Brick beds: pros and cons, types and how to do it yourself

The aesthetics of the design of a flower garden or garden is no less important than practicality and ease of use. In this case, gardeners and gardeners have already managed to appreciate the advantages of rationally arranged beds made of red, silicate or decorative bricks. But they have their advantages and disadvantages, which must be considered at the design stage.

Specific brick beds

Brick beds are stationary, non-movable devices, therefore, before creating them, it is necessary to take into account the fact that structures are built for many years.It will simply be impossible to move them to another place or make serious adjustments to the structure after some time.

Despite the fact that such structures look aesthetically pleasing, they are only suitable for a certain type of garden, vegetable garden or flower garden. This style is called regular, that is, built according to geometric rules. If you want to see your yard in a more relaxed, natural style, brick beds are not your choice.

Besides the above, this is a costly undertaking. It is necessary to take into account the cost of the brick or stone itself, additional materials, as well as the work of erecting the structure and filling it with high-quality, more often purchased soil.

Pros and cons

Brick structures have a number of advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of building structures:

1. Aesthetic appearance, neatness of the garden or flower garden. When watering, it is possible to keep the paths clean, and even frames make the composition clear and complete.
2. Possibility of device on unsuitable soils for agriculture, for example, on waterlogged lands, s alt marshes, dense clay or sandy soils.
3. Ease of handling. Brick structures are more or less elevated above the ground, so it is more convenient to take care of plants, you do not need to bend over much. This will be appreciated by everyone, especially older gardeners and flower lovers.
4. Protection functions. High brick sides partially protect planted plants from the negative effects of various pests, such as snails and slugs, field mice, and if a dense metal mesh is provided in the lower part of the structure, then from rats, moles and bears.
5. Quick warming of the ground in springtime.
6. Accelerated convergence of water during excessive watering or prolonged rainfall.
7. Easy to care for plants: they are easier to water, feed, weed, tie up and treat with pesticides.

However, some of the advantages of brick beds may also be their disadvantages:

1. Construction costs. Before it starts, you need to calculate the cost of building materials and work. If you plan to make a lot of structures, the project will be expensive.
2. Inability to quickly and without additional costs change the purpose of occupied sections. If they decide to plant a garden or build a house in their place, you will first have to move perennial plants, dismantle stationary structures and take out construction debris. And this is a considerable temporary, physical and monetary cost.
3. Elevation above the ground ensures a quick runoff of water and this also leads to accelerated drying of the earth in the beds, the need to water more often.
4. Limited amount of soil in the garden requires frequent fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers.
5. Repelling some rodents and insects, slugs, brick beds attract cats who like to make a toilet there, which is clearly not conducive to the rapid growth of flowers and vegetables.

Choosing whether or not to make brick beds should be extremely thoughtful and meticulous, taking into account all the pros and cons of such structures for a particular situation and site.

Types of beds

Brick beds can have almost any shape - from simple geometric to complex fantasy. The simplest and most popular are rectangular structures. They are practical, uncomplicated, great for growing vegetables, herbs, herbs and salads, as well as undersized berries such as strawberries and strawberries.

For flower beds, curly shapes are more often chosen - circles, ovals, curvilinear structures, consisting of one or more beds. Everything here is connected with the imagination, desire and capabilities of the customer.

Also, with the help of bricks or other materials, you can simply lay out the frame of the beds, practically without raising them above ground level. Such fences not only prevent the growth of plants, but also do not allow irrigation water and dirt to drain onto the paths, soiling them.

For greenhouses and greenhouses, high beds are more relevant, which reduce the physical burden on the person who cares for plantings and crops.

How to make brick beds with your own hands?

Making beds out of brick, wild or artificial stone, or other materials is quite within the power of a person who knows how to handle tools and has knowledge of construction.

High

To create high beds of bricks, the shape of the future structure is marked on the selected site. A small foundation is dug up to a depth of 30 centimeters, on the bottom of which sandy drainage is laid with a layer of 10 centimeters. If the soils are too permeable, for example, sandy, you can make a thin "castle" of oily clay. It will not allow irrigation or rain water to immediately leak into the sand.

Then a foundation is laid around the perimeter. Since it is planned to build brick walls up to 1 meter high, it is necessary to ensure the strength of the structure. For this, fittings, high-quality mortar and brick laying in dressing are used.

Bricked

These are the simplest brick beds in terms of design, cost and construction. For them, with the help of pegs and twine, the shape is beaten off, the soil can be removed a little, especially if it is not of very high quality, and poured with fertile earth mixture.A shallow groove is dug under the sides. Framing can be laid out with bricks in the form of inclined elements without mortar bonding, or a low wall can be erected in one or two bricks using the usual masonry technology with dressing. Reinforcement is not required in this case.

Curly

To create such beds of brick, you will need to create a plan on which not only the outlines of the future structure will be drawn, but also all dimensions will be calculated.

Then, according to this plan, the outlines in proportions are transferred to the land. The work is almost identical to the construction of high beds, except for the very height of the structure, although flower beds are sometimes erected with height differences to emphasize the choice of plants, sizes and colors.

In the greenhouse

Brick beds are erected here along the structure, with free space it is possible to do this in 2-5 rows. When growing tall plants, it is necessary to provide hooks for fastening and garters, as well as paths for planting maintenance.

Possible errors

In the manufacture and operation of brick beds, the following errors and shortcomings are possible:

1. Excessive width of beds. The ground cannot be trampled in them, so the width of the structure should not exceed 120 centimeters.
2. Approach to the garden from one side only. It is necessary to process the surface and take care of the plants from all sides.
3. Lack of drainage. On dense soils, moisture will stagnate, and on sandy and loose soils, it will quickly go into the subsoil.
4. Lack of protection against moles, mice or rats in the presence of pests on the site.
5. Increased attention to the aesthetic side at the expense of the practicality of the design.

If brick beds are carefully thought out and rationally arranged, they will last for decades and bring a lot of pleasure to both plants and gardeners themselves.

Recommended