Landscaping Filler Material

[Anonymous]

I'm finally going to get something more permanent laid down, but am really concerned about being able to take it apart again. If we sell the house, the existence of a raised (16" - 20") railway in the middle of the yard (which is the most likely location right now) would be a real issue. And if I have to take it apart and somehow 'lose' 15 cubic yards of dirt/rock in a 3000 square foot yard, there's gonna be trouble. I consider styrofoam/extruded foam to be my best solution for filler -- but when buried do such materials emit any chemicals into the soil? Zone 5, so 90-degree summers (humidex maybe around 100-degrees) and 0-degree winters. And YES, the perimeter of the yard is not an appealing location because I built the fence before taking railroad considerations into account.

[markn]

You didn't say if it would be just a "mound" or something with a retaining wall-either way-it's a "garden" railroad-pick up the track/buildings/bridges etc up-kick some dirt over the ballast and add a few more plants-"designer landscape". If they don't like it-let them bulldoze it and start over themselves

[ttrigg]

Ernie;

If you build a "raised flower bed" and leave it when you sell the house it can do nothing more than add to the value. Use standard "retaining wall" bricks/stones, back fill with some good soil so that your vegetation will have a proper chance to grow. Different types of styrofoam/extruded foam will decay quickly, some will leach bad stuff into your yard, but most of it will just rot away with time and exposure to the elements. Some of the more expensive stuff will withstand mother nature, but that stuff will be more expensive than the bricks and dirt needed to make the "raised flower bed."

Another thing to look into is if your city has a "green waste recycle program." Here where I live we pay extra each month to have our "green waste" (grass clippings, dead flowers, tree limbs, etc.) hauled off. In exchange I can go to the "green waste recycle yard", show my drivers license as proof of residence, if I want to shovel it my self I can fill my truck with some high quality compost for FREE, or (as I do ALL the time) I pay a $2 "fuel & labor fee" and the guy on the scoop loader will throw three cubic yards into my truck in a matter of seconds.

[markn]

Just received my "Backyard Living" magazine this afternoon-they had a tip to reduce the weight of plant pots by filling the bottom half with packaging peanuts-they say to put weed block between them to keep they seperated-but make no mention of degradation, chemical leeching etc only mention some are water soluble-

[Anonymous]

Ernie,

This is the roadbed system I'm using..
http://www.btcomm.com/trains/primer/roadbed/ladder1.htm It allows you to elevate your roadbed without backfilling. The whole thing screws together so you can take it apart if you move. There's very little you need to do that's 'permanent'. HTH.

[Anonymous]

Ernie,
Don't use styrofoam outdoors; it will slowly decay and fall. You'll only add more dirt later. If you thought the dirt would be a mess, try getting old styrofoam out of the ground. As a PA landscaper, I would recomend, using fill dirt, and top dress it with topsoil, for you plants.. Fill dirt is cheap, and sometimes free. You may have to pick out some debris, but it works nice, for the price. Later down the road, you can level it no problem; 15 yards is not alot once you start spreading it; especially in a yard your size. You could also consider a professional, at that time. Should take them no more than 5 hours with 4-5 guys.


As for your road bed, consider the technique bob offered , if possible. It's the technique I will be using to install a garden railway for a client. Also consider not creating such a large raised bed for your railway. Why so high? Unless you have a large grade or flood zone in your yard, 4-8 inches should be enough. Anything over that, would create extra cost and unneeded labor. To make it look nice, create a 3-5 inch deep "edge" (small trench) like you see around professionaly landscaped properties. Not to insult anyone, but a professional observation: The nicest properties( money wise) do not use a lot of "hard" edging material, found at your local garden centers. They use the technique, previously mentioned. It's cheap and it looks more natural and clean. Also a note for those backfilling around these raised rail systems. COMPACT the dirt, with a hand taper every 2-3 inchesof depth, or 3-5 inches with a machine tamper. If you don't the rain will show you how it moves the dirt....more work for you!!! Hope it helps.