How to Create a Flower Bed Border
- 1). Measure the circumference of your garden to figure out how much material you need. If your garden is round, line the garden with a hose and measure the hose.
- 2). Browse edging materials and border design ideas from a variety of gardening sources --- websites, books, magazines, etc. Decide if you want your border to look natural, grand or crafty. Creative design ideas include sinking empty wine or other glass bottles upside down, about 4 inches into the ground, or horizontal railroad ties for a rustic look.
- 3). Purchase enough edging material to line your flower bed. If you want your border to retain soil and mulch, you'll need extra material to sink into the ground for stability.
- 4). Use a spade to dig a trench about 2 inches wide and 6 inches deep for your border foundation. Skip this step if you want the border to sit flush with the flower bed's surface.
- 5). Spread an inch of sand on the surface of the trench.
- 6). Place the first brick or stone in the trench. Take a look at the brick from a few steps away to see if you are happy with the height. Add more sand if you want to raise the height.
- 7). Set the bricks in place along the trench, leaving about half an inch between each brick. Press them firmly into the sand or tap them with a hammer or rubber mallet.
- 8). Check that your border is even. Place a level or each side of your border.
- 9). Use the soil you removed while digging the trench to fill in the gaps between each brick. Press the soil firmly until you can't move the bricks.
- 10
Water the border enough to wet the soil in between so it grips the bricks when it dries and holds more firmly in place.
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