How to take 6 inches of soil out of the garden?

davenewt

Hi all. Have looked around for ideas on this but come up empty handed so far, so hoping someone here can suggest a solution.

We have a 'garden' (using the term loosely!) alongside our house, it's quite level (we don't need to level it) and we dealt with clearing the majority of the weeds last year (we don't need suggestions for weeding it).

Problem is, the garden has been edged (by previous owners) using breeze blocks, and the level of the soil is the width of a breeze block - 6 inches or so? - above the path. It also looks fugly!

Here's a technical diagram

---

HOUSE

---

|<--- side gate. path (concrete)
================= <--- loose breeze block edging.
|
| <--- old fence
|
| soil/garden, 6 inches above level of path
|
|

---

What we want to do is take the garden back down to the level of the path, which means removing the top 6 inches of the soil. We're then planning to create raised veg patches with pebble pathways around and between them, etc. It'll be lovely

Garden is approx 4m wide x 15m long...

I spent this evening digging out a half-metre-wide section, down to the new level. All sorts of ivy roots etc at one end, it's a mess. Also created a big mound of soil at the other end of the garden.... so I realise now we won't be able to simply relocate all the soil and will need to get most of it taken away.

There is access to the garden via a side gate and an old fence, which is going to be replaced.

So I got to thinking - we could simply take down the old fence, get a digger in and get the soil removed by the digger-load, no?

Trouble is I can't find info on anyone who would do this. Where should I look? Can we get someone with a digger? Am sure it wouldn't take them long - like an afternoon - to do this. It's only dirt at the moment - nothing to keep, just need to get rid of the top 6 inches.

Oh, and the breezeblocks :-)

We're in North Dublin btw.

Thanks for any suggestions!

D.

looksee

If you take 6 inches of soil off the top you will be throwing away the best of your topsoil.

Could you make a gentle slope if it is going to be grassed. I see you are going to put in raised beds, are they going to start beside the concrete path? Its a bit difficult to picture what you are proposing (though the plan was a good help )

It would nearly be easier to lift the path than drop the garden.

magicbastarder

a digger would probably compact the soil you do want to keep, too.
might it be worth creating a raised edge along the path? a kind of a kerb.

paddy147

Create a stepped garden.or a 2 tier garden.

Dig your soil out from one area and palce it in another area to create 2 levels,then add some railway sleepers and this way you dont need a skip to take away soil as you are reusing the soil in ther raised part of the garden.Also fill raised flower beds with some of the soil too.

We did it and it turned out great from what it used to be.

Oh and no diggers needed here,just good old fashioned elbow grease.

Bicky

Hi paddy.
I would really like to see more(after?) pics.
Thanks

paddy147

Bicky wrote: »

Hi paddy.
I would really like to see more(after?) pics.
Thanks

Progress pics,including digging out the garden and stepping up the back half of the garden.Steppping up makes use of the souil you dig out,as you fill in the back half of the garden to make your step up.

It also makes a small garden look more spacious and gives a garden 2 zones.

We used alot of railway sleepers to do this and we used a railway sleeper as our step up aswell.We also back filled the raised sleeper beds with the soil wd dug out and then mixed in bag after bag of manure and compost.

paddy147

The end result after some good old fashioned elbow grease and will power.

paddy147

We also have a new guest/lodger in our back garden.

Bicky

Great stuff paddy. All the work really paid off. Very nice use of a small space.

Barack Obama

paddy147 wrote: »

We also have a new guest/lodger in our back garden.

Fantastic

davenewt

Thanks for the tips/replies all. Ended up getting someone in with a 3-ton excavator which made the job look embarassingly simple. Kept a load of the topsoil as it's good quality, to use in raised beds etc. Should be able to sow a lawn now too....

Paddy - your garden looks great - was thinking of using sleepers for raised beds etc. but the price of them is a little OTT... unless anyone knows of a good, cheap source?! (cheaper than 25 quid per sleeper!) Also out of interest, where did you get the shed? Metal, I presume? Looks very neat

Thanks again.

paddy147

davenewt wrote: »

Thanks for the tips/replies all. Ended up getting someone in with a 3-ton excavator which made the job look embarassingly simple. Kept a load of the topsoil as it's good quality, to use in raised beds etc. Should be able to sow a lawn now too....

Paddy - your garden looks great - was thinking of using sleepers for raised beds etc. but the price of them is a little OTT... unless anyone knows of a good, cheap source?! (cheaper than 25 quid per sleeper!) Also out of interest, where did you get the shed? Metal, I presume? Looks very neat

Thanks again.

Shed is 8 x 6 feet heavy duty plastic shed with all plastic fittings that you can put together very fast,and if you ever want to move the shed or are moving the house,the shed can be taken apart just as quick and move with you.It also has window and 2 double doors on the front of it that open right out to make the most of the shed width.

We got it for 400 euro in a well know UK based DIY store out in Airside Swords.

Took me and the missus around an hour to put it all together (stopped to drink several mugs of tea and enjoy the sunshine and garden) and you get quick fitting shelves that you can arrange in any way you like inside the shed.

And after the horrible winter we have just had with all the rain and snow,it never even let 1 drop of water in.Not too bad me thinks.

paddy147

Found a pic of the shed.For 400 euro its not too bad at all,and you can take it with you.

We also sunk the last 3 railway sleepers we had left,into the ground flush with the old concrete path up near the house,just to break up things a bit and make a nice feature to look at as you walk out into the garden,its also a nice contrast to go from the concrete to the gravel,and anyone who sees it comments on the railway sleepers sunk into the ground as a nice feature.

We put down 1.5 tons of shale/hardcore,then used a whacker plate to compact it down,we then put down a double sheet of weed fabric all over the garden and then we wheel barrowed in and raked in 2 tons of pea gravel to finish it off.No more horrible weeds to look at (thank god).

We ut in a double sheet of weed fabric in the raised sleeper beds and then we put in a 2 inch layer of chip bark.Chip bark holds in moisture and rain very well so plants wont dye out in the summer or on a sunny/dry day.

oflynno

just an idea

hire out a turflifter from your hire shop,it will cut the grass out in a sod that you can roll up and put to one side

use it as deep as it will go

remove the top layer

invite the relations and friends around for a digging party,a few slabs of beer and a botlle of wine or two

dig out the remaining area down to the level you need minus the tickness of the removed turf rolls

you can replace the rolled turf grass side up if you want grass or grass side down if you are going to grow veggies or flowers-you will be keeping all the nutirents in the soil and it will be like ploughing the ground-you also bury all the weeds and rubishy grass


this will only work if the are is very grassy

bootser

paddy147 wrote: »

Shed is 8 x 6 feet heavy duty plastic shed with all plastic fittings that you can put together very fast,and if you ever want to move the shed or are moving the house,the shed can be taken apart just as quick and move with you.It also has window and 2 double doors on the front of it that open right out to make the most of the shed width.

We got it for 400 euro in a well know UK based DIY store out in Airside Swords.

Took me and the missus around an hour to put it all together (stopped to drink several mugs of tea and enjoy the sunshine and garden) and you get quick fitting shelves that you can arrange in any way you like inside the shed.

And after the horrible winter we have just had with all the rain and snow,it never even let 1 drop of water in.Not too bad me thinks.

Hi Paddy
wondering if you could let me know how your plastic shed is holding up so far!!
and which "retailer" you bought it from?
I'm thinking of getting one myself but so far finding the prices around the €700+ mark!

Thanks

paddy147

bootser wrote: »

Hi Paddy
wondering if you could let me know how your plastic shed is holding up so far!!
and which "retailer" you bought it from?
I'm thinking of getting one myself but so far finding the prices around the €700+ mark!

Thanks

Its perfect and it was bought from BnQ.The large cardboard box that it was in was rain sodden and transport damaged too,so I goot a good few quid knocked off the price,as I made a big point of this and haggled with the manager over this issue.:D