I'd really appreciate some advice on a garden landscaping project.
I have a 9 x 10 metre garden overgrown with weeds which I've stripped down to soil using a turf cutter. I'd like a large area of the space to have Indian stone put down and a decking area too.
I've read in a lot of places the need to dig about 6 inches to enable the placement of 100mm MOT sub-base and 50mm sharp sand, before placement of the stone flags. This will generate a lot of soil which will require costly removal.
My question is, is it possible to 'build upward' instead of digging. Im thinking to place 8 inch width treated timber sleepers around the perimeter of the garden and into place with stakes, then to line with membrane then fill with 4 inches of MOT compacted and further 2 inch of sharp sand. Is there a problem with this approach?
If this is not a good idea for whatever reason, then regarding soil digging:
1. Is it very time consuming and practical to manually dig 6 inch deep into soil for an area 10m x 9m or is a mini digger recommended?
2. What is the average cost of a mini digger and soil removal services?
Thanks in advance!
Kash
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