Covering a retaining wall.
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okbillieanne Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject: Covering a retaining wall. |
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Hi,
I am wondering if anyone could help with suggestions in relation to covering a concrete retaining wall approximately 8 feet high.
I am in the process of building it at present. Unfortunately I will be looking at it though my kitchen window.
There will be concrete at the base of the wall and the house will be approx 4 meters from the wall. The land at the top of the wall has been described as Grey till.
I hope someone can advice me on this matter.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Billie Anne |
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2283 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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Can you post a pic of the area?
Is the soil at the back of the retaining wall up to the full height of the wall?
Is the land on the other side of the wall your's?
In what direction does the wall face? Does it get sun at any time of the day?
Questions, questions, questions.
If you've concrete at the base of your wall, you've three remedies; 1; creeper type things growing down from the top of the wall. 2; Pots at the bottom of the wall. 3; Circular holes cut into the concrete at the base of the wall. (NB, I've just done the last one.) _________________ .
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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okbillieanne Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
The wall is not built yet so there is no point in putting up pictures.
The Soil is right up to the top of the wall and goes an about 6 meters back. I have at present getting to tiers put into the embankment in the hope to be able to plan an orchard on the top level and some shrubs or plants on the second level.
The wall is facing south but my house will be built in front of it (about 4 meter from the house), so not sure how much sun it will actually get.
I hope to start planting soon, so that by the time I move into the house next year, things might have started to grow.
Now I am intrigued by your third option. I don't really understand what you mean. If you have any pictures I would appreciate having a look at them.
Feel free to keep asking questions as the more I discuss it I hope to come up with a plan of action. I truly do not want to be looking at a big concrete wall at the back of my new home.
Thanks again for your advice
Billie Anne
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2283 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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okbillieanne wrote: | Now I am intrigued by your third option. I don't really understand what you mean. If you have any pictures I would appreciate having a look at them.
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If you haven't put concrete down at the base of the wall yet, then what you can do is to cut small sections of six inch wavin pipe.
Place them at the base of the wall so that they can be filled with earth and then climbers, e.g. ivy can be planted in them so that they can grow up the wall.
If you are planting ivy, remember that it grows up in a V shape, so that you'll want a fair few wavin placements in order to completely camouflage your wall.
If you smear vaseline on the outside of the wavin, it can then be drawn up from the concrete after it has set. _________________ .
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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okbillieanne Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 4
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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Sorry I described it wrong, there is going to be tarmac at the bottom of the wall.
I would prefer something that flowering all year round would be nice. I suppose it would also be wise to avoid anything that could weaken the wall.
I know, it's a tall order!
How did yours work out? |
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2283 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 7:33 am Post subject: |
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okbillieanne wrote: | Sorry I described it wrong, there is going to be tarmac at the bottom of the wall.
I would prefer something that flowering all year round would be nice. I suppose it would also be wise to avoid anything that could weaken the wall.
I know, it's a tall order!
How did yours work out? |
Tarmac or concrete, you can put the wavin in both. You can get 10" pipe if you like and you can plant anything in the holes.
You can make square holes out of wood instead and these can be much bigger.
I'll post up some pics of mine later. I have one inset, about 9 feet long and 10" wide, in tarmac.
My concrete had been down 30 years so I just got a local guy, who cuts holes in the road for the council, to cut six inch holes in it. He had a diamong circular cutting piece. He did all the holes (lots of them) in 10 minutes. Cost? 100 euros. Would have taken me weeks to do it and I wouldn't have made as neat a job.
Plants? The choice is yours. You can always put trellis on the wall and train non-gripping plants up it. I don't think (I could be wrong! ) that there is anything that flowers all year round. If you find something, let me know. _________________ .
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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okbillieanne Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Posts: 4
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:56 am Post subject: |
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I look forward to seeing your pictures. It sounds like it will be lovely.
Thank again for your advice.
Billie Anne |
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kindredspirit Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood

Joined: 10 Nov 2008 Posts: 2283 Location: Mid-west.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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Four pics taken today.
The first is of an area that was made in the centre of the concrete (before we tarmaced it over last week) for a bamboo screen. We cut two 10" holes at either end first, then joined them up with a concrete cutting saw. You can see the effect of the frosts on our bamboo.
The second and third are of 6" holes with wavin pipe inserted for the ivies. I'll pull the wavin pipe out in about a month's time after the tarmac has really hardened.
The last pic is of a border alongside the stone wall for yellow_stemmed bamboo. The wall is 1½ metres high and we'll pull off the lower leaves from the bamboo, when it has grown, in order to see the wall.
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A little garden in Co. Limerick. Some non-gardening photographs. |
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