On 24/03/2011 13:36, Donwill wrote:
On 24/03/2011 10:32, Richard wrote:
I'm going to put up a 1.2m high by 7.5m long wall at the back of the
garden. I'm going to use regular-sized house brick for the face of the
wall. I've not chose the brick style yet.

I was thinking about putting brick lights in every so often.

Anyone any creative ideas so I don't end up with a boring wall? Thanks.
What thickness is the wall? Are you including piers at regular intervals
(slenderness ratio ?)
If your wall is thick enough you could have arched niches? perhaps with
a soldier course at the base?
Just a few obs.
Don

It's a retaining wall and I will get my builder brother-in-law to build
it. It will be two walls actually, a back wall and a front facing wall.
I can fill in the gap or not I suppose.

When I give it some consideration, I now see that I should use the wall
as a prop for plants. I was'nt thinking that at first. I'll make a
straight wall, I think that's probably best, but figure out how this
wall can be decorated by plants. I could also have plants on the top of
the wall, but perhaps this can be done with plant boxes.

I think the general idea is to put up some kind of fencing or netting on
the wall.

QUESTION: What is available these days at allows a wall to be
"decorated" by plant-life?

The top soil at my place is only about 5 inch deep before it turns to
sandy stony soil. What I need to do is ensure that I've got a good soil
situation near the wall. Away from the wall, I will lay turf and lay a
lawn. I don't expect the soil under turf needs to be that deep.

QUESTION: If I lay turf down, how shallow can the good top soil be below it?

QUESTION: I'm not sure how deep I should make the good soil adjacent to
the wall, nor how far from the wall that depth should extend.

How much good soil I have for the border of the lawn will depend on how
shallow I could make the good soil below the lawn.

I need to figure out my what plants to use. In winter, the wall gets no
direct sunlight, because my house blocks the light. It's sometime in
March when direct sunlight begins to hit the wall area.