Help needed for a newbie.

daveluzbo

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Hello guys I'm wanting to make better use of my back garden.

On the back left I want to install a concrete slab for a 12x10 shed and have the oil tank inside of it.

On the right hand side I want to build raised garden beds running the full length up towards my patio doors. Would it be wise to have the beds up against the fence, or should I allow a gap big enough gap to squeeze in if need be. The fence is in good enough condition.

I'm also considering another garden bed middle, left of the picture and also extend the patio with either a concrete slab or pavers.

Would a concrete slab with the stencil of pavers be a better idea than using pavers? Which is cheaper to get done?

With digging up the garden for the patio and shed slab, could I use that soil for the raised garden beds? I'm wanting high garden beds, so I'm considering to make them out of sheets of tin. In the summer I used moss and weed killer on the lawn, so I'm a little worried if the soil would be ok after using such chemicals.

Any ideas or advice is welcome. Thanks

looksee

Why do you want to put the oil tank inside the shed? Why not put it in front of the tank and disguise it. Have you taken into consideration an oil hose being dragged through the shed to fill the tank?

Provided the soil of the raised beds is not against the fence it doesn't really matter which way you go with them.

Whether the slab would be better than pavers depends on how accessible the back is for concrete to be poured, though of course it can be barrowed in if you have a side access to the house. Its a personal choice whether you use a slab or pavers, I would prefer the latter but its a personal choice.

Yes you could use the soil removed from the garden to put in the raised beds, in fact its the best idea. It may need a few bags of compost to improve it but the chemicals won't be an issue. You would turn the initial turfs into the bottom of the beds. If they are very tall you probably will not have enough soil to fill them all.

Sheets of tin (presumably corrugated sheets) would need a good bit of structural support, there is quite a lot of pressure on the walls of a raised bed.

rje66

Did this good few year's ago, similar size to yours. Just to give you ideas what possible .

daveluzbo

Thanks for ur reply and taking the time to comment. Much appreciated. Its common where I am, having ones try and steal ur oil. So that's the main reason. Haha.

daveluzbo

Great job. Well done. Thanks for the reply.

Deub

What is the orientation of your garden?

If the right hand side is north, having garden beds may not the best idea. You would have limited plants that would strive.

daveluzbo

Thanks for the reply.

The right hand side looking from the house is some what south(i need a compass) haha. Its well lit, even during winter. Just the neighbours fence blocks some of the sun rays. In summer the whole area is well lit, depending on the time.

I've seen people use mirrors and foil to try and reflex light. What do you think about this?. I was able to grow cherry tomatoes last summer, from plant pots, sitting next to the fence.

I'm considered to build my garden beds at an angle instead of them being dead level. Just so I don't cast any shadows on the bed

daveluzbo

A little update. Dug out by hand and wheel barrow. My next job is building a shed, then a back veranda.

bored_newbie

Looks great, well done. Doesn't look like the work of a newbie :)

daveluzbo

Haha, cheers. I'm a sparky but a newbie with gardening.

I'm glad I went with concreting and not pavers.

cathy427

As a sparky you are likely well familiar with them but there is a lot of regulations around putting an oil tank in a shed -

Also insurance considerations.

I am not an expert on it but looked at doing it in the last place and just wasn't feasible if we were to comply with everything.

daveluzbo

It's really a privacy screen with a polycarbonate roof. It won't be fully enclosed. Thanks