Raised flower / planting beds ideas for supports please

[MasterAbacus]

Hi all,

Im wanting to create some raised flower / plant / shrub beds around my garden... not too high, about 6 inches or so...

I was thinking of using part burried old Railway sleepers for the job, but not sure... then i thaught about using this halfd timber roll stuff, but not sure that will hold the wieght of back fill.

AnyOne any other ideas, or pointers for this? Id like to try get it done before the winter so we can plant some bushes / shrubs.

Thanks

MA

 

[breezer]

you cant use genuine railway sleepers, full of creosote kills plants and is sticky.

Log roll does work providing its in deep enough, so as you want 6 inch tall beds get 12 inch log roll

dont get the fake log roll with a longer log at each end its ok, but not for what you want

 

[Thermo]

you can use the railway sleepers in that situation but as breezer says they are bloody horrible. we dont use them full stop. you would be better off using new treated softwood sleepers or mini sleepers in that situation. log roll is very weak and will rot very very quickly.

 

[MasterAbacus]

So 12" log roll with 6" in the ground... Sound about right? Does this stuff just hammer in, or am I best off digging it and sitting it in concrete?

Ive also been considering building a small Stone wall, but never laid a brick in my life.... knocked plenty down tho....

 

[noseall]

log roll is very weak and will rot very very quickly.

erm.. hello... the big T has spoken.

 

[Thermo]

ah someone is out there listening to me! We rip out crappy log roll all the time that people have put in a few years before. waste of money.

 

[holmslaw]

Not a good idea to create isolated raised beds for as they will dry out very quickly.

 

[Thermo]

depends on the size and depth of them. also depends if decent compost and a mulch is used.

 

[MasterAbacus]

Thermo, What do you rec we do then, The raised bed is only going to be about a meter wide, about 20 meters long, and back filled against some concrete fencing boards.... But like i say, it will be at max 6" raised...

What ever method I go for is to be used at the front, hence our first thaughts for sleepers as they are about 2.5m long, so would only take 10 or so of them....

Look forward to more advice on this one. cheers boys and girls

 

[breezer]

nothing wrong with log roll.

i dont mean the cheap half log stuff either , it has to be whole mini logs

 

[MasterAbacus]

Any ideas where i could order some whole logroll from online?

Ive found a supplier who is offering what looks like half log (You say avoid it), but it comes with a ten year guarantee against rot apparently....

I asume if i go down this route, as long as i have half burried and half above ground backed with soil i shouldnt have many problems?

Again should I concrete it in? or just place it in and back fill?

 

[W_Axl_Rose]

Any ideas where i could order some whole logroll from online?

Ive found a supplier who is offering what looks like half log (You say avoid it), but it comes with a ten year guarantee against rot apparently....

I asume if i go down this route, as long as i have half burried and half above ground backed with soil i shouldnt have many problems?

Again should I concrete it in? or just place it in and back fill?

the last load of log roll we pulled out still had the label on the back advising the 15 year gtee... the label outlasted the log roll itself. house was built 4 years ago so it's lasted less than that in very well drained soil.

it really is horrible stuff mate. if you do use it just smack it in with a hammer so it's easy to pull out when it needs replacing (preferred method of most people anyway although i've seen some cemented in, overkill really) new sleepers would be perfect, would look great, last very well and can be picked up for a great price if you shop around

 

[Diyisfun]

My mum used to get log roll for Christmas. Had a robin on it

 

[Thermo]

Any ideas where i could order some whole logroll from online?

Ive found a supplier who is offering what looks like half log (You say avoid it), but it comes with a ten year guarantee against rot apparently....

I asume if i go down this route, as long as i have half burried and half above ground backed with soil i shouldnt have many problems?

Again should I concrete it in? or just place it in and back fill?

christ your easily swayed. believe me and axl. WE rip this stuff out on a daily basis. It is pants and rots extremly fast. It never looks neat and never holds back the soil properly.

how about something like this

it is 100 x 125 treated softwood. comes in 3m lengths and is about £10 a length from a fencing supplier. Will last a damn site longer than log roll and looks a lot better. Its held in place by 38 x 38 x 600 pegs driven in the ground behind it and then screwed to the pegs.

or this dog tooth brickwork edging

youll waste money and effort with log roll

 

[handy_annie]

MA - trust what Thermo says.
Ive tried the logroll approach previously - and I suffered for my sins a)it doesnt bear weight behind it (and soil MOVES I can tell you!) b) it always looks untidy c) it doesnt last.
Im now on the new sleeper approach which looks good and didnt cost the earth. Ive mulched the beds well and so far havent had any problems with excessive drying out. But do as you will....
Annie