What to plant on clay soil....HELP!

Hi Keith,

Sorry just read the thread, but I would have said the same as Kristen anyway-and probably not as well as he.

 

" probably not as well as he"

Get away with you !!

 

Kristen, t'was the "rampant" comment on another thread, that turned my head.

 

Hi,

Told you I'd be back

Here's a picture of the plot where I intend to place the raised bed.



It's a strip of land down the side of my bungalow. The hedge is on the northern border. As you can see it's a sheltered spot that does get sunshine. I was thinking of erecting a fence like this,



But with a double height concrete gravel board, putting the fence running way from the young tree to the left in the first picture. Then place a raised bed using untreated oak sleepers, coming out about 1 metre (3') and extending for 10/12 metres (32') along the new fence, sort of where those planks are laying on my lawn. Then filling the gap between the sleepers and the decking with gravel over a membrane.

I'd appreciate any thoughts.

Cheers,

Keith.

 

Hi Keith,

It sounds a good idea to me-a lot of soil needed but certainly good for plants.

 

Nice idea. 3' wide will be hard to reach across from one side only - but I don't think that will matter.

Does it collect a lot of water? if so you might want to put a trench of gavel, to act as a bit of a drain, rather than just membrane plus gravel-for-show-only.

 

Hmmm, food for thought there Kristen. Maybe I'll centre the raised bed between the hedge and the decking with a gravel path each side, it'll just mean a few extra sleepers but access would be easier. That way I'd not need a new fence/gravel boards.
I don't think mudiness under the gravel paths will be an issue, it's surprisingly un soggy down that stip of the garden, but if it did become a problem it should be easy to sort out later. Unless you foresee any problems? Don't forget, I'm completely new to this.

Claire, you're not wrong about the soil needed! I thought I'd take off the top layer of grasss and discard, then dig over before filling the raised beds to about half way up. I figured that adding compost each year would gradually raise the height. I forgot to mention that I intend to form the beds out of 2 layers of sleeper. I know it sounds like a lot of work just to grow some herbs but maybe I'll branch out later into some veg. Excuse the pun.

Cheers,

Keith.

 

You can turn over the turves you dig and out them at the bottom of the bed, waste not want not-and by the time any roots reach it it will be 100% loam.

 

"Unless you foresee any problems?"

If it doesn't puddle at present I reckon you are fine.

 

Thanks Guys,

I'll post pictures once I start.

Cheers,

Keith.