[hubballi]

My old lawn was so patchy and waterlogged I decided to dig it up and create a raised bed in the centre. I then dug all the lawn out surounding the bed to create a level path. The trouble is when it gets wet the ground is very muddy and holds a lot of water. What would be my best method when laying gravel over the soil. Would sand be ok or some kind of porous materiel ?

Thanks.

[poultrygeist]

I would go for both. Sharp sand then membrane, then gravel on top but you'll still get mud in it and weeds growing so a go for as much depth of gravel as you can and give it a rake over every so often.

Rob

[Bombers]

I built my raised beds 3 years ago now, and am very pleased with the result.
I would recommend the best weed suppressant (Sp) you can afford, and try to lay 2 - 3 inches of gravel over the top. So far, I've had no weeds, and I lifted a section on Sunday to build a small extension for a herb bed, and the fabric under the gravel was still as new.

[hubballi]

Looks very nice. Similar to the one I just made. I have been told that cardbord or newspaper will suffice to go under the sheeting.

Where is the best and cheapest place to get sheeting ?

[Gwiz]

We go to places like "travis perkins" and use Terram. It's not the cheapest way to do it, but it's made for landscaping and will last for years.

[celjaci]

I agree with above posts - you need a good quality membrane 'Terram 'is used in construction industry,  'Mypex' or 'Phormisol'  used in horticulture.

Under a pemanent path it's not just for surpessing weeds - it's more to prevent the gravel sinking and to prevent mud being squeezed up. Cardboard will not do this.