GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

Alan Holmes · 03-02-2007, 08:57 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 31/1/07 23:38, in article ,
"Pam Moore" wrote:

On 30 Jan 2007 12:19:28 -0800, "80/20"
wrote:

I am thinking of digging it up and covering the area will gravel,
after putting down a mulch sheet.

I also would like to put triangular raised beds on the 4 corners to
grow veg in.

I always wonder, when you see pictures of raised beds, edged with
boards, with nice cleangravel paths between, how you manage to dig and
plant without getting soil on the gravel. You can sweep a paved path,
you can't sweep gravel.
Practical or not?
Just a thought!

Hosepipe wash down?
Whenever I read about raised beds, I envisage trying to get those going
for
myself - it's never going to happen but the concept intrigues me. I'm
5'10"
and have quite a lot of back and neck trouble. By no stretch of the
imagination am I disabled or whatever but I certainly can't dig, a visit
to
the supermarket leaves me with backache and the sort of stoop you have to
do
to empty a dishwasher is just the angle that gets me into trouble. So, if
I
wanted to have raised beds that truly saved me back ache I'd have to have
raised beds that came to something around chest height which, for me would
be around 4'or so. Does anyone actually do that? I'm genuinely
interested
to hear about this from those with experience.

So, apart from the height, we appear to have quite a bit in common, I have
all the same problems and I am not looking forward to digging at all this
year, but someone posted about hiring a cultivator, and I might have a try
at that.

I was thinking of putting a notice in the local newsagents window asking for
some energetic young 'person' to come and dig it for me!

I have seen beds at about 3 feet high for people in wheelchairs.

Alan