jones wrote:
My garden beds are ground level, and because of age and a bad back, I
would like to build/make higher ones.

It has been suggested to me to make the back wall of the beds out
from the fences in case in the future, the palings needs to come out,
then it will make life easier to work on the fencing.

I intend to make the walls of these beds out of bricks. How far away
from the fences would you suggest to come out.

Thanks for your help
Katherine

If you don't leave access on the fence side the maximum width you can
comfortably lean over from the front is about 600mm so this is the width of
the bed. If you allow access behind the bed you can make them 1200mm wide
which will give you much more area for little more building material. If you
make the back wall close to the fence your bricklayer and future fencers
will be unhappy. Also, assuming you follow normal practice and run the beds
north-south, building close to a paling fence will tend to shade that side.
I suggest coming out from the fence about 900mm so you can get a wheelbarrow
down there.

Consider also making the top of the wall wide enough to sit on, perhaps by
capping it with a wooden seat rather than brickwork.

David