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Old 30-03-2004, 04:07 AM
Sue Solomon
 
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Default building raised beds on sloping lawn?

Hi Jim
I 'm putting in a plug for using stacking concrete landscape blocks for your
raised lawn beds. You can get them in small (about 8") size or large (about
12"+), in 2 or 3 different colors (fawn, gray, or "redwood"), they stack up
to 3' tall without problems, you can make circles and swoopy forms... and if
you don't do it right the first time, they're easy to take apart and
restack. I love them. We've put in over 90 linear ft. of 3' concrete block
pavers around my hilltop home, and we made a lovely raised bed for my 30
roses. The neighbors all like it, and several have decided to invest in
them. I got mine from Home Depot - (along with some cheap roses!) Big
"Legacy" blocks are $2.98 apiece here in SOCAL. The only downside; the big
ones weigh 60 lb. apiece, and you need to dig and level a foundation trench
for them and fill it with packed sand. Get some help if you do it.

But the results are very professional looking, and won't rot out in 10 yrs.
:-)

Just my thought!
Sue Solomon



"Snooze" wrote in message
. com...
"JimS." wrote in message
news:SFz_b.377018$I06.4108000@attbi_s01...
Has anyone built raised planters on lawn that is not level? I want to

build
a raised bed on the side of my house, but the ground slopes down along

the
length of the house.

I am pretty sure I want to use some 6x6 pressure treated wood to make

the
beds. But one end needs to be built up to be level with the other end.

Has anyone done this, and got suggestions? I'm thinking this is going

to
involve some digging to partially bury the front timbers?


Pressure treated wood is generally a bad idea, the chemicals they force

into
the wood to prevent rotting are bad for the environment and bad for plants
(especially if you grow veggies near them).

You don't say how steep the grade is, but here are some options.
1: Dig a U shaped trench into the grade, and lay wood beams in.
2: Terrace the wood beams as the grade dictates, so the trenching is
minimal.
3: use landscape blocks to build terraced retaining walls.

Sameer