Ideas for Brick Edging Around Trees

Positioning

• A brick border around a tree base gives you two main options for positioning: lay the bricks horizontally for a low, wide border, or place the bricks on end so the short edge sticks up out of the ground. The horizontal method of installation usually leaves the bricks even with the soil line, allowing you to mow right up to the edge of the grass for easier lawn upkeep. With the second option, the bricks reach deeper into the ground to provide more of a barrier for the area inside the tree ring.

Materials

• Traditional building bricks give you a simple edging option. You can find bricks in slightly varying colors to customize the border. Consider recycling bricks from another home improvement project to save money on the border. You also may use landscaping or retaining wall bricks as edging material; this gives you more variety in the size, style and design of the tree edging.

Area

• Another way to customize your landscaped tree area is by adjusting the size of the edging. The Home Depot recommends creating a tree ring that is between 3 and 6 feet away from the trunk so it doesn't interfere with the tree's growth or become warped from the roots. If you aren't sure how far out to place the border, measure out both distances from the trunk and mark each with a stake; this gives you a visual to determine exactly where to place your edging. When you decide on a distance, loosely tie a string around the tree truck and rotate it around the tree to help you mark the same distance all the way around.

Planting

• To make the tree base more decorative, add plants inside the brick edging. Since the tree shades the area for much of the day, plants that don't need a lot of direct sunlight are your best options. Try hostas, begonias, impatiens, bleeding hearts and lily of the valley. Taller plants near the tree trunk and shorter plants near the brick give a tiered look to the landscaped area.