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Need inspiration for side of house

Hello, I am looking to do something different up the side of my house. Mainly because I have dirt seeping through from the retaining wall and I am always cleaning the pavers and water seems to run away from the drains rather than run to them.

The clothesline side is about 1410mm wide and garden shed side is a1380mm wide. Does anyone have some cool ideas, could be anything! Attached some pics so you have an idea of the area.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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Comments

EricL

Hello @pasito23

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about the side of your house.

It appears that sunlight passes through that section of your house which means that it would be possible to grow plants in that area. However, because the shed is down that end I don't recommend getting anything too big as it will limit access to that area. I propose getting a few Northcote Pottery 80cm Black Terrazzo Look Precinct Lite Trough and planting some shrubs or perhaps dwarf fruiting plants. The next step up would be to build a trellis with planters at the bottom like in this discussion - Hardwood and mesh trellis with planter box by @DIY4Knuckleheds.

It also might be possible to install a timber wall seat, but I would keep it to a minimum so that it does not eat up too much space.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Noyade, and @AlanM52 for their recommendations.

Eric

Dave-1

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/61603#Comment_61603

Good Morning @pasito23

Welcome to the Bunnings community pages 🙂 There have been a lot of similar questions over time about narrow sides and making it different so you have hit the right place 🙂

I was thinking of making up narrow boxed garden beds with solid wheels. Something that can be pushed around as needed. If you can imagine the link for @DIY4Knuckleheds that @EricL has shown made from timber with wheels and the mesh to allow vines/peas/beans to grow. Id like to say passionfruit but I have found them harder to grow 😕 It would give a greener aisle or go with perennials and have pops of colour every year?

Now to stop the soil comeing through as much (I really dont see how due to the nature of the retaining wall and a fence right above it as I would normally suggest digging out and putting in some fine filter cloth and then backfilling with course sand) So option B, manage the silt that does make it through. You could also start pouring course sand around the top of each post so over time as the soil weapsout the sand will be drawn down.

Option B

Using Anston 900 x 90mm Concrete Lipped Garden Edging lay them along the edge of the wall with around a 2cm gap. They are heavy but not too heavy and will stay in place. This is only to help stop the soil from spreading along the path, not the water. Then you will have to go along every now and then and scrape out teh built up soil. If the silt flows under the edging you could try a thickish weed mat style material glued and cut to fit the base, that would help catch the fines.

Option C

You could go the route of lifting the pavers and installing a type of garden edging

This would require a lot more work tho. It would probarlly stop the fines of silt coming through buut you would have to cut your pavers as they look tightly fitting from the photos.

The retension of water -

The only way to fix the water running away from the drains and not towards them is to redo the leveling of your pavers/drains. Its not a hard job really.

As a start I would draw up your side path, take note where the puddles hang out and then you know the low points. Picture where your drain is and you only need a shallow slope to get to them. Some river sand, mallet and a old wide blade scrwdriver is about all you will need to lift the pavers, a "ting" bit more sand and slope the pavers towards the drain. I would buy a length of pine timner 2.4M long to keep the slope even.

Just reusing some pics of how to pave from a question asked here (couldnt find the thread)

01 25-02-2025.jpg

Tools I used

02 25-02-2025.jpg

Tamp Bar to compact the sand/gravel/soil

03 25-02-2025.jpg

Mallet so you have weight without breaking the pavers when smacking them. and yes "smacking them" is an apt description.

04 25-02-2025.jpg

So you can see the paver sitting a tad higher then the others. This will comrpress when I wack it. I ususally go left side, then right side then middle.

05 25-02-2025.jpg

Perfect example. (in your case I would use course sand)

06 25-02-2025.jpg

Check for level and continue. Once you have done several you will get a feel for it. I would do a meter square of your area at a time where the dips are and use the straight pine to keep you in line.

Dave

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93270#Comment_93270

Hi @pasito23,

Just thought I'd add our Top 10 most popular side yard projects for inspiration. There are plenty of great ideas in there that could be included. Also check out @royq's ever-popular Training climbers to screen a fence project. That would be an easy way to add some interest to the fence.

Mitchell

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