Hi All,

I am a novice at gardening - I recently moved into my new house and since most of the front garden was paved over, I have just built some very large planters using decking boards that were left over from a patio decking project. I plan to grow hedging, topiary and other plants in it. I actually need two bits of advice.

1) The deckboards are untreated. What is an easy way to protect the inside of the planter from rot due to the damp soil? Should I line with with plastic liner or is there any way I can "treat" it? As there are 8 planter, each 2.4 meters long, I am look for the easiest solution.

2) As I mentioned, I am planning to grow hedging, topiary and maybe some flowers in the planters. What soil mix do I need? I was planning, 3 parts loam, 1 part compost (with peat) and one part builders sand. I have already ordered the compost as there was a deal in my local DIY shop. Please let me know if this is a suitable mix? How much drainage do I need?

Many thanks for any help.

Regards,
T George