How to plant safely against house perimeter?

Question

Hi all,

We have an old 70's brick home which has a pre-existing garden against the front brick wall. The garden follows the slope of the driveway, with our house on the high-side of the street (e.g. water travels down, away from our home). The garden appears to sit well below the damp proof course line and vents. I have dug down around the perimeter of the house as far as I can and the brickwork and concrete foundation appears to be fully intact and in good condition.

I've heard that planting against a brick wall is not ideal for the foundation but I've already re-planted with natives and mulched heavily with pine bark. Is there anything else I can do to prevent any issues with the foundation? I had thought about creating a barrier between the foundation and soil/mulch using a gravel "channel" - would this be suitable and I can I cover with mulch?

Photo is from a few months ago so plants are well-established and harder to move now :)

Thanks in advance for the advice,

Katrina

Katrina W · Answer

Thanks @MitchellMc - Appreciate the advice! Correct, there is a crawl space on the other side. The Corten edging does not run along the whole side of the garden (we've just bent it back to fit) against the brick wall, but I may look to get some plastic edging I can use to create a bit more of a barrier.

Many thanks,

Katrina

MitchellMc · Answer

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Katrina W. It's wonderful to have you join us and many thanks for your question about garden beds.

When designing and installing garden beds, it is generally best practice to keep them spaced away from the house wall so that moisture does not sit directly against the brickwork or foundations. That said, if the garden bed is already established and sits against the wall, it does not automatically mean you will have problems. The most important thing is that the soil level stays well below the damp‑proof course, and in your case, the DPC sits high, which is exactly what you want. It looks like this brick wall is there to accommodate the slope and raise the building, which usually means there is a crawl space on the other side.

I can see in your photo that there is garden edging running along the front and continuing up the side between the soil and the wall. If that edging runs the whole way along the wall, it is a great benefit because it keeps moist soil and mulch off the brickwork. If the edging is continuous, the main thing I would suggest is pulling the mulch back slightly so it finishes at the height of the edging rather than touching the wall. This keeps airflow around the bricks and prevents long‑term moisture contact. If the edging were not there, I would recommend installing some, or alternatively applying a paintable waterproofing product to the lower bricks as a protective barrier.

Overall, nothing in your setup suggests a current problem. Since this was already a garden bed before you replanted it, and the structure is intact, it is reasonable to continue as you are. I would simply monitor the area occasionally for any signs of damp, but based on what you’ve checked and the height of the damp‑proof course, you are in a good position.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell