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We've got a garden where we've had no choice but to have a raised border around the lawn. It's about 8" or so, and we used those rolls of split logs to make the edges. However they've rotten away since it's a bit damp back there. The edges need to go along the flat and down a steep slope.
So we're trying to think of a way to replace them at absolutely minimum cost. The best idea I can think of currently is decking joists pegged into the ground with damp proofing on the back and bottom side, and they could be mitred to cope with the change of angle.
Any better ideas?
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/11569254@N06/8626792617/ ]P4072404[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/11569254@N06/ ]molgrips[/url], on Flickr
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/11569254@N06/8626793005/ ]P4072405[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/11569254@N06/ ]molgrips[/url], on Flickr
Have similar terrain and conditions cut up 6" dia fence posts cut to length backs painted with bitumen paint and some geo textile then bedded in concrete
Also used railway sleepers to fix them together used 10mm rebar
You could try making some gabions or mix and match...
That sounds like hard bloody work and not cheap. It seems to be what the builders did in the second tier you can see. Bitumen paint not a bad idea tho.
*goes to google gabion*
Sleepers
dp
Telegraph poles in place of sleepers?
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Oops forgot to suggest marshalls pitched walling.... V easy to lay no mortar interlocking system v quick travois Perkins sell it
Sleepers.. they used to be the cheap option, now everyone wants them and they cost a bomb.
Might be interested in old telegraph poles though - are they available or do I have to take my chainsaw out in the dead of night?
Problem with anything brick style is that it'll look crap on the slope unless we make the lines horizontal, which would involve loads of cutting and messing about.
its hard to get hold of old telegraph poles now as the engineers are required to take them away (creosote content) for dealing with.
Ive paid as little as £16 for a full sized oak sleeper, £12 for treated softwood.
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Don't use scaffolding planks, mine only lasted four years 😉
Mine are now bricked, expensive and takes some time to put down, but looks the nuts and you get to play with muck.
Reclaimed bricks would also look great in that garden too IMHO
Edit - looking at your pics again, the bricks might cost you a small fortune
Bricks wont look crap if you lay your foundations correctly.
Shuttering is your friend to get the angle correct on the founds to make the bricks sit right.
Lots of 'big' ideas above but as I understand it you're only looking to replace the small 200mm or so lawn edging? Doesn't follow straight lines by the looks of it. Unless you go down the brick edging route it'll be hard to beat the log-roll route for what you're doing and accept that even with pressure treated timber you'll be lucky to get 10 years out of them. It'll match the heavier duty stuff behind it too.
If you do use straight timbers, make sure you use a good end-cut treatment on all cut edges.
Personally I don't think a waterproof membrane will help much; better for the wood to breathe than sweat and the sun probably does the most damage anyway.
Mine is edged with big old rockery type stones, just one layer around the edge. They don't disintegrate under the strimmer either.
Stick an ad on your local yahoo Freecycle group for some slabs.
Bury them vertically to the correct height.
Put some new "half-log rolls" back in front of them for effect if it's important.