What to do with flower bed

danrv

Hi
I have this slightly bodged flower bed in my small garden. 
It has a rich, peat type soil similar to a raised bed and has old plastic sheet underneath. 
Might have been a builder's dumping area.
Just looking to add to it rather than take it all out.
I'm ordering some top soil for the lawn. Just wondering if this would do here.
Any help appreciated.

FreeBear

You really need to shift that soil and remove the plastic sheet. The plastic will stop rain draining away, leading to waterlogged ground. It will prevent plants from sending down long roots, so they will die during the summer unless constantly watered. Finally, the plastic will degrade, and you'll be picking up little bits for many, many years to come.

Fortunately, you don't have to shift all the soil in one go. Just tackle a small area at a time, and work from one end to the other. Once the plastic is out, level it off and add more top soil as needed.

danrv

FreeBear said:

Finally, the plastic will degrade, and you'll be picking up little bits for many, many years to come.

Yes, it's doing that already. Bits everywhere.

Albermarle

I am wondering why the plastic sheet was there in the first place?
Also I am not an expert but I would be a bit concerned about having soil right up against the house outside wall, but probably better someone more expert comments on that.

For the soil itself, I would dig in some compost/manure/ soil improver as deep as possible, before adding some topsoil.

danrv

Albermarle said:

I am wondering why the plastic sheet was there in the first place?
Also I am not an expert but I would be a bit concerned about having soil right up against the house outside wall

Not sure why the sheet is there. It looks to be a sloping or V shaped base.
The soil is just bunged on top. Underneath is 
bad clay heavy soil which has made laying some new lawn hard work.

The pebbledash wall is adjacent en bloc garages and there's a small brick wall and a piece of roofing offcut in between those and the bed.

Eldi_Dos

I agree the first stage should be getting rid of the plastic sheeting.Then dig a pilot hole say 600/700 mm deep and see what type of soil is in there.

It looks to me it would be a good spot for a veg plot or a flower bed with the garage wall acting as a windbreak and a radiator which would help growth.

If you are taken with the thought of having a veg plot it would be better to double dig, let the dug over soil weather for a bit before topping up with topsoil. A drainage spade,£19.98 in Toolstation would be a good tool to get this done.

FreeBear

Eldi_Dos said: It looks to me it would be a good spot for a veg plot or a flower bed with the garage wall acting as a windbreak and a radiator which would help growth.

Or plant a couple of fruit trees and train them as espaliers.

Money_Grabber13579

Albermarle said:

I am wondering why the plastic sheet was there in the first place?
Also I am not an expert but I would be a bit concerned about having soil right up against the house outside wall, but probably better someone more expert comments on that.

For the soil itself, I would dig in some compost/manure/ soil improver as deep as possible, before adding some topsoil.

My thought would be that the plastic sheet was there to stop damp going through to the walls of the house? If the plastic is removed, is there not a risk that having damp soil that high up will cause problems?

danrv

Money_Grabber13579 said:

Albermarle said:

I am wondering why the plastic sheet was there in the first place?
Also I am not an expert but I would be a bit concerned about having soil right up against the house outside wall, but probably better someone more expert comments on that.

For the soil itself, I would dig in some compost/manure/ soil improver as deep as possible, before adding some topsoil.

My thought would be that the plastic sheet was there to stop damp going through to the walls of the house? If the plastic is removed, is there not a risk that having damp soil that high up will cause problems?

The wall is En bloc garages. Not sure if the sheet is anything to do with them.
I'm assuming not so have made a start removing the soil.

FreeBear

That brick wall will stop any soil from breaching the DPC in the garage, and I don't see what purpose the plastic sheet serves. Certainly not decorative - It might have been put in as a weed barrier.

lookbook

Eldi_Dos said:

I agree the first stage should be getting rid of the plastic sheeting.Then dig a pilot hole say 600/700 mm deep and see what type of soil is in there.

It looks to me it would be a good spot for a veg plot or a flower bed with the garage wall acting as a windbreak and a radiator which would help growth.

If you are taken with the thought of having a veg plot it would be better to double dig, let the dug over soil weather for a bit before topping up with topsoil. A drainage spade,£19.98 in Toolstation would be a good tool to get this done.

I second that. A veg plot would be ideal.