Garden leveling

[kram]

Last year I removed 5 trees for a friend and she has asked if I can level the end of the garden. I'll add some pictures.. theres only a slight overall slope left to right but its far from flat, possibly a foot variation but mostly less.

 

Behind the log pile is a concrete pad from an old shed and a raised area on sleepers, that can stay as is.

 

How would you do it? Cant fit any bigger machines through the garden gate. Or past the pegola at the other end. Wondering if a push engined tiller would do it. 

Much of the variation is around the old leylandii roots and the holly next to it. So may be a stump grinder?

 

I have an engine auger so tempted to use that to make shallow holes in the high spots. Or do it by hand with a spade?

 

Edited April 12 by kram

[rapalaman]

Can’t comment on the levelling, but definitely a stump grinder for the stumps - digging Holly out is horrible, conifer not so bad but I wouldn’t do it.

whereabouts is the job?

[sime42]

1 hour ago, kram said:

Last year I removed 5 trees for a friend and she has asked if I can level the end of the garden. I'll add some pictures.. theres only a slight overall slope left to right but its far from flat, possibly a foot variation but mostly less.

 

Behind the log pile is a concrete pad from an old shed and a raised area on sleepers, that can stay as is.

 

How would you do it? Cant fit any bigger machines through the garden gate. Or past the pegola at the other end. Wondering if a push engined tiller would do it. 

Much of the variation is around the old leylandii roots and the holly next to it. So may be a stump grinder?

 

I have an engine auger so tempted to use that to make shallow holes in the high spots. Or do it by hand with a spade?

 

 

I'd ask your friend if she really wants it levelled. It doesn't need to be and level changes in a garden are generally good, they add interest planting opportunities.It'd be a lot of work to level that for not much gain in my opinion.

 

If you've got to do it by hand then a stump grinder followed by a mattock, a long handled shovel and a big landscaping rake will be the way forward. Plus a generous lunchbox and flask/bottle of drink!

 

 

 

[Malus]

Could you just barrow in a lorry load of top soil to add to the lower spots? Then reseed or turf? 

[sime42]

Thats a good shout. Barrowing is a bit easier than digging.

[woody paul]

Can you get digger in though next-door garden. 

[Dan Maynard]

51 minutes ago, sime42 said:

I'd ask your friend if she really wants it levelled. It doesn't need to be and level changes in a garden are generally good, they add interest planting opportunities.It'd be a lot of work to level that for not much gain in my opinion.

Meanwhile a thousand people in tiny flat newbuild gardens are desperately trying to dig in some interesting changes of level....

 

It seems to drop quite a bit on the far left corner to me looking at the steps in the fence, what happens the other side of that? Might need a retaining wall?

 

To me it seems to need stumps out, then some beds defining and then new turf.

[Steven P]

If it was mine... 

Does the lady have children / likely to have children / young grand children who would appreciate a flat outdoor space to run around in?

 

If not then I'd go with the other answer and have some stepped level changes through the garden to add interest to it. Looks like the 3rd fence panel down is a high spot so lower that a bit and use the soil to build up as necessary... but if you are doing all of that then yes, get rid of the stumps

[tree-fancier123]

If that was asked of me I would hire a rotavator and stump grinder. And tell them I can flatten it out, not make it hoizontally level, and then seed it, the only reason for spirit level is a base for garden building. If using grass seed it wants doing while theres still a few rain showers about

A decent wide landscaping rake and or lute for the soil. If you can borrow a roller even better

[daveatdave]

i think the reason the panel is higher is because of the trees that were/are there i would be carful of taking too much soil away from the posts as it will leave a lot less post in the ground. get rid of the stumps weed kill what's left of the lawn/weeds import soil to even things up not level, then turf or seed with the revilement type of grass for the location also get rid of the ivy on the other fence.