Using old garden blocks for border

joetab24 · 04-03-2010, 03:40 PM

Have all of these blocks (cobblestone?) that used to be stacked sitting in my garage......Not sure how people use these, but they obviously weren't meant to be stacked the way they were.

Before

After (w/ new patio...not a DIY job for me!)

I am thinking I will use them to make a garden border. Would I have to put down a crushed stone base like I did for the first row of the wall I did last spring? Or is that not necessary for a garden border?

Bushman · 04-03-2010, 05:53 PM

I wouldn't. I would just dig a couple inches and fill with sand. If it's not too much trouble put landscape fabric under the blocks to prevent weeds and grass from growing between them. If you were constructing a wall like the other pic then yes you would need a base of compacted gravel.
Those almost look like real cut stone. Make sure you show them off

Scuba_Dave · 04-03-2010, 05:56 PM

I dig down so that the block is even with the grass
Then I can put one wheel of the lawnmower on the blocks to cut the grass
One advantage of digging down further is it should stop grass etc from growing under the block
But I have never put anything under my graden borders

joetab24 · 04-05-2010, 04:02 PM

started to work on this today...

just kind of eyeballing things as I moved. i made a line with my hose and used it as a rough guide, rather than following it precisely (put some flour over hose and moved it out of the way as I dug).

i've reached a point where the grade of the yard is higher (a good 6 inches or so). now what? i don't think I want to dig all of the dirt on the high end out. have no where to put it. i learned from the wall I did last spring that I could "step it up" but I haven't been as precise as I was with the wall, so I am questioning how this will look.

I could end the border on the low end and do another on the higher end.

Scuba_Dave · 04-05-2010, 05:09 PM

I usually just floow the grade of the lawn
Depends upon the look you want

joetab24 · 04-06-2010, 06:00 PM

progress...look ok?

most of the lawn will eventually be covered with some type of ground cover....not sure what. i will use this flower bed to plant some annuals/perennials. not sure what yet. i also am thinking i will go around the pachysandra section with some of the stones.