If you want to put in a flower bed that will last for years, instead of using wood, make your flower bed out of brick. It will take some time and some special tools, but the flower bed you build should last for years.

#1 Measure Out The Area

The first thing you need to do is measure out the area where you want your brick flower bed to go. Remember, the bricks you use are going to take up some of the space inside of your flower bed, so make sure that you take that into account as you measure out your flower bed.

#2 Dig Down Where The Bricks Will Go

The second thing that you need to do is dig down where the bricks will go. You don't want to place the bricks on top of the ground. You want to dig down into the ground and create a solid foundation for your bricks. This will ensure that the wall you build is sturdy and will not give away the first time it rains and some dirt is moved away from your brick wall. Ideally, you want to dig deep enough so that almost an entire row of bricks is below ground.

#3 Set Reference Lines

Once you have dug out the area where the bricks and flower bed will go, you'll want to create reference lines so that you know exactly where you want the bricks to go within the footprint that you just dug out. You can use chalk or spray-paint to create these reference lines. Just make sure that they are straight and are visible so you can stay on track while laying the bricks.

#4 Mix the Mortar

Now you need to mix the mortar that you will be using to bind the bricks together. You can purchase pre-mixed mortar from your local home improvement store. Most of these pre-mixed bags of mortar only require you to add water to them; you'll want to use a spade to mix the mortar up, and probably a wheel barrow to transport it. You'll know you've achieved the proper consistency when the mortar is yet yet still hangs onto your spade when you lift it up.

#4 Damping The Area

When the mortar has been mixed, take a hose and make the area where the mortar is going damp. Do not saturate the area; just get it damp. Then, put down a one-inch thick layer of mortar where the bricks will be going. This will help ensure that the bricks bind to the ground and stay in place as you build your flower bed.

#5 Butter The Blocks, Place, Trim & Repeat

Take the first block and use a spade to "butter" the end of the block. "Buttering" a block just means spreading mortar over a side of the brick, generally about an inch thick, similar to how you would butter up a piece of toast. For the first brick, you only need to butter the inside end of the brick since the outside edge will be outer part of the flower bed. Press it down into the mortar and use a leveler to ensure that the brick was pushed evenly into the mortar.

Work your way down the first side, this time buttering up of the outer two sides of the brick that will come into contact with the other bricks. Be sure to use your leveler to keep everything even.

#6 Set Up The Corner

When you get to the end of a side of the flower bed, you will need to create a corner. Creating a corner is simply, just butter up both sides of the brick, and turn the brick so that it is going in the appropriate direction. Continue until you have the first lawyer complete.

#7 Build Up

To build up, you are going to use essentially the same process as above for the next layer. The only difference is that instead of adding a one-inch thick layer of mortar to the ground where the bricks will be going, you are going to add it on top of the layer of bricks that you just placed. Try to stagger the bricks so that the line in between all the bricks do not line up; this will make your flower bed more solid.

#7 Smooth It Up

Continue until all the bricks are laid. Use a jointing tool to get rid of any extra mortar that is sticking out and running the aesthetic of your flower bed.

If you don't have the time to do this job yourself, you can always hire a concrete contract to come out and build your flowerbeds; it should be a quick half-day job for most contractors. To learn more, contact a company like Unit Step Company.

Share