Landscaping, Patios, Decks, page 3
Any Questions?

You can't get a preservative to soak in properly until the wood has dried out and seasoned. An easier way to use the wood would be to slice it into discs 3 -4 " thick and use as informal stepping stones or similar. Large, flat untextured pieces of wood would also be likely to get very slippery when wet.

Q.  I have recently finished converting a Dutch barn into a house, and all the land needs to be turned from cow sheds, tractor sheds etc into a garden. Firstly I would like to plant a hedge that will attract as much wildlife as possible i.e. birds, insects, mice and anything else that needs to be protected from the elements and fed. Also I would like to plant a lawn, unfortunately the lawn is BIG, is there a grass seed that will grow SLOWLY? And finally, there is a very long and ugly wall that I would like to cover with the most attractive and fragrant climber I can find, I would like ideally to plant a mixture of Ivies again to attract wildlife. Any suggestions and ideas would be gratefully accepted.

A. Hedge - the most wildlife friendly hedge will be a traditional mixed hedge of native species. I suggest you get in touch with a local countryside organization as I'm sure they'll be able to get you in touch with a local supplier and now is a good time to plant.

Lawn - slow growing grass seed? 'fraid not - despite claims of seed coming to market soon, it hasn't happened in the last 20 years and I don't think it's imminent. Some grasses are referred to as "slow-growing" but that's only because they'll grow in shady conditions, it's the shade that slows them down. You'll just need to get a bigger mower so it doesn't take so long to cut.

Climber for a wall, try here It depends on how much sun it gets, my favourite is the Wisteria, though the flowering season is short-lived. Ivy - again, like the hedge, native is best for wildlife. Ornamentals won't be as useful and if they are planted with the native, they'll lose out. If you have an outbuilding for it to climb over, honeysuckles are good and wonderfully fragrant too, they're not good on walls and are better in 3 dimensions, climbing roses are good if you place wires for them securely.

Q.  I am looking at building a retaining wall out of round timber posts laid vertically side by side. They will graduate in a s shaped curve down the garden from ground level to holding back a maximum of 1.5 feet of earth. Because of the curve I can't use beams horizontally between the posts and am therefore having a few problems deciding the best way to lay them as a concrete base will obviously not join all the way round each post.

A.  I don't see what the problem is with concrete? You'll need to get the whole thing prepared to do it in one go, or maybe a few stages. Dig a trench and fill it with concrete and then as you place each post in place, make sure you wiggle it around to settle the concrete around it. They will be surrounded apart from where they touch.

Another way - or maybe in addition to the concrete, as you'll need to keep all those fiddly posts in place while it sets - is to use a builders band screwed to each post using a treated screw. If it's below the soil level, you'll never see it. Lay it out as a strip so the posts help hold each other up. You could use two strips for extra strength.

With 18" of soil, you'll need to put the posts in about 6" minimum, the more the better. Make sure you use pressure treated posts and get a sealant for both ends before you start to position them. The secret here is to prepare everything fully in advance and then put it all together in one go rather than do it as you go along.

Cinder blocks are probably thicker than this and while perfectly acceptable may just raise the entrance a little above what you'd like. Pressure treated wood should be unnecessary as the slabs alone should be enough to make sure the wood of the shed is not in contact with the wet ground.

Q.  What is the best way to lay stepping stones once I have turfed the area running down my garden as I have removed the paving slabs there

A.  Drop (place) the paving stone where you want to put it and use a spade to cut around it. Remove the stone and remove the turf it covered. Dig down 2" + the depth of the stone and level the soil. Lay a 2" layer of builders sand, level as best you can and place the stone on top - it should be flush with the grass and stable. If it's not absolutely stable, then it will bed down after a couple of good soakings of rain.

Q.  Builders have left me with bags and bags of sand. Can I improve the heavy clay of my garden with it?

A.  Yes you can improve the heavy soil, but you need to dig it in well - a lot of effort. Take it a bit at a time and you'll get there. Whenever you're doing any digging anyway, incorporate some sand.