Preparing ground next to a fence, Help.

[robbimcshane]

My garden is a mess and I would like to make it flat with grass and paving but my neighbour and I share a fence (panelled fence with 6 fence posts) and I'm not to sure how I would prepare the ground next to the fence post as I don't want to damage the fence or have it fall down. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[HERTS P&D]

Pictures, pictures, pictures.

Need to see what you have.

Andy

 

[robbimcshane]

Here are the pictures, if someone could help I would really appreciate it

Untitled

• robbimcshane
• 13 Apr 2013
• 1

Untitled

• robbimcshane
• 13 Apr 2013
• 1

 

[JohnD]

how high is it?

if you scrape back those chippings you will probably find the posts have been stuck in a huge lump of concrete. As long as you don't dig close enough or deep enough to disturb or loosen the concrete, it'll be all right. A few inches won't matter.

In a few years time the wooden posts will rot, and then you will have the awful job of either breaking up and digging out the old lumps, or digging in new ones. So don't run the paving right up to the posts. Concrete posts or spurs don't rot.

 

[robbimcshane]

Will I beable to put grass right next to the fence ? And how far should I need to dig down ?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

it will be untidy to mow. If you keep the chippings you can treat them with Pathclear or other weedkiller occasionally.

A lawn needs to be clean of large stones for about four inches depth, or they will rise and poke through the surface. The deeper you dig it over, the longer it will take to trample and settle flat before you sow or turf.

 

[Mursal]

It must be a mess over the other side, looks pretty tidy to me ....

As above and grass will grow on a few inches of soil. But if you want my opinion (which you probably don't) I'd leave the chips around the fence. Just change them if you don't like the colour or would prefer bark. You can grass the rest and it will look proper tidy and most important easy maintain

Are you lifting the slabs, or just putting grass instead of the ships?

 

[robbimcshane]

Thanks for the replies, yes I'm going to lift the slabs.

 

[Mursal]

When you lift the slabs, consider replacing with a straight line of turf and leave the ships around the fence base, that will be easyier to maintain. Or you can lift the lot and up down turf. Just a bit fiddly cutting around the fence (strimmer needed). But grass only needs a few mm of topsoil to grow, obviously the more topsoil you can get around the base of the posts the better the grass will grow.