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How to Stack Stones for Garden Edging

Using stones to create an edging for the garden serves multiple purposes. In addition to adding beauty to the garden, it also creates a defined boundary and helps prevent soil erosion. Creating a sturdy stone edging with landscaping rocks is an easy project that requires no expertise. The edging for a garden can be built in the space of an afternoon.

Things You'll Need

  • Shovel
  • Sand
  • Landscaping stones
  • Mortar
  • Trowel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dig a five- to six-inch-deep trench all the way around the area that you plan to edge with stones. The trench should be as wide as the landscaping stones used.

    • 2

      Fill the bottom inch of the trench with sand to create a sturdy base for the stones. This will also help with drainage and reduce erosion.

    • 3

      Lay the bottom row of stones in the trench. Place a thin layer of mortar between each of the stones to keep them in place. The stones should extend over the top edge of the trench by about an inch.

    • 4

      Put a layer of mortar on top of the stones and add the second layer of stones on top of the first. Place the center of a rock so that it is over the joint of the two rocks beneath it. This will make the stone wall sturdier.

    • 5

      Repeat step 4 with as many layers of stones as you desire to create the edging for the garden. Place topsoil around the edges of the wall and fill in any gaps in the trench with mortar to keep the stone edging in place.