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Hello
So I imagine the link won’t work but I’m after some advice about what I could do to fill in the gap between my lawn and block paving. Many moons ago in a sleep deprived fog post mini RRR arrival, I ripped up the gravel garden, built a frame and stuffed a lawn down - I didn’t turf up to the paving as I thought the grass wouldn’t like the concrete slope. I used to have wood chippings filling the gap but they eventually migrated onto the lawn.
So, now do I:
- concrete a slope down but risk it cracking as the wood will move?
- try to raise the whole lawn a good 8” and turf up to the edge?
- some other idea?
No picture, just a black and white no entry sign.
No picture, so no idea of the site, but can quite confidently say that grass will grow on slopes. It will also form a mat and grow across hard surfaces.
Gah. Somehow the image is showing for me.
Does anyone know how to link from google images?!
<img src="<img src="https://i.ibb.co/ygVMBbn/59-D4-AD64-E294-433-A-B43-E-54-F4-F708-B774.jpg" alt="59-D4-AD64-E294-433-A-B43-E-54-F4-F708-B774" border="0" />" alt="Garden" />
Right, I think the link above works
It'll grass, but be a pain to cut with a mower as it will bridge the transition, so your second idea would avoid that, but fair effort as everything is already there.
Alternatively, a shallow raised bed and fill with strawberries, I like plants that are good to eat. Or a mini hedge using something like lavender as cats don't like it and I don't like cat turd in the garden.
Thanks for sorting image Bruneep!
Timber - thanks, interesting idea but I guess the only issue is that that’s the only route to the lawn from the house (ie stepping over the gap) so could make planting anything tricky?
Build a small step midway down the slope in the middle of the 'border.' Few bricks and/or a paving slab or two. Then plant rest of that border with hedging, thus adding a bit of a 'journey' as you walk through the garden.
OR maybe a few lengths of decking wood running the full length as a kind of long step? Then the odd pot on it here and there.
OR maybe lay bricks along the entire length.
OR maybe insert some kind of retaining wall along the join between the concrete and earth then fill that in with rubble,poor soil and plant lavender. Then some kind of step somewhere then a few strips of decking on the earth and the odd light in the decking.
I would probably just turf it and use a strimmer to cut that bit of lawn. Keep it very well watered till established.
I wouldn't turf it, will dry out really quickly in the summer. As others have said, raised bed with herbs in it with a gap in the middle for a step.
Hmmm, some interesting ideas!
I’m not blessed with carpentry skills...
I do have about half a ton of sandstone - wondering if I could create a sort of rockery edge and plant some er rock loving plants?!
You don't need carpentry skills, some deck boards screwed to some uprights, jobs a good un. A good looking rockery actually isn't a bad idea, does need some creative flair to get right though. Would need layering rather than random rocks or the soil will wash down, Gravel mulch would be good on the surface.
Look into Alpines if you're thinking of a rockery.
For a bit of context - the odd shape with stones around it also needs something doing with it - it’s almost always in the shade and now virtually empty after I moved a very unhappy acer...
Stumpyjon - excuse my complete ignorance but what would I attached the uprights to? There’s no space in the concreted gap to stick something in and not sure I’d trust myself to attach anything to the paving? I don’t have a feel for these things! 😃
Ive got a similar gap on my front lawn, grass comes up to the slope although my blocks don't have quite so much drop to the slope.
Whilst i pondered what to do with it, because it looks a bit crap, the grass jut kind of matted over the slope and now it looks fine and i just mow over the edge. Id just take the wood out, soil if required and seed it.
Fill with water. You’ll have a moat and you can pretend you live in a castle
(Nothing sensible to add that hasn’t been said ^ )
I built a raised bed for some veg, the uprights don't go into the ground, they are just in each corner, the whole thing just sits on the ground. Biggest issue you'll have is cutting the end pieces to match the slope. Anyway I've gone off that idea, i think rockery with alpine is definitely the way to go. If you do gravel it you could turn that funny end bit into a Japannese type garden with sculpture and swirl patterns in the gravel. No problem with lack of light, nothing growing.
(It does turn into a moat when it rains heavily!)
So, I could jet wash the sandstone but was wondering whether the rocks would look ok if I dumped them in the gap and stuffed a load of soil / ferns in them.
I don't know much about ferns but suspect they might not like the dry conditions. I'm no expert though. Maybe look for alpine plants with similar folliage to ferns?