HELP!!!!! With new border problem.

Hi All,

I am digging out a new border and have got a couple of foot from the end and have hit a major problem. I have gone down about 9 inches or so and have hit solid concrete. I have dug down another 9 inches or so and have still not found the bottom of it. By the look of it it goes out under the fence one way and then back under the lawn the other way, for god knows how long. I have gone across the top of it as you can see from the pictures and it goes as far as the Lilac, but i dont think it goes any further as I never hit it when I planted the Lilac. I have given it a good few thumps with a sledge but the handle has snapped and it has hardly made a dent.



Do i just cover it over and make the bed a little higher that side to allow water to run back onto the rest of the border? Because for A) I dont know what it is and I remember my old neighbour mentioning that the gardens were dug up at one point for a culvert to be put in. Could this be it? B) Is it worth the agro to get an extra 3 foot of border?

All suggestions greatly appreciated.
Rusty

 

I've just done some further investigation with a pointed bar and a hammer and it goes right across the garden and into next doors and width wise about 25 foot. So I am guessing it must be the culvert.

 

Does it show up on the plans of your house deeds rustyroots? You could also try contacting your local water authority, they may come up with something to prove the point for you.

 

I will have to dig out the deeds and have a look. I spoke to my two neighbours yesterday and we did the pointy bar experiment in ther gardens which came up with the same result. So it must be the culvert, I cannot understand why it is so shallow in the ground though. It does explain why the bottom of the garden has been holding a bit of water during the last few weeks with all the rain.

 

Whats this culvert hiding Rusty ? Is it a drain or a stream its helping to move away from the houses ?

G

 

According to my old neighbour who had lived here for many years there used to be a stream at the end of the gardens and it kept breaking its banks and flooding the gardens. When I first done the garden it was slightly higher at the bottom end and I levelled it. I still can't believe that it was only just over a foot deep when it was put in. I suppose that we were quite lucky not to hit it with the rotavator that we hired, that could have been pretty expensive.

 

Hi Rusty
I also have a Culvert. It's visible in the form of "a feature hump" across the lawn. I've just accepted it's there and worked around it.
Maybe the solution for you is a simple one. You have 9" of soil above it. Just plant either annuals or low rooted perennials over it.
Now you know it's there you will include it in future activity.

 

This is what I will have to do, as I can't move it. Only trouble is I was thinking of turning the area into a bigger veg patch next year. I might get away with raised beds possibly.