A sea of concrete .........

Foxylock · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 2:04 pm Post subject: A sea of concrete .........

The plan was to dig the trench to a depth of 18 to 20 inches fill with a mix of good organic matter and quality topsoil and plant the hedge on that. I sunk the spade in the ground and to my dismay I found about two inches of topsoil and a pit of builders rubble then I struck concrete at least eight inches thick and spreading under the lawn like a small sea exactly where the hedge must go !! I said sweet prayers for the builder Mad

I now think the only option is to make a bank of earth and plant the hedge on top of that , moving the position of the hedge is impossible and breaking the concrete is out of the question. Has anyone got any other ideas or maybe come across this problem before, I would love to hear any solution as this job is for my sister and she aint a happy camper at the moment Laughing

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 5:04 pm Post subject:

I'd go with the bank.

In general, hedges love banks.

You could even get creative with the bank! Razz

Foxylock · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:50 am Post subject:

Thanks Kindred, What height would you reckon to be acceptable , I don't want it looking like a flood defence but on the other hand if it's too skiimpy it probably won't work Confused

walltoall · Last edited by walltoall on Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:38 am; edited 3 times in total

Go for the highest you can get out of the soil and rubble available. Scrape it back from the concrete cause if that slab is nice and flat you could get yourself a very cheap path or work area. Ok! There's a bit of hard labour coming up but it'll be worthwhile. Always work WITH what you you got (in a garden and in life) and never agin it. I'm attaching a bit of that philosophy from my own Essex garden which is pure London Clay, worse than any concrete. If you do find a real concrete base under your garden and it is nicely surfaced you have a great asset to work with. My attachment shows how to go about making raised beds cheap and easy. That bed was originally made from three years of home-made compost and no mortar was used. (My brickie is going to charge me about 250 smakers to make the bed permanent bed on that site in January

When you plant hedging on a bank, its good to plan a hedge which you can hold at a lower height than if it were on the flat. Factor in the height of the bank. If the bank faces South you can plant it up with all sorts of rockery stuff. (Presuming that the dig will include rubble?)

KindredSpirit's advice is brilliant and concise. Go with it

kindredspirit · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 10:06 am Post subject:

Two feet high , I guess.

Foxylock · Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 11:31 am Post subject:

Thanks guys, looks like I'll be havin the craic tomorrow Razz

dinahdabble · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:01 am Post subject:

Just a small thing - what do you suspect was the purpose of the concreat in the first place? If it was covered in rubble, could it be some sort of devise for drainage (slopeing away from the house perhaps) or part of the damp course? It shouldn't scunner your plans at all, but if it has a high voltage cable, gas or sewer pipe inside, it might be worth knowing about before you start any extensive digging. Do you have a copy of the plans of the house? Good luck with it anyway.

walltoall · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:56 am Post subject: Underground pipes and cables

NICE ONE Dinahbabble. That possibility hadn't occurred to me atall atall. If it does happen to be a roundy pipe or similar, plant crocuses daffs etc bulbs along the line of it and they will remind you of it's presence and run for years.

Foxylock · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:19 pm Post subject:

As luck would have it I met with the site foreman today and it transpires that the area that is now a lawn was somewhat of a dumping ground for unwanted rubble. The concrete was thrown in behind the kerb as it was left over from the footpaths, it really has to be seen to be believed, must be four cubic metres there. Anyway I got the first load of topsoil in today and it did half the bank so hopefully get the rest done tomorrow and plant it out at the week end. The lawn that was planted in september is really suffering so must investigate that I reckon there's just the bare scraping of topsoil over rubble. Bless that builder. Laughing

walltoall · Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject: concrete and dust

Good on ya Foxylock,

When the goin' gets tough the tough gets goin'

I'm waiting to see how you turn that concrete lump into an advantage. Water feature? Rockery? Barbecue area? Anyway Good luck with the bank and the hedge. It'll be only mighty. BTW, I heard somewhere that vinegar will rot concrete. Not so sure how much you'd need for 4cu m
walltoall Twisted Evil