How to Edge With Bottles

Edge a patio, terrace or garden walk with old bottles. Wine bottles and microbrew beer bottles come in various colors, as do some spring water bottles and liquor bottles. Use empties from parties, a neighborhood bar, restaurant or liquor store, or spread the word among your friends to bring you some. If you're running a little short, have an edging party and use the empties to finish the bottle border.

Empty glass bottles
Rag (optional)
Vinegar (optional)
Shovel
Tape measure (optional)
Garden hose

Instructions

- 1
  Wash all empty glass bottles and remove labels. You can soak the bottles to get the labels off or leave a rag soaked in vinegar on the label to soften the adhesive so the paper peels or scrapes off easily. Let the bottles dry.
- 2
  Dig a trench along the border you intend to edge with the bottles. The dimension of the trench should be at least 4 inches deep and 2 inches wide. The deeper the trench, the less of the bottle protrudes.
- 3
  Insert the bottles in the trench, neck down, either straight up and down or on a slant. Begin at one end of the border and keep the bottles touching. Fill in the soil around the bottles as you go to hold them in place.
- 4
  Pack the bottles in soil as close together and tightly in formation as possible. Vary the colors in a pattern if you start with enough bottles. If you create a color pattern it should hold true for the entire walkway. If you haven't collected all the bottles yet, since you can't predict what comes from the suppliers as time goes on, your pattern could be impossible to complete.
- 5
  Water the new border so the earth settles and you can tell if any area needs more soil to stabilize the bottles. Plant Irish moss or another green ground cover alongside the border to contrast with the glass.

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