[PennyS]

My back garden is on very heavy clay, and the water table is very high.  Every winter the garden is pretty soggy and waterlogged and many plants just won't tolerate this.

I have come to the conclusion that to avoid drowning my plants every winter,  I need to raise my borders...

I have found some nice looking rockery stone that will do for the fronts but my dilemma is how to not make the fence at the back rot.  I don't want to build these very high - probably only two stones' height (12" or so). 

One thought was that I could use gravel board with wooden "pegs" screwed on that can be hammered into the soil... but there is a better way? It's got to be something not too time consuming as I've got limited time to achieve this.

Any ideas very very welcome, thank you.

[sunshineband]

The gravel board sounds a good idea.

You could put some heavy duty polythene between the board and the fence to try to protect the fence a bit, too 

[PennyS]

Thank you Sunshineband the polythene sounds like a good idea. 

Glad my gravel board doesn't sound too strange, I have been umming and ahhing about it and wondered if it was totally stupid!

[Ice]

All my raised beds are made from gravel board, it's not a stupid idea at all.

[hamstergbert]

I backed one of my beds with boarding quite successfully for a few years but subsequently topped it with 4' overlap fencing which not only reduces the amount of hedge that needs trimming but also gives me a surface on which the wires are attached upon which I guide clematis, jasmine etc.

Every few years I ease the soil way from the buried boards and slap on a bit of preservative, easing the soil back when the preservative is dry.  Probably someone will scream that I shouldn't do it, poison, chemicals, disaster, plague etc etc but apart from the odd cough from the plants I seem to have gotten away with it.

[mumofstig]

I know the are more expensive but you can get concrete gravel boards

[Jamie Butterworth]

The gravel board sounds a good idea.

You could put some heavy duty polythene between the board and the fence to try to protect the fence a bit, too 

Thats what ive got lining all my raised beds, nothing makes wood rot faster than soil, the polythene has worked a treat and there doing great so far

[PennyS]

Thank you very much everyone.  Gravel board and polythene it is! 

Better get cracking... 

[grendel]

we  have a section of fence that has a sheet of metal screwed  to the uprights (a couple of inches to the fence panel - this allows the soil piled in front not to rot the bottom of  the fence.
Grendel

[Trillium]

I've done the same as Jamie with my blueberry beds to better retain moisture. Didn't do it with other beds, just primed and painted all sides with oil based paint. I might eventually reline with poly sheeting, but the heavier type like 8 mil which is what I used for the blueberries.

The painting does take time, but makes everything look a lot nicer since I'm on a corner lot and people constantly walk by to gawk at the veggies.

[PennyS]

Thank you all, will also have a looksee if I have any metal sheeting... you never know what might be lurking in the garage (or on freecycle).