Garden fencing

Every gardener understands perfectly well that the real beauty of a site is not only its fruits, trees and flowers. The landscape is also an important part of the beautiful site. Fences for the beds will help to emphasize the neatness of your garden. After all, their functionality is not limited solely to their practical value. They, moreover, can be made very beautiful, and with their help it is easiest to assess the well-groomed area.

Well, from the practical functions, one can single out the fact that they easily cope with such a problem as weeds, prevent shedding of the beds and, in general, help keep them in shape.

These fences are, in fact, incredibly easy to build on your own. You just need to put in a little patience and time. Plus, they won't hurt your finances at all. So why not try to build them on your site too?

What are fences and barriers for?

As already mentioned, the functionality of barriers and fences is extremely diverse: from ordinary aesthetic beauty to significant advantages and conveniences:

1) First of all, the barriers were invented, of course, in order to fence the beds: to visually separate them. However, they also make it possible to maintain the shape of the beds. After all, you probably came across the fact that after rain or just over time, the beds "creep", lose their shape. Fences will help you forget about this problem forever.

2) Due to the fact that the fences go to a considerable depth underground, the root system of all kinds of weeds simply cannot break through this underground wall. In addition, if weeds nevertheless grow on some garden bed, they will not be able to go far. The boundaries of the garden will be a trap for them.

3) Barriers are also useful when covering plants with foil or agrofibre. Fences greatly simplify this process: securing arcs by digging into the ground is much easier to do if they have support.

4) There is no need to form beds at the beginning of each spring season: the fences will do it for you.

5) Fences contribute to the creation of the so-called "warm" beds. To do this, you will need to make a really high fence, into which you will cover soil or fertilizer in the form of compost. This is done in order to create a convenient "island" for the plants, being on which they will feel comfortable, their roots will not freeze, and they will be harvesting right up to the fall.

6) And, of course, the last, but not least, function of fences is decorative. A neatly placed border will help not only separate one bed from another, but also divide the vegetable garden and garden on your site.

Types of fences for beds

Naturally, the first question when building a fence arises, and from what to make it? Everyone has their own taste and their favorite materials. Someone prefers wood, someone - stone. Someone thinks that it is much better to make the garden by yourself, and someone - that you simply cannot do it better than a purchased one.Therefore, what material you will use is an exclusively personal decision of each.

Do not forget, however, that our instructions are not postulates, and when it comes to garden fences, with your imagination, you can really go into the distance, and come up with something that no one has ever done like from a tree, and from slate.

However, of course, the same tree or stone border has both its pros and cons, which we will tell you about and help you make the right choice.

Wooden fences

A good old tree: perhaps most gardeners prefer to resort to it. In addition to the fact that this material is available to absolutely every gardener, it is also distinguished by its endless variety and natural style, which many people like. For fencing, you can use both old, used boards, and freshly bought blocks of wood. By the way, their height is often more than enough to make a full-fledged garden bed from just one tier of wood.

However, naturally, the availability of wood is an important, but not the only factor pushing people to use this particular material for their fences and barriers. In addition to the fact that wood will not harm your wallet, it also makes the beds much healthier: since wood is a "living" material, it perfectly permeates both moisture and air, which is extremely important for any plant. Well, of course, it is also important that the tree fits perfectly into the landscape of any site due to its proximity to nature.

However, everything has its drawbacks. Including for wooden fences: if you do not resort to the use of special processing, they are very susceptible to the destructive effects of moisture: with a long stay in the ground, the wood simply rots. Therefore, special preparations are needed that impregnate it and do not allow it to be destroyed by moisture. With a tree, such procedures are incredibly easy to carry out, because it can easily undergo any processing. By the way, it is not at all recommended to resort to ordinary paint for these purposes, since it will crack sooner or later anyway.

Vine fences

I think everyone has seen a vine fence on someone's property at least once. Naturally, the desire immediately arises to set yourself the same. Indeed, it looks beautiful, to make it seems to be simple: why not? And yes, it's really simple to make it: the usual principles of weaving are applied here: pegs are driven in at the same distance from each other, around which elastic willow is braided. Moreover, the longer you want the fence, the less the distance between the pegs should be. In this way, the vine can be given any shape. However, with fences made of it, everything is not so simple. The fact is that such a fence is not very suitable for the role of a full-fledged barrier. Most often it is used exclusively as a decorative addition to a wooden or stone barrier.

The question of plastic bottles

Already the plastic bottles used as fences were seen for sure. Each entrance of any high-rise building will definitely have a small garden, studded with countless plastic containers. And this is really quite an economical, convenient and simple way to create a fence. However, unlike the others on this list, the bottle barrier is the most unaesthetic of all gardening options. They look alien and simply unnatural. So, if you are not least worried about the beauty of your site, it is better to send the bottles for recycling, and put the creation of the fence on wood, brick or other material.

Durable fences

The trees or vines may look beautiful, but nothing can make them remain in perfect condition for several decades. Unlike a stone.He, in turn, is not afraid of cold, heat, moisture, or sun. That is why it is on him that the gaze of gardeners and truck farmers often falls.

Concrete fences

Many people prefer reliability to beauty. However, concrete is a material that can easily combine both of these qualities. Fences made of this seemingly simple material can last for decades. In addition, concrete does not require the skills of a professional builder from you: you just need to have two hands, and the work will already boil. Nevertheless, some features of concrete are still there. Therefore, when using it, you need to thoroughly prepare by digging a deep trench around the area that you want to protect. After that, a 10-centimeter layer of rubble is poured into the pit itself. Without a trench filled with drainage, you don't even need to start preparing concrete.
If everything is ready, you can make fences from individual concrete blocks or resort to creating a monolithic wall. In addition, they can be easily transformed into something beautiful by applying some kind of pattern.

Metal fencing

There are also gardeners who love to modernize everything. For them, there are beautiful, smooth, sparkling metal fences. For their manufacture, completely different metals are used, for example, steel or stainless steel. Such materials are extremely durable and almost do not corrode, which simply cannot be avoided in the conditions of the garden and high humidity. However, metal fences have one significant drawback: they heat up terribly in the sun, which can lead to drying out of the soil and the need for constant additional watering. And if the soil dries out too much, damage to the plant root system cannot be avoided.

In addition, it is very important to know what kind of metal you are buying. Because, for example, galvanized steel cannot be coated with anti-corrosion agents or painted.

Decorative stone fences

Decorative stone is also one of the favorite materials used by many gardeners and gardeners who want to refine and decorate their site. Artificial decorative stone is not the cheapest material, but it is definitely cheaper than natural stone. In addition, many gardeners note its exceptional durability and practicality. Often high flower beds and beds are made of decorative stone. However, in order to not only beautifully, but also correctly lay the stone, you need at least minimal masonry skills and a sense of style. However, if you have them, you can easily get not only a practical, but also a beautiful fence.

By the way, when making a stone border, it is worth remembering that it should not be an airtight "cage" for your plants. Therefore, in the lower tiers it is simply necessary to make special holes through which moisture can escape. Otherwise, it can stagnate and damage the roots.

Brick fences

Brick remains the real leader in strength, decorativeness and reliability. This material is a real find for gardeners and gardeners. Any brick fence looks solid and immovable. Therefore, it perfectly protects the garden from all kinds of weeds and even moles. There is no need to talk about mice-shrews. While laying bricks is not easy, the result is worth it. Particularly high barriers may even need to make a foundation. Nevertheless, if the bricks are heavy enough, and the fence promises to be not very high, it will be possible to do without even masonry.

Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of brick, it has a major drawback, especially if we are talking about its decorative variety: it is very expensive. And considering how much it will have to be used, not every gardener will be able to afford such beauty. In any case, you can always use old bricks.

Slate fences

As many years of practice have shown, slate is an incredibly versatile material. For what it is just not used. And garden fencing is not the least of its possible uses. Even very long beds can be made from slate sheets, but for this you need strong pegs that can provide additional support for the slate sheets. Moreover, both smooth and wavy slate can be used to create fences. The problem with him, however, is the same as with metal fences: under the direct rays of the sun, the slate overheats excessively, which can both benefit the site in the cold season and harm it in the already hot summer. In addition, it is necessary to take care of a good fastening for the slate, because by itself it does not hold very well in the ground.

Using car tires

Along with plastic bottles, gardeners are very fond of using old tires in decor and as fences. Nevertheless, tires are much better suited for this purpose: they can be used as flower beds and even huge beds when it comes to tires from tractors. However, you need some pretty good design flair to place the tires nicely in your area. You have probably seen more than once how tires are painted in all sorts of eye-catching colors just so that they do not merge with the ground. However, this is fundamentally wrong, and it is better to take the advice of a person who understands landscape design, so as not only to use old tires as a convenient flower bed, but also to make them a real decoration of your site.

Using household items to create fences

In order to make a beautiful and practical fence for your site, it is not necessary to immediately run to the "Everything for the garden and the garden" store. Comb through your stocks of unnecessary, old things, and I'm sure you can easily find something for your site. For example, you can use:

1) Old wooden doors. In order to use them as fences for the garden, you will need to dig a deep trench in advance, into which at least half of the door can fit. This will provide her with an incredibly strong mount, and you - a comfortable, tall flower bed. In addition, such a door structure can be used to infuse compost.

2) All kinds of boxes and containers. They are most often not very large, therefore they are best used as flower beds and flower beds.

3) Even from old, unnecessary dishes, you can make a beautiful decorative fence for a flower bed or garden. However, it obviously will not fulfill its main task: to protect plantings from weeds and pests.

Modern ways of creating fences

Fences, to which gardeners are very fond of resorting to these days, are called pergons. They are made from a mesh that can be found in any market. As a last resort, you can weld the rods yourself.

The mesh is used to form a fence quickly and easily. In addition, importantly, this method will not hurt your finances at all. In addition, materials that were unnecessary after the construction of the greenhouse can be used to form the fence.

If your garden is large enough, you can use the same grid to create a real hedge on the site, which will serve as a visual separator of the territory or ordinary decor.

Which way to choose?

Given the number of ways to create fences there are, it is rather difficult to make a choice. There are a lot of factors to consider, while keeping in mind your own preferences. We can only tell you one thing for sure: if you are looking for the simplest, not costly, both in terms of money and time method, which will give a relatively beautiful result at the same time, use wooden boards. In your case, this would be the best option

How to make a wooden fence?

As you probably guess, this process, no matter how simple it may seem, has a huge number of nuances that need to be taken into account. We will discuss them now.

Which material should you choose?

Naturally, the first thing we start when building a wooden fence is choosing the right type of wood. However, given the fact that there are a huge number of them, the choice no longer seems so obvious. In fact, there are obvious favorites among the wood species. For example, oak or ash is best suited to create a fence. Coniferous types of wood, such as, for example, pine, are also quite good. Its striking difference from oak or ash is the cost. Pine is much cheaper, so we recommend choosing it.

How much material is needed

In order to calculate this, you will need to make many measurements. Everything is taken into account: the depth, length and width of the box. However, let's say our box will have dimensions of 1x1.6 m. In this case, we need boards of 150x25 mm: four two-meter and two three-meter boards. In addition to the boards, we also need a lot of screws and tools.

Do-it-yourself garden bed: where to start?

First of all, you need to prepare the surface on which your future flower bed will be located. It is necessary to mow all the grass and dig a trench into which the first row of boards will lie. In order for the garden to look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, it is necessary to lay the boards on a level.
If you don't have one, you can lay the boards by eye too.

Also, a tape measure is quite an important tool in the construction of fencing. It will certainly not be possible to do without him.

So, you have made sure that the first row of boards is level and there are no deviations. Then you can start bonding the boards. At the corners of the box, this is done with the screws we talked about. You can also resort to using metal corners. They will significantly strengthen the structure.

If you are going to build a high bed, it makes sense to prop it up so that the structure does not fall apart even before you finish the work.

After the first row has been fully completed, you can start building the second. This is done almost completely in the same way as in the first row. Perhaps the only difference is that this time you don't have a trench. We connect the corners in the same way. After laying the second row, you can start laying the third, fourth and even fifth, if required.

Now that the wooden structure is ready and the required height has been reached, you can tackle the "insides" of the bed. To do this, you should use a geotextile fabric. This canvas is incredibly important, because it is it that can protect the garden from the penetration of weeds and parasites from below. It is also possible to put a fine mesh on the bottom to prevent the appearance of moles and shrews.

After that, you need to fill the garden bed, in which the plants will grow and develop. To do this, we first need to make drainage from fine gravel. After that, pour a fertile layer of soil onto it.

Now that the soil is ready, you can proceed directly to planting plants in a newly made flower bed. Mulching should be done after planting.

In order to move around the site as conveniently as possible, it is necessary to lay paths between the flower beds. You can put special garden tiles on them or resort to a more budget option and cover the paths with mown grass.

Construction of brick fences

Yes, wood is convenient and cheap, but this is a simple and short-lived option. If you want your site to maintain its prosperous condition for years to come, you will need to resort to one of the best materials for building fences - brick.
And even if you can't afford to buy enough bricks to fence the entire site, you can always use old material.

Building a solid, tall brick barrier takes place on a foundation, so you have to prepare for two steps:

Building the foundation

The foundation is often extremely important for fencing if you want it to be high, reliable and not crack from the slightest movement of the soil under it. First you need to outline the contour along which you will build the foundation. A sufficiently deep trench should be dug along this contour. In some cases, its depth can reach a meter. After that, the trench is covered with sand. The thickness of the sand layer must be at least 150 mm. In addition, the sand must be well compacted. After the completion of all these stages, the bottom of the trench, covered with sand, is covered with roofing material. Two to three pieces of reinforcement are additionally placed on it. Now the trench is completely ready and you can fill it with concrete.

The masonry of the fence itself

In order to lay a brick fence, you must first insert pegs at its corners and pull the construction rope. It is needed in order not to accidentally go over the edge and make the walls curved at one moment. If this is done, you can start laying. The corners are laid first in order to better represent the shape of the future beds, and only after that the walls are laid. After laying the first layer, you need to wait a little before proceeding with the second.

If the barrier promises to be really high, the brick walls can be reinforced. It is especially important to resort to this method if you are building a fence on less dense and stable soil, when there is a high risk that the walls and foundation will subsequently deform. To strengthen the masonry, use a metal mesh or wire 6 mm thick, which is placed in a solution between the rows of bricks to increase the strength of the structure.

In the event that you want to make a low wall, you do not need to use the foundation at all. You just need to follow these simple instructions:

1) First of all, you need to clean the place of work: mow all the grass and remove the weeds.

2) After that, we drive in stakes along the edges of the future garden. We pull the construction cord through them.

3) The earth must be properly leveled, otherwise, without a foundation, the walls will soon fall apart.

4) We protect the bed in the ways we are already familiar with: we cover it with a special cloth, and then we supplement the protection with a steel mesh.

5) Let's start laying. The first row, like all subsequent ones, we begin to lay from the corners, and only after that we move on to the walls.

Conclusion

The importance of fencing is very often underestimated. Many gardeners and gardeners even consider them to be an unnecessary appendage, which simply takes up extra space on the site, which could be spent with much greater benefit. Nevertheless, as we have seen today, this is not at all the case, because fences not only improve the appearance of your estates at times, but also protect your plantings from weather conditions, weeds and underground inhabitants. Not to mention, barriers significantly reduce the amount of work a gardener needs to do. Therefore, if you want to improve your life and the life of your site, seriously think about installing fences. Stone, wood, steel - it doesn't matter. I assure you, whatever they may be, your experience in the garden and in the garden will change for the better forever.