On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 21:32:26 +0100, mikedain
wrote:


I have an empty flower bed that follows the semi circular bay window at
the front of my house. It has been empty since we moved in, and just
has stones and gravel at the bottom (and some weeds!). It is quite
shallow, about 7 inches deep.
I want to put some flowers or small shrubs in it, but I would like
advice for which soil I should buy from b&q, ie topsoil, compost, multi
purpose compost etc etc.

Also I want to line it with plastic so it wont cause any damp issues to
the bay window. Do I line the flower bed with plastic and poke holes in
the bottom for drainage, or do I leave the plastic intact in a "U"
shape?

Thank you


Your biggest work is removing the stones/gravel, unless you're
planning a cactus garden. Slope the bed bottom away from the house,
fill with quality topsoil, set plants, mulch with organic material
(bark chips, compost, leaf mold, etc). Make sure you do not
interfere with the important drainage around the house.