How to Install Block Garden Edging

Garden edging, regardless of the material, separates garden space from a yard or lawn. Garden edging provides a distinctly noticeable border that protects the garden's contents from lawn mowers and weed eaters. Block garden edging requires only minimal labor. However, some homeowners may wish to install a more detailed and expensive block garden edging that looks more professional.

Shovel

Plastic sheeting

Block garden pavers

Concrete

Wheelbarrow

Trowel

Shovel out the area surrounding the garden. The shoveled out area should match the width of the blocks or garden pavers you will be using to create the garden edging. Do not shovel for than 2 inches deep or worry about making the area level unless you are concrete on the block garden edging. If you intend to use concrete, use a short carpenter's level to ensure the entire area is of level depth.

Lay plastic sheeting along the bottom of the shoveled area. The plastic will prevent weeds and grass from growing up between the cracks of garden block edging that is put into place without the use of concrete. For concreted block edging, plastic sheeting is not necessary. Use of concrete is not necessary, and depends on if you prefer to create a permanent edging or one that is easily moved.

Begin placing the blocks. If the garden you are edging is circular, begin laying the block edging pieces at any location. If the garden is square or rectangular-shaped, or the edging butts against a wall or walkway, starting at a corner, wall or a walkway provides the best results. Block that is too large to fit into spaces at the ends of the rows can be cut with a saw and cutting blade or broken with a scoring tool.

Lay the blocks into the space one at a time. Ensure that the ends of the blocks are pressed together as closely as possible and then lay another brick on the end in the same manner. Stack blocks on top of one another in a staggered brick pattern to make the block garden edging taller.

Mix a load of concrete, if you want to use concrete to assemble the block garden edging. Mix the cement with water in a wheel barrow, so the concrete is portable as you move along the length of the garden.

Apply concrete between each of the blocks, along the sides, and the tops and bottoms. Use a concrete trowel to place concrete on the blocks and to wipe excess concrete from between the blocks.

Remove excess concrete from the wheel barrow and rinse thoroughly before the excess concrete has a chance to dry inside the wheel barrow.