How to Lay Brick Garden Edging
Brick garden edging can add a visual differentiation between your lawn and your garden. Garden edging has a secondary function: It prevents grass from growing into your garden. There are a number of ways to install brick garden edging. Although simpler ways will work well for the short term, using landscape fabric and crushed rock as a solid base for your edging will help keep your brick garden edging looking good longer.
Stake out the edge where you will install the brick edging. If the edge is already well defined, such as in an existing garden, you may not need to do this.
Tie string to the stakes to get an idea of the path where you will install the edging.
- Brick garden edging can add a visual differentiation between your lawn and your garden.
Cut the grass out along the line, using a lawn edger.
Remove any grass and dig a trench the width of the bricks on the garden side of the cut line, using a hand shovel. Make the trench about twice as deep as the thickness of your bricks.
Smooth the bottom of your trench and tamp it down with a length of 2-by-4 lumber.
Lay landscape fabric in the trench so it covers both the bottom and the sides of the trench. Use a handful of crushed rock to hold the fabric in place.
Fill the trench to a depth where the bricks will be between 1/2 inch and 1 inch above the level of the surrounding soil. Tamp the rock down with the 2-by-4 lumber as you fill the trench to ensure a solid, flat surface for the bricks.
- Cut the grass out along the line, using a lawn edger.
- Tamp the rock down with the 2-by-4 lumber as you fill the trench to ensure a solid, flat surface for the bricks.
Start to set the bricks on the gravel. Keep some gravel nearby in case you need to add gravel to level the bricks. You may also need to remove some gravel in some cases. Leave enough space between the bricks to fill them with gravel. Lay your 2-by-4 inch lumber along the tops of the bricks to ensure evenness.
Once all of the bricks are in place, fill the spaces between the bricks with gravel.
Cut excess exposed landscape fabric with a utility knife.
- Start to set the bricks on the gravel.
- Keep some gravel nearby in case you need to add gravel to level the bricks.
Tip
You can make a more simple brick edge by digging a trench and setting the bricks on end in the trench. This type of edging will be more susceptible to frost heave and may need more maintenance than bricks installed on a crushed rock base. An even easier way to install brick edging, but one that may require more maintenance, is to simply set the bricks on the flattened surface of the soil. This type of edging is less likely to deter grass and may be susceptible to frost heave in some areas.
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Tips
- You can make a more simple brick edge by digging a trench and setting the bricks on end in the trench. This type of edging will be more susceptible to frost heave and may need more maintenance than bricks installed on a crushed rock base.
- An even easier way to install brick edging, but one that may require more maintenance, is to simply set the bricks on the flattened surface of the soil. This type of edging is less likely to deter grass and may be susceptible to frost heave in some areas.
Writer Bio
Although he grew up in Latin America, Mr. Ma is a writer based in Denver. He has been writing since 1987 and has written for NPR, AP, Boeing, Ford New Holland, Microsoft, RAHCO International, Umax Data Systems and other manufacturers in Taiwan. He studied creative writing at Mankato State University in Minnesota. He speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, English and reads Spanish.
