How to Build a Wood Curb for a Plant Bed

A flower bed can provide an oasis of beauty in the middle of your yard, one that can provide a splash of color in the vast, green expanse of your lawn. One problem with a plant bed in the middle of your yard is that the lawn can encroach on the bed. This can lead you to damage the plants with your lawnmower or trimmer when cutting the lawn near the bed. You can protect the beds by installing railroad ties around the perimeter to create a curb around the beds.

Tape measure
Railroad ties
Circular saw
Edging shovel
Shovel
Gravel
Rake
Drill
1/2-inch drill bit
Level
Wooden block
Hammer
Rebar
Sledgehammer

Instructions

- 1
  Measure and cut railroad ties to fit the perimeter of the bed.
- 2
  Place the railroad ties on the ground, forming a boundary at the edges of the bed where you'll install them.
- 3
  Score a line into the ground 2 inches away from the railroad ties with an edging shovel on the outer perimeter of the ties and on the inner perimeter. Score around the entire bed. Then move the ties out of the way.
- 4
  Dig a 6-inch-deep trench around the bed between the two score lines.
- 5
  Pour 2 inches of gravel into the trench and smooth it with a rake to make it level.
- 6
  Drill a pilot hole 1/2 inch wide into the railroad ties, drilling one hole every 3 feet.
- 7
  Place the railroad ties into the trench with the pilot holes going up and down.
- 8
  Lay a level on top of the railroad ties. If necessary, place a wooden block on top of the ties and hammer them down to make them level.
- 9
  Drive 2-foot-long sections of rebar through the pilot holes in the railroad ties into the ground with a sledgehammer until the rebar is even with the top of the ties.

How to Shade Leaves

How to Build a Wood Trellis From Willow Saplings

Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens