Build your own rustic wooden flowerbed border

An image of a rustic plant border in a lovely garden — A border will help to keep your garden looking neat and tidy.

Difficulty

medium
Cost

50-100 £
Duration

3 - 8 h

Introduction

A flowerbed border made from wooden blocks will give your hedges, shrubs and flowers a new, more defined home and help to define themed sections of the garden. These rustic blocks will add a little structure to the mix and enhance the overall look of your garden – they’re easy on the eye, calm the gaze and aid relaxation. The best part is that you don’t have to be a DIY expert to create our rustic planter border. So what are you waiting for?!

You need

Tools

Utilities

g-clamps
shovel
spade

Materials

Rectangular wooden blocks: 70 mm x 70 mm
Softwood, planed: as much as you like
Transparent outdoor glaze for wood

L: Length, W: Width, H: Height, D: Diameter

Let's go - step by step

Step 1 5

Saw the wooden blocks

Image showing someone sawing wooden blocks to make a homemade rustic wooden border — Sawing will be a lot quicker if you get an extra pair of hands to help.

You need: Jigsaws, Jigsaw blade HCS, T 344 D, g-clamps, wooden blocks

First, cut the wooden blocks to the desired length. To do this, clamp each block down on your workbench to prevent it from slipping. Then, saw it straight across using a cordless jigsaw. Repeat this step until you have enough wooden blocks to line the border of your flower bed.

A STYLE TIP FOR YOUR BORDER:

Different-length blocks will create a more unique and relaxed look.

Step 2 5

Spray the blocks with the wood glaze

Image of a man usung a Bosch paint spray system to glaze a homemade rustic wood border — The time and expense is worth it: glazed wood simply lasts longer.

You need: Paint spray system, wooden blocks, wooden glaze

To keep your border looking nice for longer, you now need to spray each wooden block with a thorough coating of weatherproof wood glaze. We recommend that you do this with a paint spray system, which will allow you to quickly and easily apply an even coating of the glaze. The amount of glaze you need will depend on the number of wooden blocks you have to cover and the relevant manufacturer’s instructions. Now sit back and let the glaze dry thoroughly – possibly overnight, depending on the type you use.

TIP:

A litre of wood glaze will cover around 10 m2. Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 3 5

Dig the border trench

Image showing a man digging a trench along a flower bed to put a wooden rustic border in — While the wood dries, you can dig a trench for your wooden blocks.

You need: Spaten, shingle (optional)

Okay, it’s not time for you to relax just yet. While the wooden blocks dry, you can do some digging. Take your spade and dig a trench around your flower bed the same width as your wooden blocks. The trench should be around the depth of your spade so the blocks don’t tip over.

GET EXTRA STABILITY

If you add a thin layer of shingle after digging out your trench, it will help to make the wooden blocks more stable and prevent them from sinking into the ground.

Step 4 5

Install the wooden blocks

Image of a man installing a rustic wooden border — Mixing up blocks of different heights will improve the look of your border.

You need: shovel, wooden blocks

Now place the thoroughly dried wooden blocks into the trench, lining them up close together. Then fill in the gaps with soil using a small trowel and tap everything down to make sure your border is stable. Be sure to vary the height of the wooden blocks to create a unique, dynamic look.

Step 5 5

Trim the edge of the lawn

Image of a man using a Bosch grass trimmer in the garden — If you trim the grass around the edge of your border, it will look twice as good!

For a clean finish, you need to trim the long grass around the edge of the border with a grass trimmer . With a cordless trimmer, you don’t have to worry about knotted cables – giving you the best possible freedom of movement and perfect results. Thanks to the plant guard, the trimmer won’t damage the wooden blocks – even when you trim right alongside them – leaving your rustic garden feature in the best possible condition for longer!