Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
make EASY STEPS TO TIERED GARDEN BEDS
A tiered garden bed hides the ugly view under the deck, while the extra height allows you to screen the deck from the neighbours without having to wait years for plants to grow.
Gather your supplies
• Posts 200 x 100mm H4 treated pine sleepers • Walls 200 x 50mm x 2.4m H4 treated pine sleepers
You’ll also need
Set-out paint; hired demolition saw, demolition hammer; stringline; pegs; post-hole digger; 20mm blue metal; circular saw; spirit level; rapid-set concrete (2-3 bags per hole); scrap timber for braces; drill; long 5mm drill bit; 125mm batten screws for treated pine; exterior paint in black; painting equipment
Here’s how
STEP 1 If removing concrete for your retaining walls, use set-out paint to draw a cutting line along it. If the concrete is supporting a structure, such as the deck here, ensure you leave sufficient concrete so you don’t undermine the structure. Use a hired demolition saw to cut along the line then break up the concrete using a hired demolition hammer and remove.
STEP 2 Stretch a stringline between wooden pegs to mark outside face of garden beds. Along this line, mark positions of post holes using set-out paint. Space holes 1.2m apart to suit length of sleepers that will form the walls of the bed. STEP 3 Use post-hole digger to dig 700mm deep holes for posts. Make holes 300mm in diameter.
STEP 4 To allow for drainage, fill bottom of holes with a 100mm-deep layer of blue metal. Use circular saw to cut two 1.4m lengths of sleepers for posts and place in holes at ends of walls. Make wide face of post meet stringline and use spirit level to make plumb. Set in position with rapid-set concrete. Repeat for post at other end of wall. At corners of beds, join end posts together at a right angle to adequately support wall posts going in both directions.
STEP 5 Stretch a second stringline between end posts towards their tops. Cut remaining posts slightly over length and place in holes. Make wide face of posts meet stringlines. Make plumb then use scrap pieces of timber to brace posts and hold them in position. Ensure that centres of posts are 1.2m apart. Concrete in position and leave to set. STEP 6 Starting at one end, lay first horizontal
wall sleeper so bottom of sleeper is 600mm below finished height of wall. Make level, then predrill through sleeper into post using a long 5mm drill bit. Screw together using 125mm batten screws. Repeat for all sleepers along bottom of wall.
STEP 7 Continue laying rows of sleepers. Stagger joins between sleepers to the row below. Before fixing
the final row of sleepers, cut off post tops so they finish flush with top of the wall. STEP 8 Repeat process to make second tier, which is 1m from the ground. Make posts 1800mm long and set 800mm into the ground. Fix wall sleepers to top 600mm of posts only, leaving the bottom of this wall open. STEP 9 Create back of bed by attaching wall sleepers to deck posts. If there isn’t sufficient support along the back of your wall, you’ll need to install more posts. Cut sleepers to run from back wall through to front wall to lock all 3 walls together. Position against post of centre wall, then screw into all 3. STEP 10 Apply 2 coats of black exterior paint to walls, leaving it to dry between coats.