Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: Subversive_plot on April 07, 2021, 09:51
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I've been planning 3 raised beds for a while, decided to try these concrete "planter blocks" as a quick means of constructing raised beds (see photos). They are meant to be used with 2×4 (or ×6) lumber for the walls. There is a central hole that accommodates rebar in case you want to stack the blocks and keep them together.
My first impression is that they make construction pretty simple, nothing more than cutting and fitting the wood into the blocks unless you have odd angles to work with. Genius, IMO.
Just curious if something like this is available in the UK, has anyone tried them? What do you think?
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I haven't seen anything like that over here, SP, but they may be in some specialist garden centres!
Years ago, I used to sell concrete garden paving etc., (as well as whole motorways), when gardening was a 'new' hobby (seventies), and any enlightened manufacturer would try a new idea back then, but, these - not so far! Derbyshire Paving's 'innovation' was drystone, chopped from a normal coloured slab, and turned inside out!
I like the idea of your blocks, you can move them around, change the height etc, and seem very versatile!
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I have not seen them for sale here in the UK either. Maybe because we don’t have many buildings constructed with wood other than sheds and other garden buildings. I think it is hard to get insurance for timber walled homes here :unsure:
They do look really useful though. I bet they would be very popular for raised beds if people could get them.
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Very interesting Sp
Anybody here, remember those 1960s? block walls that had the see-through pattern to them?
I can't for the life of me remember what they were called, but, IIRC they had corner posts built from blocks with cut outs in them on 2 sides, very similar to those in the pic..
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The blocks are made by Oldcastle. I looked and found a website where someone in the UK mentions Oldcastle planter blocks: https://somergardens.co.uk/2018/11/05/how-to-raised-bed-garden-easy-way-planter-wall-blocks/ (https://somergardens.co.uk/2018/11/05/how-to-raised-bed-garden-easy-way-planter-wall-blocks/)
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They look like they’d be great for compost bins
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Attached is a photo of the raised bed construction I did today with the blocks. Three beds partially complete, the one to the right would be finished if I had a half hour more daylight! :nowink: :tongue2:
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Very interesting Sp
Anybody here, remember those 1960s? block walls that had the see-through pattern to them?
I can't for the life of me remember what they were called, but, IIRC they had corner posts built from blocks with cut outs in them on 2 sides, very similar to those in the pic..
Like these Mum?
'Bradstone Screenwall in Off-White'. (the Google ref is ever so long, and they don't show the posts either, so not really an answer...:0(
I know what you mean though, and you're absolutely right! M.P.Harris would have sold them and Hall and Co, possibly Frank Cooper (all used to be in Ashford) M.P.Harris in T.Wells were our best customer in the South East by a country mile!
Back then, Bradstone was the bees-knees, and probably the nicest looking; our walling blocks were more utilitarian but cheaper!
later...
By coincidence, I'm looking for some Metposts or similar from Tates' catalogue, for a project at 'The Turrets' and on the same page are the slotted posts you mention, Mum! They're used for fencing here, but could easily be used as you describe! https://tate-fencing.co.uk/product/concrete-slotted-posts/.
They'll be reinforced, so not easy to cut though...
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Bradstone walling, that's right, well done! But I remember the posts as being in small blocks like the walling itself, perhaps my memory has gone AWOL, though :wacko:
Those modern, long concrete fencing posts would have to be cut into pieces for making a raised bed, so not really helpful :lol:
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Bradstone Screenwall: I remember those (from the appearance; didn't know they were called that). I think we have some homes in my neighborhood that have those.
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A lot of these were terracotta, very fragile but nice to look at, until they went green with moss etc...
I think they went the same way as 'stone cladding', which was a sort of system of coloured concrete slips stuck to lovely old brickwork to ruin it forever...
We were regularly hauled over the coals for our artificial stone - some with a riven surface, but still made from pressed concrete! Again, it was a bit of a passing fad, but quite a lot of local authorities liked them as they could replace the drab grey British Standard slabs, and at least had some colour! Winchester High Street looked pretty good back then, (gone now)...
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I finished construction of my raised beds (see photo). Now it's time to get some compost into them!
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Lovely job Sp :)
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Man after my own heart!
I always try and make plans like these irregular - there are enough straight lines everywhere; none of them 'natural'!
Great scheme there SP, and the beauty is that you can change round the boards at any time!
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Those blocks look really useful and your design looks great.
Never seen them in the UK Myself.
Have used a number of metal folding brackets on the corners of my wooden homemade raised beds and been surprised how long they have stayed firm and not rotted.
Did use treated timber and for some smaller ones used treated decking boards, so no need to have to retreat/paint them.
Just one thing though, looks like a bit of a water damp trap where the wood fits into the the post.
Id be thinking of capping the corners with square wooden caps on the top of each block set.
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Just one thing though, looks like a bit of a water damp trap where the wood fits into the the post.
Id be thinking of capping the corners with square wooden caps on the top of each block set.
Thank you for the suggestion. Hard to see from a distance, but there is an air gap between the cornerstones and the end of the boards. Also, the wood is pressure treated. Regardless, getting a cap stone or tile for each of the posts is a good idea, I'll look into that!
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Can the corner blocks be raised up an inch or so - maybe on a 9" x 9" slab or similar?
A small gap at the bottom of the boards could help drainage, and also, maybe, keep the boards dryer underneath?
I wish I knew some of the old precast concrete boys now, as they'd very much like to see your idea!
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I think I'm OK on the drainage issue, but thank you. My compost drains pretty well, and barring much heavier rain than expected, the issue is likely to be watering often enough.
I wish the idea for the blocks was mine, but frankly, I just used their product, the credit goes to Oldcastle!
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Did anyone ever find these blocks available in the UK? I’ve been looking all over for them!
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Did anyone ever find these blocks available in the UK? I’ve been looking all over for them!
Try this: https://acticeous.com/products/7.5-in.-x-7.5-in.-x-5.5-in.-tan-brown-concrete-planter-wall-block (https://acticeous.com/products/7.5-in.-x-7.5-in.-x-5.5-in.-tan-brown-concrete-planter-wall-block) Look right below black and red "add to Cart" and "Buy it Now" bars on the first page, implies they ship to UK from a London warehouse.