've also got an area of really thick concrete to deal with and filled it with pots and tubs for a while. I couldn't bring myself to put down plastic grass though - that idea makes me shudder. Another idea might be grow bags, but they may not be fat enough to fill the space
PS... Just remembered, many years ago I had a similar problem with concrete. I was building an extension on the house, so I hired a kango hammer - that sorted it out.

 

[Dave_c]

When I filled the other raised beds I put a good few inches of rotted manure in the bottom and filled it up with topsoil. I'll get a half ton of topsoil delivered, any spare will top up my other beds.
I had no other option than putting fake grass down in my garden. The concrete is super thick and have to be careful digging it up with the drains running underneath.
Anyway I'm having thoughts of putting a small wildlife pond in the new raised bed.

 

[Tetters]

Ha ha - that's something else I did. It's well raised to get some depth as there are fish in there, but that brought its own problems, and I had to find a way for creatures to get in and out safely. If you do this, bear it in mind - they'll need some kind of steps to manage. There's nothing nicer than the sound of moving water in the garden. Good place to sit and admire your work !!
Edit - I think I'd put the manure on top.

 

[Dave_c]

Ha ha - that's something else I did. It's well raised to get some depth as there are fish in there, but that brought its own problems, and I had to find a way for creatures to get in and out safely. If you do this, bear it in mind - they'll need some kind of steps to manage. There's nothing nicer than the sound of moving water in the garden. Good place to sit and admire your work !!
Edit - I think I'd put the manure on top.

 

[Dave_c]

More of a wildlife pond rather than a fish pond, somewhere for the birds to Bath and drink.
I have several large aquariums in the house so I have enough fish already

 

[Tetters]

Mmm those fish don't half breed fast! I buy food in bulk for my lot. I think the water would still attract other wildlife too. All the creatures need water.