Mums are in pots
How much space do I leave from soil to top of brick?
by
Ellen
+10
I am making a box garden with bricks. I will have to add soil into this box. How many inches do I leave from soil to top of bricks? (for planting my plants)
I’m thinking fill it enough for the plants to be visible over the top of the stone.
I would go to the bottom half of the top brick with soil. Then I would add mulch (cypress or cedar do not attract bugs) to help save the moisture.
Have you put some crush under the bricks?
If not, they will soon begin to sink, lean, and fall, resulting in your flower bed dirt spilling out.
Just leave about 3 inches to the top of brick you will get a little settlement and you may have to top it off.
YOU CAN FILL UP TO AT LEAST HALF WAY OF THE TOP BRICK SO THAT YOU CAN ADD FRESH SOIL FROM TIME TO TIME. IF YOU PUT A BLACK PLASTIC AROUND THE INSIDE OF THE BRICK THIS WILL HELP RETAIN THE WATER AND THE SOIL FROM SEEPING OUT.. GOOD BASE DRAINAGE IS ALSO KEY TO NOT DROWNING OUT YOUR PLANTS DURING A HEAVY DOWNPOUR.
You're going to want to leave approx. 4", that way you can add 2" of mulch & still be 2" below the top of your brick. Happy planting.
You may want to consider using an exterior grade construction adhesive to adhere the bricks to one another. We just did a project almost exactly like this with the same stones (Lowe's?) and found we were constantly tripping on the bricks and pulling them out of place with a hose so we used the adhesive. Definitely use a crushed stone/stone dust base to absorb seasonal movement and get everything straight and level. We brought the soil level to the bottom of the top brick and added mulch to just about the top of the brick. Landscape fabric is good for weeds, but will not retain water.
Thanks Laura about sharing your experience the hard way. To avoid disappointment and frustration with the project, you will need to:
- remove the bricks one section at a time,
-dig out the ground aprox the same depth of one brick
- put the crush, leveling the bricks as you reposition them
Yes, it may seem like a little more work, but the flower bed will stand up to seasonal changes in the soil, and outdoor weather conditions, if constructed correctly from the bottom up.