Making a new bed with bricks?

Discussion in 'Garden Design and Plant Suggestions' started by Scubaman2151, Feb 24, 2008.

  1. Scubaman2151

    Scubaman2151 Member

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    Well I have 1 flower bed that I would like to make into a raised bed by laying brick around it.

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    I also have 3 ornamental grasses next too the garage. I would like to brick this and make this into a raised type bed as well. Then add some type of plant in between the tall grass.

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    The green square is where the last tall grass is located in case you couldn't see it.

    In both sets of pictures the red line is where I would like to brick.

    My question is how do I start laying the brick so that it comes out even throughout the project?

    Thanks,

    Scuba
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2008
  2. lorax

    lorax Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    You can take your tips from any article on bricklaying; here's what I do when I brick in a bed.

    You'll need:
    1) to wait until the frost is out of the ground.
    2) bricks sufficent to the project. Are you going to use grey cement ones, or redbrick, or what? If you're enterprising, you can make your own with a simple to bang together 2x4 and plywood mold, some cement and sand, and colorant, and then they can be whatever size and colour you want, and you can make more if you find that you're short.
    3) a shovel, preferrably with a flat head (ie not a spade) and a trowel.
    4) a fairly heavy rubber-headed mallet; I use a 2-pounder for jobs like this.
    5) some sticks and string. I use old chopsticks, usually.
    C) a ruler or measuring stick of some sort.
    6) if you're going taller than one row, you might want to invest in some mortar to give the project strength against the contents of the bed.

    How to do it:

    1) Measure out where you want the beds to be, stake the corners with the sticks, then run the string along them to give yourself a nice, straight line. Try to tie off at the same level above the ground on each stick, as this will give you a general check of how level you are. THIS IS IMPORTANT - measure the length of your bricks first, then plan in multiples of that length. That way you won't have to cut bricks.
    2) Dig a trench that's a bit wider than the width of your bricks, and about a third of their height deep, along this line. I use a square-headed shovel for this, so that I can make the outside edge really straight vertically; the other side doesn't have to be so pretty since it will be inside the bed. Try to keep this to a fairly even depth; you can fudge around with dirt later but it's time consuming and a bit frustrating.
    3) Use a ruler or yardstick to check your depths, and adjust and pack as necessary. I do this by sprinkling in a bit of dirt, putting a brick on top of it, then thwacking it with the mallet until it feels nice and solid.
    4) Start laying in the bricks. If the bed is to be against, say, the house, start with the edges that touch the house. Otherwise, pick a corner and go nuts. Womp each brick firmly with the mallet, and pack some dirt to the bedward side of each brick to keep it all steady.
    5) Once everything's laid in, you can thwack any irregularities in height out with the mallet. Then fill your bed. If you're adding a second layer (for example if you use standard redbrick) then this is the time to brush off the tops of these bricks and mortar on the second layer, and the third, and so on. (bricklaying of this sort is more of an art than a science; I'd suggest getting a good book from the library on the basics if you do decide to go this way.)
    6) Book yourself a massage, since you'll need one by this point.

    Voila. Brick-edged beds. It's not that hard, just time consuming.

    If you want to be really finickity and professional, you can buy brick anchors specific to the types of brick you'll be using at landscaping supply stores, and use these to keep your lines straight and your corners true. It can add anywhere from $50 to $200 to your project.

    And here's an NB if you decide to use something like rectangular patio pavers, which are quite broad on top and only about 1 inch or so thick. You can stand these puppies up on their thin edge, running along the longer side, but if you do this you should make your trench wide enough for two rows, then lay them in a half-opposing simple run (so that the join on the front row is covered by the middle of the brick behind) to give the bedwall more stability. If you do this, you'll have to either buy some half-bricks, or cut some bricks in half (to make up the odd-run difference.) You can cap the tops with redbrick if you want, for a classy finish.

    Hope this helps,
    Lorax
     

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