# Elevated garden boxes depth for railroad?



## rexcadral (Jan 20, 2016)

I run live steam and am going to alter my layout from close-to-ground level to "easily reachable", preferably waist-high, elevation. However, I'd like to decorate a bit more than your average live steam track circle, including having plants.

Assuming I want to grow stuff along the length of my railroad, what's the minimum depth I need in the box to get phlox, thyme, cypress groundcover and the occasional dwarf conifer to survive? I'm guesssing I don't need 12inches of soil. I'm hoping for something like 4in, with the occasional cutout to support a potted tree.

Ideas? Suggestions?


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

I would think that your climate would dictate the soil depths required. For example water retention in summer and preventing frozen roots in winter.

On my last railroad I had a wide variety of ground covers and dwarf trees. For the trees I built the planter boxes about a foot deep and a foot wide by whatever length needed. I lined the boxes with weed block to help hold in the soil then planted the trees leaving them in their pots. 

My climate was average low 30-35 degrees and average high 105-110 so soil drying was my major concern. The trees and ground covers did well for years, until removal.

Hope this was of some help
Rick


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## rexcadral (Jan 20, 2016)

Climate is New England, hardiness zone 6b. Temps run from 0-95. It's usually pretty wet here.


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

i wish it was warm here! we have 16 inches of snow!!!


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I cant see 4" depth of soil, three feet off the ground, supporting much long term..its just not enough soil volume and depth. It will need watering virtually every day in the summer, and if you miss a day, everything dies..and plants wont survive the winter, they will dry out and freeze.

Imagine plants in 4" pots sitting on top of a deck railing..same concept!  I would say you need at least a foot minimum of depth.

You could try annuals, try to keep them watered, then just expect they will die in the fall. That could work.

Scot


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Probably a local nursery is your best bet for local climate advice.

Greg


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## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Good place to start is the internet for each to find the root depth / planting requirements. For example, thyme like a lot of other herbs are grown in shallow window boxes as part of a herb garden in as little aws 3" of soil. But the others you listed might take a bit more. MAybe that's a sign you could plant different herbs and your railroad be an herb garden. 

One thing for sure, soil and water will be heavy. so you'll need a strong structure.

The method I'm using for some greenery is moss. There's a near infinite variety of types and appearances. A lot of what appears to be ground cover are actually types of moss. It's not just green and the stuff that grows in shadows or the north side of trees stuff. It comes in other colors, some types flower, some have leafs (it's not all just fuzzy green.), or have other interesting characteristics. And it can be tough as nails when it comes to climate and growing conditions. It also spreads out very slowly so you can manage it easily. I'm growing it on a deck of composition roofing material letting it grow beside the tracks and in between and over the ties. Even if some of it dies and turns brown that's still decoration, doesn't need to be removed as it adds more variety. Really all purpose stuff.

Moss; From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss

It's very cheap and it will grow just about anywhere, literally. You can by it at a nursery like ground cover, or dry in bags of seeds - just add water. You can harvest it from wherever you find some growing or you can make your own. You can actually make your own; here's one recipe;

What You Need
Ingredients. ...
Tools. ...
Measure two cups of water and two cups of buttermilk.
Pour both into the blender.
Top with moss to fill the blender.
Blend until you have a milkshake consistency. ...
Paint or pour the mixture on rocks, fences, foundation, bricks, ceramic pots, trees or wherever you'd like to see moss grow.
More items...How To Grow Your Own Moss:  http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-grow-you-119033

Here's a Google image link that should make for an interesting discovery for you. Click on any picture and it will lead you to a link to get more information.
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+grow+moss&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS697US697&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwib8KqXuNnSAhXqv1QKHYgJB_AQ_AUICCgD&biw=1920&bih=950

Best of luck

This is Irish Moss;


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## OldNoob (Apr 30, 2016)

Irish moss looks way better than Spanish Moss ;o)


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## R.W. Marty (Jan 2, 2008)

Doesn't seem to be useful information , so removed to save space for more valuable input.
Rick


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## rexcadral (Jan 20, 2016)

Thanks for the ideas guys. Based on this feedback, I think I'm going to go back to my original garden box idea, on the ground, 24" sides, lots and lots of fill. You'll be able to sit on it while performing maintenance. 

My main barrier is all the fill. For my loop, it's ~27yards of dirt. - two truckloads, which then have to be hand-moved into place around my yard's perimeter. It'll look fabulous when it's done, and I'll probably lose some weight.


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

rexcadral said:


> Thanks for the ideas guys. Based on this feedback, I think I'm going to go back to my original garden box idea, on the ground, 24" sides, lots and lots of fill. You'll be able to sit on it while performing maintenance.
> 
> My main barrier is all the fill. For my loop, it's ~27yards of dirt. - two truckloads, which then have to be hand-moved into place around my yard's perimeter. It'll look fabulous when it's done, and I'll probably lose some weight.


funny you say that; thats EXACTLY what we will be doing this spring!


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

My current railway is sort of that way rex, I did a four coarse stone wall using landscape blocks, then backfilled the whole thing. took 6 tons of dirt and that was with a pond dug in the middle. But now age related issues tied with balance/body space issues due to autism, along with my dogs not leaving the nice details I have added alone, I am looking at going waist high this summer. We have a nice wood privacy fence with a 70' by 55'(rough measurment by walking it off) that I can mount a layout on. Posts already set in concrete and they do not move with the freeze and thaw cycles here. Looking at the same basic idea, a planter box style set up so as to have greenery and keep that "garden railway" look over trains on wood boards. I am thinking of a single track line, with return loops at each end. Since no track power will be present, no electrical issues with the return loops. The return loops would have more greenery with the straight sections having a much shallower depth with mostly just ballest and hopefully moss. I plan to plant hedges below the railway and allow them to grow up to the track surface and keep them trimmed there, that will hide some of the fact its a garden railway on a shelf vs on the ground. Smaller live plants can be kept in pots that are inserted in the roadbed, one just has to water more often. Good reason to spend time on working on the railway, gotta water the plants!! Mike


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

with buying your old Sammie and my resident Ruby#5, this is kind of my ideas for a raised "planter box" style railway that I am thinking about putting around my deck railing. Just that mine would be a complete loop with atleast 2 sides in planter boxes with live plants. These are the pics I found online years ago that kind of express what I want to achieve, I just totally suck at designing with wood and making it turn out right. Mike


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Those are built straddling his balcony railing and removable since he was renting. Mine is only going to be 3-4 foot off the ground and the track would be kept back from the edge and probably a bit more recessed to prevent a derailed live steamer from taking a plunge. But it gives the idea of what can be done and a rough depth idea. Mike


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## Tomahawk & Western RR (Sep 22, 2015)

should take about 2 dump truck loads of dirt for us. Mike that is a cool idea there.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

When I built my current railway Nate it took 3 full bed loads of dirt in a 3/4 ton Dodge Ram diesel to back fill the railway, and my current line isnt very big. Mike


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## Zoemacrossan (Apr 17, 2017)

This is really great idea for garden landscape. My friend do have a garden with pond, stone walkway and different type of plants. She recently did gave small makeover to her garden with the help of gardening professional. But your idea is just awesome. Now I am getting encouraged to have one.


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