Question
I have a concrete foundation.  Seeing as my two beds begin at the concrete base, I need to know how to protect the house from the moisture of the flower beds.  The only thing I'm coming up with is to (re)seal the concrete wall and add a layer of brick or concrete edging against the house and have my dirt butt up against that instead of the house.  Can I just separate the dirt and foundation with heavy duty plastic?  Help!  I want to plant my flowers!! :)

Answer
Leslie:
You need to do one of two things to ensure you do not get water in the wall. First you could create separation between the wall by building a back wall into your planter and leaving a 1" gap. Second you could seal the wall with a water proof membrane applied with a brush to the concrete and then add a layer of plastic sheeting between the soil and wall. The sheeting is called a poly membrane and needs to be of 6-10ML thickness to last and keep the water our. A coating and membrane like this will typically be sufficient for 5 years or more.

Best of Luck

Please take a look at my website if you have a chance.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
or my landscape e-zine
http://amenityarchitects.com

Sean J Murphy, LA, ISA, LEED AP