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Exteriors Design Dilemma Gardens

Plant bed along the front house wall, damp issues?

6 years ago

Our driveway is getting relayed tomorrow and we are considering plant beds along the front walls of the house, either side of the door. Our driveway contractor says he will direct the water towards the plant beds and there is no need for a drain.
Does anyone have damp issues with having plants along the dampcourse?

If there is issues with damp, should we get flower beds on either side of door?

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Comments (4)

PRO
Cour Interior Design
6 years ago
Provided your dampcourse is well installed you should not have any problems. Alternatively, use robust pots, which can be a statement in themselves, offer the reassurance you may require and can be repositioned without any digging.
sobi thanked Cour Interior Design
sobi
Original Author
6 years ago
We haven’t ever had damp problems , the house is 1920’s so I don’t know about the old part of the house on the left of the door but the new extension on the right has a good robust dampcourse. I have tried pots in the past, but I do get full sun all day long and me forgetting to water becomes an issue . I have got more plants in the ground along my front and I like that I don’t have to water them, only maintain them.

Many thanks for alerting me on the damp course. Great advice.
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Hello Chris It is looking much better already. Because you plan to move out shortly then you are right to take the practical low cost approach. If you can stretch to getting rid of the paving slabs and slate and replace with 20mm light gravel/pebbles then I would be inclined to go for it because it will match the colour of the concrete and be more cohesive. The path isn’t going to take the weight of a car so you don’t have to have a heavy duty hardcore base. I suggest you dig down in a corner to see what is under the slate. If it is on topsoil then you would need to remove that down to a firm subsoil. It shouldn’t be more than 6 inch or so. Then top with hard core up to a couple of inches. You could reuse the slate you have just removed. A geotextile membrane would be good as a weed suppressant and to keep the slate from migrating to the surface but it isn’t critical especially as you plan to leave. Finish with a couple of inches of gravel/pebbles. No deeper than that otherwise it will feel as if you are walking on quick sand! To avoid buying too much or too little work out how much you need in volume by multiplying length by width by depth. Especially important if you are paying a delivery charge. You don’t want to have them back! If it is small quantities then you can buy small bags that you can collect a few at a time in the car but buying it that way is the pricier option. You could reuse a half dozen or more of the paving slabs by bedding them on concrete butted together under the front door. You can buy ready mix bags that just need the addition of water. Again any soil would need to be removed down to a firm base. It would look better if you removed a corner of the concrete so that the slabs extend either side of the door. It is important that the finished depth is 6 inch below the damp proof course certainly no higher than the existing. I imagine the damp proof course is the top of the white painted edge on your wall. Leave a small gap between the slabs and the wall to allow any rain splash to run down into the ground. All the best
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GardenFairyGodmother GFG
6 years ago
I have a planting bed in front of my bay window and next to the drive. It has evergreen shrubs and apart from pruning twice a year, is low maintenance. I have not had any damp problems. But the border has a raised edge so the rain does not get directed towards the house but towards the street.
sobi thanked GardenFairyGodmother GFG
User
6 years ago
One thing i have learnt recently is check yiu don't need planning permission! Rules changed in October 2008 hopefully your builder would have advised.
sobi thanked User

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