Backyard Makeover: DIY Garden Beds and Must-Have Accessories

Dreaming of upgrading your outdoor space into a personal backyard oasis? Adding customized garden beds can transform even the simplest yard into a relaxing retreat. With a little planning and elbow grease, you can create the perfect plantings for gardening, entertaining, or simply enjoying the view.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the entire process of designing and installing DIY garden beds using a variety of materials. You’ll get step-by-step instructions, handy tips, and recommendations for must-have accessories to make your garden beds both beautiful and functional. Let’s get started designing your backyard makeover!

The Benefits of Installing Garden Beds

Before diving into the specifics, let’s look at why garden beds make such a big impact:

• • Grow plants and vegetables – Beds provide ideal conditions for growing flowers, herbs, veggies, and more.
  • Improve aesthetics – Decorative beds and borders add colour, texture, and visual interest to the yard.
  • Define space – Beds create designated areas for relaxation, play, entertainment, gardening, etc.
  • Increase property value – Landscaping adds curb appeal and home value comes resale time.
  • Reduce maintenance – Mulched beds limit weeds and eliminate grass trimming around obstacles.
  • Customize functionality – Tailor beds to your needs – ornamental, edible, drought-tolerant, low maintenance, and much more!

With proper planning and construction, DIY garden beds can enhance beauty, comfort, and functionality in your outdoor living space. Now let’s explore how to build them successfully from the ground up.

Garden Bed Design Essentials

Careful planning is crucial prior to installation. Consider these key factors when designing your beds:

Layout

• • Maximize sunlight based on sun patterns in your yard. Most plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
  • Locate paths and seating areas adjacent to beds for easy care and enjoyment.
  • Use geometric shapes and straight edges for a clean, orderly look. Curves also add interest.

Size

• • Limit bed width to 3-5 feet for easy access from both sides without stepping in the bed.
  • Incorporate smaller beds into the design rather than a few overly large ones. These are easier to care for.

Irrigation

• • Situate beds within reach of your hose or irrigation system.
  • Group plants with similar watering needs together.

Drainage

• • Ensure proper drainage by amending soil with compost or gravel and avoiding depressions.
  • Edge beds to prevent erosion and retain soil.

Materials

• • Choose durable, attractive edging that complements the overall landscape design.

Careful planning ensures your DIY garden beds will meet your needs for years to come. Now let’s get building!

Build Freestanding Garden Beds

Freestanding garden beds sit on top of an existing patio, lawn, or bare soil, without being set into the ground. This makes them ideal for renters or sites with poor drainage. Follow these basic steps:

1. Select a Level Site

Choose a level spot that receives ample sunlight – at least 6-8 hours daily. Check for buried cables, pipes, or sprinklers if needed.

2. Decide on Size

As mentioned earlier, limit the width to 3-5 feet across for easy access. The length depends on the space available. Standard heights are 25-30cm but 20+cm improves drainage.

3. Build Frame

Use rot-resistant lumber like cedar or redwood. Cut boards with 45-degree angle corner joints for extra strength. Assemble into a square or rectangular frame using exterior screws.

4. Add Base

Line the bottom with weed barrier fabric. Top with 5-8 cm of gravel for drainage. Paver bases or bricks also work.

5. Fill Bed

Use a quality potting mix for optimum drainage and nutrition. Top off periodically as the soil settles.

6. Finish Edges

Cover exposed wood with trim, plaster screed, or other material if desired. Painting also dresses up basic lumber.

Freestanding beds are quick, easy, and versatile for small-space veggie gardens, decorative plantings, and more. Now let’s look at options for more permanent in-ground beds.

Build Wood Garden Beds

For a classic, attractive look, wooden planks make a fine border for in-ground landscape beds. Follow these steps:

1. Outline Bed Location

Mark out the bed shape and perimeter with stakes and string. For straight planks, use stakes to make straight lines.

2. Dig a Trench Around the Outline

Dig a 10-20cm deep trench along the marked line, removing turf inside. Add excavated soil to the bed area.

3. Install Planks

Cut cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated pine planks to the desired height. Set planks into trench, leaving 5-7cm above grade.

4. Backfill Behind Planks

Shovel soil back over plank edges in trench to stabilize. Pack firmly. Angle backfill if desired for sloped edges.

5. Finish Exposed Wood

Stain, paint, or top with cap rocks or trim for a finished look. Let wood weather naturally for a rustic vibe.

With basic carpentry skills, you can create neat and orderly wood-framed beds on the cheap. For a more ornate look, try the next option.

Build Brick or Stone Garden Beds

Brick and stone make eye-catching borders for in-ground beds. Follow a similar process to wood beds:

1. Outline the Bed and Dig the Trench

Dig a trench the width of your stone or brick. The depth equals the height of your material (5-8 cm typical).

2. Set Edge Material in the Trench

Place bricks or stones into the trench, packing firmly to stabilize. Use steel stakes to hold bricks if desired. Leave 2-5 cm exposed.

3. Backfill Behind

Shovel soil behind the installed edge to fill the trench and hold material in place.

4. Finish Edges

Apply polymeric sand between brick or stone joints. Hose to set. Use matching mortar if desired between stones.

5. Add Finishing Touches

Include small capstones or special accent bricks for ornamental beds. Or let the classic look of basic bricks speak for itself.

The right bricks or stones can create an upscale, distinctive border for garden beds and pathways.

Trying Trendy Upcycled Edges

Upcycling common objects into garden bed borders is an eco-friendly option gaining popularity:

• • Old books – Stack with pages facing out in trenches to create literary garden beds.
  • Bottles and jars – Place colourful glass containers open side down in trenches to emit rainbow light effects.
  • Tires – Cut sidewalls out of old tires and embed stacked vertically. Paint first for extra charm.
  • Logs – Use half-log rounds or split logs with the bark still on for a natural edge.

Let your imagination run wild combining everyday items to invent unique garden bed borders!

Pick Perfect Plants

Once your beds are prepped, it’s time for the fun part – choosing plants! Consider these tips for success:

• • Find your zone – Select plants suited to your climate using the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
  • Maximize sun – Assess sunlight patterns and plant sun-lovers together in the brightest beds.
  • Improve soil – Work in 7 to 10cm of compost or rotted manure before planting.
  • Plant densely – Begin with seedlings spaced closer than their mature spread. This prevents early weeds.
  • Mix and match – Combine flowers, herbs, edibles, and foliage plants for variety and visual interest.
  • Choose pollinator-friendly plants – Support bees and butterflies by including nectar-rich flowers like coneflower, lantana, salvia, and butterfly bush.

With the right plant selection, your DIY garden beds will flourish like a professional landscape!

Top-Rated Garden Bed Plants

Here are 10 can’t-miss varieties for high performance in garden beds and borders:

Flowers

• • Zinnia
  • Marigold
  • Begonia
  • Petunia
  • Geranium

Edibles

• • Cherry tomato
  • Peppers
  • Bush beans
  • Lettuce
  • Radish

Herbs

• • Basil
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Sage

Foliage

• • Coleus
  • Dusty Miller
  • Sweet Potato Vine
  • Ivy Geranium
  • Calibrachoa

Must-Have Garden Bed Tools

Equip yourself with these handy tools to maintain beautiful DIY beds with ease:

• • Garden fork – Loosens soil and lifts plants with minimal root disruption
  • Action hoe – Slices weeds off at soil level
  • Ergonomic trowel – Transplants and digs with less stress on wrists
  • Garden knife – Clean cuts on spent blooms and for harvesting
  • Garden tweezers – Precision weeding and deadheading
  • Watering can – Gentle, direct water delivery to delicate seedlings
  • Soil scoop – Evenly fills pots and targeted areas
  • Gardening gloves – Save hands from blisters and abrasion
  • Knee pads – Cushion and protect joints during close-up tasks
  • Pruners – Sharp, quality pruners suit most cutting needs

Invest in high-performing tools and enjoy gardening tasks instead of dreading them!

Finishing Touches: Mulch, Decor, and More

Special touches complete your DIY garden bed oasis:

Mulch beds with 7 – 10 cm of pine bark, wood chips, or other organic matter to retain moisture, reduce weeds, and give a polished look. Leave a small perimeter clear of mulch around plants.

Add decor like stepping stones, bird baths, sculptures, wind chimes, and potted containers for whimsy. Keep proportions in scale with beds.

Include seating like benches, chairs, or stools so you can relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

Install lighting such as low-voltage landscape lights and path lighting for the evening ambience and to showcase your beds.

Water wisely using soaker hoses, drip irrigation, timed sprinklers, or water-saving nozzles to provide plants with sufficient hydration without waste.

Fertilize organically by topdressing beds with compost or applying natural fertilizers like fish emulsion and kelp extract. This nourishes plants and soil biology.

Edge and define straight, clean bed lines by slicing around the perimeter with a speciality edging tool or half-moon edger once or twice a season.

Maintaining DIY Garden Beds

With routine care, your beds will only get better over time. Follow these maintenance tips:

Weed early and often – Pull weeds when small before they overtake beds. Spread preen or mulch to deter them.

Pinch off spent blooms – Deadhead flowers to encourage reblooming. Leave those that self-sow if desired.

Divide overgrown perennials – Lift, divide, and replant large clumps every 2-3 years to rejuvenate.

Prep for winter – Tidy up beds and add fresh mulch in autumn. Leave some seed heads for winter interest.

Feed and amend soil – Replenish nutrients each spring with aged manure or compost mixed into beds.

Edge bed lines – Use a specialised edger or half-moon tool to slice clean edges around the perimeter.

Water 5 to 10mm per week – Increase watering during the heat of summer. Reduce in cooler months.

With some regular TLC, your DIY garden beds will thrive season after season!

Let’s Recap: Keys to Garden Bed Success

Let’s review the key steps for achieving stellar DIY garden beds:

• • Design for sunlight, access, scale, and irrigation needs before installation
  • Select quality, rot-resistant materials suited to freestanding or in-ground use
  • Build stable raised beds, ensuring adequate drainage
  • Plant densely with varieties suited to your climate and conditions
  • Include diverse plants – flowers, herbs, edibles, and foliage
  • Water thoroughly and fertilise organically to build healthy soil
  • Maintain with regular weeding, pruning, and renewal to keep beds flourishing
  • Add decorative touches – mulch, accents, lighting, and seating

Seek Expert Help for Garden Bed Installs

While DIY garden bed projects are very fulfilling, they also involve lots of heavy lifting, digging, and time. Experienced landscaping teams like Letitia Bruwer Landscapes can save you sweat and effort! They can handle bed construction, soil enhancement, planting, mulching, and all aspects of installation and maintenance. Let our experts make your backyard dreams a reality! Contact us today for a complimentary quote – your yard revamp awaits!