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Raised Beds - Page 5

© Marge Talt

Block also comes in fancier form. Many buildings are faced in split face block; some of it is rather attractive. It comes in assorted colors, textures and designs. Of course, it's more expensive than plain block, but it is still less than stone or brick. This really needs to be installed with mortar, but that's something that most anyone can learn to do - if I can do it, anyone can. Mortar can be colored to match the color of the block you select.

If you choose to mortar your masonry, you will need to provide it with a concrete footing so it doesn't move and crack the mortar; check your local building department to find out how deep this needs to be in your area. Otherwise, you can set it on a bed of stone dust, gravel or sand to level it. As with all edgings, you want several inches of block below your finished grade.

If you mortar, you will need to leave weep holes every few feet so that water doesn't build up behind the masonry and crack it. You can insert a section of old garden hose or PVC pipe in a joint to create the weephole. Install these about every three feet (1 m) and angle them down toward the grade outside the bed so they will drain. Do this as you install and mortar the blocks in place.

If you have no inclination to learn how to mortar block, but you'd like masonry that's easy to intstall, landscape blocks may be just the thing for you. They are available in assorted colors and many are designed to stack easily without mortar. They also come with curved faces for creating curved beds. A very limited range of these is available at most DIY stores, like Home Depot.

If I were planning a project with masonry, however, - plain block or fancy - I would contact the local block distributor because they just might be less expensive and you can probably get them delivered to your house on pallets. If your local distributor has never heard of anything but plain Jane block, call one of the manufacturers - you just might need enough to buy direct from them. At least they can tell you who's your local distributor.

Brick

Brick can also be used to edge raised beds. I've seen them sunk on end at an angle as a bed edging. This is not my favorite bed edge design, but it may be yours. You can set them on end with a level top, but you need to bury at least half the brick for stability. Any other pattern will need more than one course to achieve any height, which means mortar again.

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