Curved raised bed with white render

Hi all,

I'm looking at ideas for a small raised bed towards the back of my garden. I'm not sure what to put in it yet. It doesn't get much sun (if any) but hopefully I'll find something suitable later.

Anyway, I'd like it to follow the curve of my oval lawn before sweeping back towards the fence. The exact shape is not important but it'll include tight curves and a straight back wall against the fence.

In an ideal world I would like it to have white render finish. This article gives a fair indication of what I'd like except the shape is different, incorporating a tighter curve and by bed would be half the size.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/projects/raised-bed/


I think the concrete block may not allow me to form a tight enough curve. The only thing I can think of is to build the shape with small, curved retaining wall blocks and the use the render mix from the above link to cover it all.

Blocks would be something like these
http://tahtimbo.googlepages.com/after-5.jpg

I've never rendered a wall (or anything) though. Is it difficult to get right and will I be able to cover the stones in the image (perhaps smaller versions of them) into a smooth finish as in the link above?

Or does anyone have a better idea?

Many thanks

 

Just to throw in an idea that might be ridiculous (I know nothing about building).

What about making the shape using hardboard held in place with a few well placed stakes. You could make two skins like this, about 4 inches apart. Then just fill the whole lot with concrete and wait for it to set, then just remove the boards, and you'd end up with a smooth concrete wall in exactly the shape you want it. Then just paint it white with outdoor masonry paint.

Like I said, I don't know if that would work, so don't take it as advice, just an idea from someone who knows nothing about building.

 

Like that idea Dave, but i'd use a 6mm ply board instead of hardboard Less likely to sag with the weight of the concrete.

Just build it up a foot at a time & put rebar in to tie it all together.

 

I personally think the method clueless suggested, with the added advice from ziggy and JWK would produce an equally good looking finish without the difficulty of rendering, and well worth the extra time taken.

That is based on my lack of wall building/rendering skills. You may of course be more competent at brick laying than myself.

I (and im sure everyone else here) would love to see photos of the finished raised bed. Hope it works out a treat

 

This looks very simple on the gardeners world site, but to do a good clean looking job thats likely to weather well and last a few years is not as simple as it might appear

I tend to go along with the brick idea, if you need tight curves, maybe using engineering bricks, on a good 4ins thick concrete base rather than just the type 1 compacted base that appears to be suggested.

I agree rendering is not easy, but I think you would struggle to stop even 6mm ply deforming under the weight of wet concrete, the concave side would probably be OK but the convex side tends to flop and you end up with so many supports it gets out of shape with the other side.

Cant understand why the whole bed, (base), is covered in hardcore?

I agree the render will suffer badly in frosty weather, just trying to think of an additive to put with the render when mixing to make it waterproof.
I think a couple of coats of a bitumen based paint on the inside of the wall might be a good idea.