What to do with flower bed

danrv

Have taken out all the peat and two plastic sheets. There was probably two tonne of it in there.
The base is dense clay with a bit of hardcore thrown in and it's about 70cm deep.
I have a tonne of topsoil to go in but maybe could build it up with some more rubble first.

GDB2222

Is it too far fetched to suggest that might have been built as a shallow pond originally? 

danrv

GDB2222 said:

Is it too far fetched to suggest that might have been built as a shallow pond originally? 

Funnily enough, a neighbour said it would make a good pond.

FreeBear

GDB2222 said:

Is it too far fetched to suggest that might have been built as a shallow pond originally? 

Check for any Tesco Bags for Life. If you find one, that might point to it having been a pond in a previous life.

danrv

Hi
I'm gradually filling the bottom of the bed with rubble to build it up, then top soil.
It'll probably be used for herbs and a few plants but was wondering how best to keep weeds at bay.
Maybe a membrane that allows drainage but stops weeds?
Any help appreciated.

Albermarle

danrv said:

Hi
I'm gradually filling the bottom of the bed with rubble to build it up, then top soil.
It'll probably be used for herbs and a few plants but was wondering how best to keep weeds at bay.
Maybe a membrane that allows drainage but stops weeds?
Any help appreciated.

A membrane only stops weeds from growing from under it.
If you have a membrane and then soil on top, then it will not stop weeds growing.
Weeds are a fact of life when gardening. Just pull them up when they appear.

Yorkie1

It doesn't look as though there are significant amounts of perennial weeds in the base of the bed from some months ago. 

If you are intending to have permanent herbs, bear in mind that many are mediterranean in origin. This means that they will generally tolerate cold, but will not cope well with cold + wet. So you don't want to create conditions where the bed fails to drain well in wet winters.

You could always put a top mulch of gravel, slate etc. to help prevent weeds. But as Albermarle says, you will always get weeds rooting downwards (as opposed to growing up). Just keep an eye and pull them out while small.

danrv

Yorkie1 said:

It doesn't look as though there are significant amounts of perennial weeds in the base of the bed from some months ago. 

No. Probably due to the clay heavy soil. From the little top soil I've added though, weeds have started.

twopenny

Well you have got soil with the lawn and weeds so they will grow if left. That has been some time.
If you cut the lawn back an inch or two it would look a lot better and prevent it spreading in.

You have got some Feverfew by the looks of it which flowers for a long time and Erigeinon (sp) which flowers all year so that's a start 
Neither needs any attention and will grow in any soil, any weather.

jennifernil

Are there drainage holes in the small end wall?    It does not look that sturdy to be retaining any great depth of soil, so I would be drilling 3 or 4 holes just above the finished ground level of whatever is beyond the wall, placing maybe a length of perforated 4inch drainage pipe, or some large stones,  behind them, and filling behind and above that with plenty of gravel,  to enable water to drain from the area.   Otherwise it may end up as a pond!