DIY Garden Borders

Outline the shape and depth of your garden border in late winter or early spring, or as soon as the snow melts, if you're in a northern region. Lay a flexible garden hose down where you want your border to be. Scatter all-purpose flour along the hose to mark the border.

Remove the garden hose. Scrape up all sod, grass, weeds, roots and other materials that you do not want in your border. You may wish to keep some plants, such as shrubs or rose bushes, that may already be growing there.

Turn the soil thoroughly and remove any underground roots or rocks. Cover the border area in black plastic for at least a month. This will discourage new weeds and grasses from taking root in the soil.

Remove the black plastic covering. Till the soil deeply and rake the area smooth. Remove or crush any clumps of dirt so that the planting surface is level and clean.

Work a shovelful of compost into the border area every 12 inches. Water well before setting out plantings.

Install your taller border plants, such as hollyhocks and delphiniums, at the back of the border to create a colorful background. Plantings in masses of at least seven plants of the same type are most eye-pleasing, according to Master Gardeners at the University of Arizona. Place medium-height plants in the middle, and dwarf or short plants near the border front.

Space the tall, bushy and spreading perennial plants in your garden border according to their mature height and width. Fill in any open spaces with colorful annuals such as nasturtiums, cosmos or bachelor buttons.

Water the garden border well when you've finished planting. Add a thick layer of cedar mulch or wood chips to help retain moisture in the border and to deter weeds.

Edge your garden border with a continuous planting of dwarf plants such as sweet alyssum to define the curves. Other edging materials could include garden rocks or boulders, sawn logs or pieces of driftwood.