How to Build a Raised Bed Garden with Landscape Blocks
Bring your measurements to the home store when you choose your landscape blocks. There are many colors and textures to choose from. The smaller sizes are easier to work with and weigh about 25 pounds each. Look for the ones with trapezoid shapes and guide bumps on top (like lego bricks) for easy assembly. The matching cap stones on top will give a finished look to your project.
Have the landscape bricks delivered and placed as close to your garden as possible. The home store can help estimate your order as there will likely be broken blocks on the pallet. The material cost for the blocks, trellis posts and delivery for the featured garden was about $700.00 in 2005.
Level the ground as best you can for the first course of blocks by laying a level on a 2x4. It is not necessary to lay a course underground for a project of this type. (Note: Retaining walls have different rules) Draw a chalk line from a squirt bottle to guide the original design. Lay them on the ground before digging, as you will likely need some adjusting as you go.
Tips:
Tree roots grow in the top 18 inches of soil and extend as far as the crown of the tree. Do not plan a tall landscape block garden around a tree as it would suffocate the roots. The featured project took about 6 week-ends to complete. Take your time and take breaks. Soil settles over time. In the beginning, completely fill the space with soil and hump it up a little in the middle. After two seasons it will be fully settled. Add amendments (peat, compost or manure) each spring around the base of the perennials and in the annual sections. A raised bed garden requires more water than a ground level garden. Consider it to be a super sized pot. |
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All content and images original works of kittycooks. Copyright 2009