Hi all,
I am attempting to DIY my next garden project – the internal (northern) courtyard/lightwell in my home in Melbourne. I'm hoping some of you might take a quick look at my plans and let me know what needs to be addressed before I start.
The previous owners had about 150mm of landscaping rocks in this courtyard. I've removed these now and found a surprise drain and vents underneath.
I'm wanting now to add bluestone steppers with dichondra here. The area gets some sun but not a great deal so I think this should be a suitable ground cover. I'll also be adding various pot plants, a trellis on the fence, etc.
I've attached some photos:
- The cross section of intended landscaping
- The current state (now minus remaining rocks)
- The AI generated inspo
A couple of questions:
- Is 50mm crush rock enough for a base? Foot traffic will be almost zero (just watering any plants out there)
- There are no weepholes out here. Based on my research 75mm vertical distance from the threshold should be fine with topsoil up against the brick. I also found I could add some DCP tape along the brick to reduce moisture. Is this acceptable?
- The vents and drain are at the same level, so with 1% fall I will be 20-30mm up the vents. Any ideas how to prevent this (add a lip?)?
- Is 50mm topsoil enough for the dichondra? Would you suggest any different ground cover instead?
- Finally… What could be done better? I have never attempted this kind of project before so I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of different advice I have come across online when it comes to best practices.
Any and all feedback very welcome and appreciated, thanks!
by RempyAU
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