One quarter of Holland is below sea level and we live in the very lowest part - Rotterdam (red marks the spot)

The marker for -6 metres is just down the road from our house. This means that the ground is very soft and swampy, with a high water table.

Our whole street is therefore built on piles sunk into the ground to support all the buildings and even the road !

We moved here to Rotterdam in the early summer of 1995. Our old garden was in a wooded part of Holland and the new bare concrete expanses at the new house were certainly a challenge

The only part of the garden that had any soil and plants was at the front of the house.

Some overgrown ivy, a nice white clematis and a few neglected rhododendrons.

Both terraces were paved with beastly boring concrete tiles that burnt your feet in summer (1995/6 were HOT)

The only plant downstairs was an ivy that crept over the wall from the tennis court complex next door.

Upstairs on the 1st floor was a huge expanse of emptiness.

Planning - walled courtyard - ground floor

I knew I wanted raised beds and lots of pots. Maybe trellis to support climbers and maybe even a mini pond.........

There were three doors to take into account downstairs and I needed to create some shade as it gets roasting in the sun.

The planning stage (including costing!) >>>>>>>>>>>

Now to decide on the materials with which to construct my vision.

Decking was decided on because it's kinder to bare feet than concrete tiles. There were not many overhanging trees to make it green and slimy :~))

Materials                        

After trying unsuccessfully to find affordable large pots, 
I found 40cm high, black concrete posts which slot 
together to form raised beds. They were placed directly
on top of the concrete patio and are self supporting. 
The beds were lined with weed suppressing matting
and filled with good garden compost. 

Gravel was added to fill in between the beds and the decking. 

Leo's cousin knew a man who knew a man who made us
some trellis from concrete reinforcing matting bent into 
square columns. We had it galvanised to stop it rusting. 
This makes an excellent lightweight climbing frame and fits
in with the modern look of the house.                           

The 1st floor roof garden is somewhat simpler in style because the roof construction can only take 150Kg per square meter.

There are stepping stones through a gravel bed, which Leo carted upstairs in buckets :~)

A couple of bits of left over trellis will form an archway in time.

This is a place for sun loving plants as it faces due south and gets sun all day.

A truly inspirational gravel garden was created by Derek Jarman at Dungerness. As I always seem to be raving about it here are some pictures.