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Old 11-09-2004, 05:21 PM
G. Able
 
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Default levelling the lawn

hi all.

Been meaning to get round to levelling the lawn a bit - don't mind a few
bumps but there's some really glaring unnatural-looking 'features'. The
worst bit that I really want to sort out is a sort of ridge that goes
straight down the garden, about 15 feet long, 3 feet wide and about 8 inches
high along the middle. Like someone put a big pipe in or something (not
that, though, none of the services go in that direction).

Can anyone suggest a not-too-back-breaking way of sorting this out?

cheers,
G.A.


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Old 11-09-2004, 09:12 PM
jane
 
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On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 16:21:25 +0100, "G. Able"
wrote:

~hi all.
~
~Been meaning to get round to levelling the lawn a bit - don't mind a few
~bumps but there's some really glaring unnatural-looking 'features'. The
~worst bit that I really want to sort out is a sort of ridge that goes
~straight down the garden, about 15 feet long, 3 feet wide and about 8 inches
~high along the middle. Like someone put a big pipe in or something (not
~that, though, none of the services go in that direction).
~
~Can anyone suggest a not-too-back-breaking way of sorting this out?

Hmm not back breaking? Hire someone? :-)

The usual method for removing ridges is to peel back the turf and dig
out the spare soil and use it for filling hollows, but this is rather
too large a ridge!
There must be something mechanical you can hire. Perhaps visit your
local tool hire shop and see what they have? Mechanical turf strippers
only take an inch or so of soil off, but if you strip off the turf,
then use the machine repeatedly to strip off the soil too, you could
just shovel it into a wheelbarrow and then move it elsewhere in the
garden, putting the turf back when the soil's at the desired level,
watering it well for a few weeks till it reroots.

Best I can come up with having not done this! I once dug out an entire
small lawn instead and replaced it with turf. Looked great for a year
till the surrounding shade got it - now it's full of seedling
primroses and forget-me-nots!


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!
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Old 13-09-2004, 01:18 PM
Glen Able
 
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"Janet Baraclough.." wrote in message
...

It might just be an old hedge, wall or tree line; can you see signs of
it continuing beyond your garden?


No, it only goes along part of the garden and levels off at the bed in front
of the shed.

I'd very carefully hand-dig an inspection hole to find out what's down
there. Until you know for sure, there's little point speculating about
levelling it. If your garden/house is modern, watch out for buried
colourful plastic tape, which is used as a warning to diggers that
there's something below to be careful of.

Alternatively you could try asking your council/longterm neighbours if
they have records/memories of underground works in your garden.


I spoke to the next door neighbour who said that the garden was dead level
until a few years ago!

I've had a dig down into the ridge and it appears to be just soil, which is
a relief. I've already had to shift a couple of tons of rubble that was
covered with a sprinkling of soil and cunningly disguised as a raised bed,
and removed the concrete foundations of a wall which had just been turfed
over.

I suspect that this ridge and the odd slopes are just the previous guy's
highly original idea of 'landscaping'. Guess I'll have to do some digging,
when I feel energetic enough!

thanks to jane and Janet




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Old 13-09-2004, 01:28 PM
Nick Maclaren
 
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In article ,
"Glen Able" writes:
|
| I spoke to the next door neighbour who said that the garden was dead level
| until a few years ago!
|
| I've had a dig down into the ridge and it appears to be just soil, which is
| a relief. I've already had to shift a couple of tons of rubble that was
| covered with a sprinkling of soil and cunningly disguised as a raised bed,
| and removed the concrete foundations of a wall which had just been turfed
| over.
|
| I suspect that this ridge and the odd slopes are just the previous guy's
| highly original idea of 'landscaping'. Guess I'll have to do some digging,
| when I feel energetic enough!

It might be the path of some deepish concrete leading to an old
cess pit or whatever. If there is at least a foot of soil, then
levelling is unlikely to do much harm.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.
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