Creating curved footings for path / retaining walls

[Busybloke]

Dear all

I've never laid a brick, but am looking to create a cottage garden with curved retaining walls (possibly in brick or upended railway sleepers) and curvy brick paths. For straight footings I'd dig a trench and line it with planking. What's the easiest / best way to create curved footings?

Any help on doing this on the cheap would be good as I've had to give up the job. Many thanks

 

[chessspy]

Hi, busybloke.
If the paths are going to be raised above any surrounding turf, then you do need edging strips, there are various plastic flexi strips for gardeners in B+Q etc. which can be put in place, supported at the back with sticks and even left in place after. 9remove sticks)
however if the paths are to be level with the turf, or just an inch or two higher, then you don't need any edging, just dig down 6" or so to tay a drylean bed, (sharp sand and cement mixed 6-1) and bed the bricks slabs in on the dry levelish base.
Remember to leave a run off for rain side to side. Consider using a random mixture of reclaimed materials, bricks, slates on edge, the list is endless, and any good gardening book will have examples so you get the idea. The pointing up between the bricks etc is important, don't be tempted to just brush in.
As for the raised beds, for curved brickwork seen you really need a profile to keep the shape right, but it can be done by hand, eye and spirit level. If it starts to look wrong take it down and do it again.
Try laying bricks on a length of 4x2" timber about 900mm long resting on a few course of bricks for practice using a sand lime mix which you can reuse later by adding cement. If you do this on a big 8x4' plywood base there won't even be any mess, and that would be a good area for mixing later.

 

[Busybloke]

Thanks for the detailed response - my problem is how to get the foundation level on a curve. With a straight path, I would use planks either side and be able to scrape across the top of these so the foundation mix was level - without level edges on the curves, I'm not sure....probably missing something here. Any thoughts?

 

[chessspy]

Just use a length of 4x2" timber long (or short) enough to 'go' round the curve, and put the level on top (of the 4x2") to check now and again to see if its level.
If you mix the concrete sloppy it will almost level itself and just require a light 'tamp' with the timber screeder you shouldn't need to resort to tamping and scraping off etc unless you put too much in, and why would you do that?
Does it need to be spot on level anyway, you can get over a bit by bed adjustment. That means making the bed joints on the brick work above wider at one end than the other, you could get 1" out in the bed joint on the concrete strip founds for example.
The paths don't want to be dead level but should folow the fall of the garden or turf etc where practicable or a step every now and again can work if you are sure no one will trip later. (white stone steps against random red brick paths work well in that situation.
Try herring bone path patterns or similar, it means more cutting but looks good.

 

[chessspy]

The same applies to drylean for the path, just give it a scrape with the 4x2
and tamp it firm, and a light sprinkle to bed 'em in and point in as you go with a bucket handle finish, or pointing trowel if you must...

 

[noseall]

use some trench pegs - hammer them into the ground and level them as you go.

then lay the concrete to the pegs.

 

[Busybloke]

Many thanks for the responses - I feel confident enough to move forward on this now. Cheers