Flowerbeds can add color, structure and style to your yard and landscaping. If you are on a tight budget, finding cheap building materials may be critical, and even if you are not, saving on the flowerbed can allow you to spend more on your flowers and plants or build a larger flowerbed if you'd like. It is possible to build a simple flowerbed in your yard in one afternoon, allowing time for both construction and planting.
Step 1
Look for free, widely accessible materials to build a cheap flowerbed. Field stones, river rocks and other free, easily gathered stones are an ideal choice. You may have these rocks in your yard already or have a nearby quarry site. If you ask at a quarry or construction site, they will often allow you to haul away rocks at no cost.
Step 2
Choose a spot for your flowerbed. Areas near your home or porch, along a walkway or along the sidewalk are common, but a flowerbed is a beautiful addition to your yard regardless of where you place it. Use chalk to mark the borders of your flowerbed.
Step 3
Break up the ground using a hoe or shovel. Remove any large rocks as well as the sod if the area is currently grassy. Add topsoil as needed to the area where you will be planting. This is the ideal time to correct problems with the soil if you are aware of any.
Step 4
Arrange your stones around the border of your flowerbed. If the shape allows, fit them together or overlap like a jigsaw puzzle. Flat stones can even be stacked in a brickwork pattern to create a low stone wall for your flowerbed, but additional soil will be required for a raised bed.
Step 5
Add your plants or seeds. If you are using seeds, avoid covering your flowerbed with mulch until your plants have germinated and are well settled in the ground. Buying more mature plants at your local nursery allows you to create a more finished garden, but is also more expensive and may be a challenge if you are aiming for cheap flowerbeds. Young plants can be surrounded by mulch to reduce weed growth and create a pretty finished look for your cheap flowerbed. Water well and add fertilizer if appropriate for your plants and soil.
Skill: Moderately Easy
Ingredients:
- Field stones
- Topsoil
- Plants or seeds
- Fertilizer
- Shovel
- Hoe
- Chalk
- Mulch
Tip: Ask friends to share their plants to save money on your cheap flowerbed.
Start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before planting time to grow your own flowers for your flowerbeds.
Warning: Be sure stones are securely set to reduce the risk of injury.
Use a trimmer to mow around the stones of your flowerbed rather than your lawnmower.
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