"Jim K" wrote in message
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On 2 Sep, 20:42, "Spamlet" wrote:
"Jim K" wrote in message

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On 2 Sep, 18:22, "Spamlet" wrote:

If this trough is joined to your house wall - which we can't tell
from the pic - with no waterproof membrane between, then the bushes
may
actually be keeping the damp out of your house.

or more likely the complete opposite

Jim K

No: bushes transpire a huge amount as you will find if you ever try to
dig
up a privet hedge: always bone dry and rock hard beneath. Without the
shrubs, if the trough butts straight to the house wall (which does not
look
to be the case.) there is nothing to use up any rain water and some might
get into the house wall. However, if said trough is anything like one
beside my house, the main reason for it being built will have been to get
rid of loads of old bricks and rubble, and there will only be a thin
layer
of actual soil on top - as I found when I tried to deep dig it to grow
veg!
In that case water just runs straight out the bottom anyway.

S

??so your fantasy damp treatment firm would advocate planting privet
around a house?

intelesting...

Jim K

Well, in most cases, next to the wall is usually much too dry rather than
too wet for bushes - or plants of any kind in fact. I have runner beans
growing up the back wall, and I could leave the hose on them all day without
waterlogging them: but we are on chalk here. Where there has been damp it's
generally from bad guttering and roof tiling than from below. And our
neighbour's drive is about 8' above the side of our house's side passage, so
we do get rather more of 'his' water than we would like - it's probably the
only thing keeping the bushes on that side alive though so I shouldn't
complain :-)

S