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Alpines & Rock Gardens

Have you ever build a raised slab garden?

18 years ago

I have 2 pieces of concrete that measure 14 inches x 4 feet x 4 inches thick. I want to place them side by side and raised on concrete blocks. The area will be 28 inches x 4 feet.

I hope to then cement a few stones around the edges to form the planting area. The crack where the 2 pieces meet will be the drainage hole and holes around the edges.

I think I will use perlite and black garden cloth/ peat moss for dainage and to keep the soil in the the slab garden.

I really hope it will look like a big trough.

Am I nuts? Will this work? I make and sell troughs, but none have never been this big.

Thanks for any suggestions!!

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Comments (8)

rue_anemone
Original Author
18 years ago
My guess of the measurements was off. The slabs are 18 inches x 5 feet so together the raise slab garden will be 32 inches by 5 feet.
nwrose
18 years ago
It looks like you would be working with a finished space of 8x2, there abouts. I don't see a problem doing it.
I'd put a good layer of gravel in the bottom before filling with soil. I'd also have the sides be a good foot and a half, or more, so you can get some root space. If you just do annuals, less might work, but for anything else, more foot room would make me happier.
Good luck and go for it.
Smiles,
D...
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rue_anemone
Original Author
18 years ago
I was thinking of making the sides about 10-12 inches like my troughs, but I think I better go with the 18 inches.

If it would just stop raining I could get started with this project.

Thanks!!
maddigger
18 years ago
You might want to rethink 18" rue. Try putting cardboard or some other material where you would build up. See if 12-14' would look better. Stand back and visualizehow each size would look. You want to go for the right balance between height and the overall size of the garden. Twelve inches should give you plenty of root space unless you put some large plants in. Hope you have a lot of fun doing it, as it sounds like a very interesting project. Keep us posted, Jim
rue_anemone
Original Author
18 years ago
It's done! I ended up with 10 inches for the height. The only thing I'm not real happy with is the fact that I had to do the project in 2 pours and the 2 didn't match.

Once things start hanging over the edge it will not matter but might actually add a bit of interest. I have coated the outside with moss/milk mixture and when that tkes off it should help too.
rue_anemone
Original Author
18 years ago
The top picture is the trough I just finished. My biggest one to date it measures 5 feet long x 32 inches wide.

Not real happy with the sedimentary look on the sides, but have had comments from people that the love the layered look. LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: my big trough
Ina Plassa_travis
18 years ago
:) I have to second the opinion that the layered look is more natural- makes it look less like concrete, for sure, which is usually a problem with the troughs their first year.
rue_anemone
Original Author
18 years ago
thanks chinacat,

Well a month later and the colors of the layers are bleaching out a bit in the sun. LOL!! This is my favorite trough.

I think the next one I make I will do in 2 pours on purpose. Wish I had a digital camera to show you.

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