jeff wrote:
mphowells wrote:
mphowells;853645 Wrote:
The idea was to have a bank with a step in it down from the patio.

I intend on building a retaining wall with sleepers whether I go option
1 or 2. If option 1 then the wall will be on the left of the picture, if
option 2 then on the right.
I'm aware it's a fair bit of work but I want a flat garden and I'm just
looking for support that I'm not completely crazy and living in the
clouds. I always see people build their garden up rather than dig it
down, is it just because of the manual work involved - which I actually
quite enjoy on a hot summers day as replacement for training!

after your comments and standing in my back garden I think maybe going
with building the garden up on the left and slightly skimming of the
'hiils' on the right is the way forward. It truely is a huge amount of
work digging down that far to match the left!

Or just terrace it. I find this to be far more visually interesting
and you have many advantages with drainage, keeping your fence line, and
not having to dig so deep. I would think 6 1' steps. You may wish to split this

You may wish to use a width equal to a good working distance. You can
put small walks in at the terrace edges, that will support the terrace
edges and give you a place you can stand in and reach into your garden.

My own garden is terraced with bricks (from a demolished house), we
terraced a friend of mines with cement blocks, (solid surface up). That
solved a problem of how to get rid of the cursed blocks and it looks
fabulous, which is rather unbelievable considering the start point! We
used to call it the "bust ass hill".

Put a few curves/angles in to give a more natural look.

Jeff


That will work with Davids splitting suggestion.

I really like the terraced work I've done or seen. So much that large
flat gardens seem, well, dull. Really dull.

jeff

hopefully I can still get away with one retaining wall on the left and
not too much loss of pivacy!!!6555555