Garden border

[Kieron79]

Looking to do a similar design as shown in the photo for our garden once the extension is complete, was just wondering what you lay the brick border in top of? Is it straight on top if soil and knock in with rubber mallet or do they need a specific base (I assume they do otherwise they would surely sink?)

[cooper44]

they need to go on top of a layer of sand (probably about 3 inches) and then tapped in - it's quite a precise job if you want them to be neat and stay put.

[Kieron79]

Ok thanks, would they need cemented in too?

[shovetheholly]

I have a circle in my garden like this, and I did it meself! proud

What I did was:

1. I took a big old pointy stake and bashed it into the centre of the circle. I tied a bit of non-flex twine to it and using a pointy bit of metal, I marked out the two lines of the brick circle like a giant compass. Leave the pointy stake and twine in place, you will need them later.
   
2. I then dug out a trench to a depth of just under 2 bricks. You have to go round the edge quite carefully, but you can be surprisingly accurate with your circle. You need to use a big long piece of wood and a spirit level to make sure that the whole thing is as level as you can get it.
   
3. I put in a load of crusher run in the bottom of the trench and compacted it down. This involved me and the cats storming round and round in circles for ages. The neighbours thought we were bonkers. More spirit levelling to check that it's not going to sink in one part and be too high in another. You want to think carefully about the height of the bricks if you are doing a lawn - they should be set BELOW the level of the grass so you don't hit them with the mower.
   
4. I got a load of lovely slate-coloured bricks off ebay. The driver dumped them in the road, so it took me a whole afternoon to carry them through to my back garden. I then laid them out in the circle so I could space them carefully. I used the pointy stick compass thing to make sure that the circle was completely accurate.
   
5. I got a big sack of mortar and mixed up a small amount at a time, and then buttered each brick on the base and side, and laid it. You tap it down gently with a hammer on a bit of wood and then check that it is level both ways with those next to it. This took ages and ages and ages, but it was worth it.