Bricks are probably needed every time you renovate, for example because you have removed the old, brick garden shed. The red bricks are often given away or sold for little money; corresponding offers can be found, for example, in the classifieds section of a well-known auction house on the Internet. You can use it to build both dry and mortar walls.
How do I build a raised bed out of bricks?
To build a brick raised bed, you will need bricks, mortar, filler and tools such as string, level, spade, shovel and trowel. Prepare the subsoil, build the raised bed, then fill and plant it.
You should have these materials ready
You will need the following materials for this raised bed made from old bricks:
- Bricks (quantity depends on size, shape and height of the planned bed)
- Mortar (freshly mixed cement)
- Filling material (coarse garden waste, compost, humus and topsoil)
When it comes to tools, you need a string and a spirit level (€8.00 on Amazon), spade, shovel, bricklayer or trapezoidal trowel and a rubber mallet for tapping the bricks into place.
This is how the raised bed is built from bricks
Before actually building the brick walls, you must first find a suitable location for the raised bed. Such a bed looks very pretty, for example, as a border to the terrace or as an eye-catcher in the front garden. By the way, the bed does not necessarily have to be rectangular: with appropriate planning, bricks can also be used to create round, polygonal or completely different shapes (for example several beds at different heights).
Prepare the substrate
A well-prepared surface is immensely important for the stability of the brick raised bed. If possible, choose direct contact with the ground - after all, the raised bed is open at the bottom and water must be able to drain away - and stake out the area using a string. Then remove the turf and dig a pit about ten centimeters deep. Remove all stones and root weeds. If necessary, fill in a foundation made of gravel and gravel and compact it carefully.
Building, filling and planting raised beds
Now you can pull up the brick walls. Make sure to build the walls straight - iron rods that you stick into the ground at regular intervals will help you with this. You should also check the alignment of the wall frequently using a spirit level. As soon as the wall is in place, it can be filled and planted. Don't forget to install a rabbit wire to protect against voles and line the brick wall with foil from the inside.
Tip
Instead of firmly grouting the brick wall, you can simply place the individual bricks on top of each other dry and fill larger joints with soil and plant them. However, such a dry wall cannot be built as high or large as a mortared wall.
