How to Lay Landscape Timbers

Installing Landscape Timbers

• 1

  Design your raised garden, flowerbed or other landscaping feature. If you keep your perimeter to lengths divisible by four, very little cutting will be required. Decide how many courses of timbers you wish to stack together. You can easily stack two or three courses together, but more than that may require additional reinforcement with reinforcing bar (rebar).

• 2

  Calculate the number of landscape timbers you need to purchase. Purchase extras in case you need to make adjustments. You also need a supply of lag screws and spikes to hold the timbers together. Buy rebar if you are building more than three courses of timbers.

• 3

  Dig a shallow trench about three inches deep for your first course of landscape timbers. Use string tied to two sticks to help you keep the trench straight as you dig it. Make sure the trench is level.

• 4

  Set the timbers in the trench. Put soil back in the trench or remove it as necessary to make sure the timbers are level. Push the ends of timbers tightly against each other.

• 5

  Butt corners together to form right angles. You can use a circular saw to miter the corners. Another option is to cut and notch the ends like you would find in a log cabin. Join the corners with 6-inch lag screws.

• 6

  Anchor this first course in the ground with spikes driven through the wood and into the ground. Alternatively, you can drill holes in the timbers and place rebar through the timbers and into the ground. Cut off any exposed rebar with a reciprocating saw.

• 7

  Continue laying the second course of landscape timbers. Try to arrange the timbers so that no seams line up. Check that the timbers are level. Add shims to level the timbers, if necessary.

• 8

  Build the raised garden or flowerbed to the desired height. You can stabilize the entire structure by drilling holes through the timbers and inserting more rebar. Long spikes can also join the courses together more firmly.