If price is the only deciding factor, then wood may be the material of your choice because it is cheap but doesn't last forever. A stone bed border doesn't have to be expensive, because you can also use old bricks for it.
How can you create a bed border from old bricks?
Collect old bricks from construction sites, demolition houses or classified ads. Lay the bricks either flat for a visual edge, upright for a more noticeable border, or slightly tilted for a very decorative jagged edge. Use a mortar bed for stability.
Where can I get old bricks?
Perhaps you still have a few old bricks lying around somewhere, either because you used them to lay a path or because the stones were left over from building or renovating a house. You can use these stones perfectly to create a bed border. If you don't have any stones at home, then take a look at classified ads on the Internet or in your daily newspaper.
A hardware store and gardening store can also help you with your search. You can either get old bricks there or ones that have been trimmed to look old. Building rubble dumps or construction sites are often ideal locations for old bricks or bricks, as are demolished houses.
How do I create a bed border from old bricks?
As a rule, old bricks are not uniformly colored, which is a large part of their appeal. So you shouldn't sort the stones strictly by color, but simply use them as they come into your hands. Just make sure that the bricks are intact, unless you want to use the existing damage as a design element.
You have various options when laying the old bricks. You can lay the stones flat, so you get an optical edge that is more or less level with the floor. If you place the bricks upright in a bed of mortar, this will still create a low edge, but will provide a clearer boundary for plants, lawnmowers and even your feet.
It is very decorative if you use the bricks upright but slightly inclined. This will give you a jagged edge. An angle of inclination of around 10 to 15 degrees is sufficient. So that the bricks actually stay at the desired angle of inclination, you should place them in a bed of mortar.
Design examples for old bricks:
- laid flat: optical edge
- set upright: clear border
- set diagonally: very decorative
Tip
Old bricks offer a variety of design options for your garden.
