How to make a border for paths with your own hands. Types of borders for garden paths. Garden fences made of natural stone

Let's talk today about such a functional decoration of your garden as borders for garden paths and their main types. They decorate and complement your garden, making your site look more complete and tidy.

A garden border prevents paths from blurring, divides the area into zones, and clearly delineates the boundaries of flower beds and lawns. It does not allow grass to grow, does not allow sand or gravel used for the base of paths to get onto the site, and when building gravel paths, you cannot do without it at all. So, let's look at how to build a border for garden paths with your own hands, as well as the types of borders.

Wooden border

Many garden plots have supplies of logs. They can serve as an excellent material for making a wooden border. To do this, select logs of approximately the same diameter, and then cut them into stumps of the height you need. Clean and sand at least a little on the top (visible) part.

Our saw cuts, and especially the lower (buried) part, require good protection from rotting and all “living creatures”. To do this, use antiseptic agents or hot drying oil. For processing, you can use a brush, or simply dip the hemp in a container with an antiseptic for a few minutes. For the lower, buried part, waterproofing is sometimes used. In this case, we dip our saw cuts into molten bitumen.

After the antiseptic has dried, the hemp is treated with varnish. The same methods are used for this. They are installed on a sand cushion. We align them relative to each other using gentle blows with a rubber hammer (or a metal hammer through a block).

Of course, there are other options for wooden borders. These can be ordinary boards, or you can purchase ready-made sets of small wooden blocks, already processed and fastened together.

Brick border

A very popular material for laying out borders is brick. Perfect for framing or. It is better to use facing bricks, which will last much longer. Exist different variants laying bricks. The most popular is to install them at an angle of 45 degrees in the form of teeth. For this option, a trench is dug about 10 cm deep and about 20 cm wide. And the bricks are laid on cement mortar. To ensure that the bricks are the same height, use a pre-tensioned rope on the pegs as a guide.

Stone border

border from natural stone not easy functional element your garden, but also a spectacular and colorful decoration. You can use almost any stone as a material. It can be sandstone, marble, limestone, granite. Granite combines most harmoniously with stone. The stone is laid identically to the previous option, on cement mortar, sand or pebbles. It is better to select stones of the same size and place them as tightly as possible.

Since natural stone is quite expensive, borders that imitate natural stone have appeared on sale. They are quite popular, and not only because of their price. Such borders are neat and aesthetic and do not require special care.

Metal border

It consists of tapes made of aluminum, copper or steel. Does an excellent job of maintaining the contours of the track. It is easy to install and dismantle, and protects the path well from the germination of weeds and grass. No preparatory work is required for installation.

Plastic border

Plastic border is the simplest and cheap option. Nevertheless, it has a number of significant advantages. The first is, of course, its price, the second is that, like metal ones, it can be easily installed without preparation, and the third is their long service life.

You don't need to dig a trench or prepare a foundation. They are easily installed using pegs and attached to each other using anchor pins. With them you can easily create a functional border for the most winding garden path.

Concrete curb

One of the most practical and reliable curbs. There are several options for this border. First - concrete blocks. You can buy them ready-made or make them yourself. That is, we make a form at our discretion and fill it with concrete. The second option is monolithic filling concrete in place. Let's take a closer look at this option:

The route of the future curb is marked.
According to the markings, we dig a trench with a width slightly larger than the expected width of the curb and a depth of 1/3 of its height.
The bottom of the trench is leveled and compacted, after which a layer of gravel or sand is poured.
Now the formwork is being done. Traditionally, boards are used, but since garden paths are usually winding, we use flexible materials, such as hardboard or flexible plywood.
Fill the resulting container with the solution. Using a trowel, smooth and compact the mixture.
Protect the poured form from direct sunlight and leave to dry for 5-7 days. During this period, the solution should not dry out, so from time to time its surface should be moistened with water.
The border can be decorated in many ways, this is described in detail here -

"Living" border

A green or living border represents hedge from plants. It looks very original and beautiful. To create such borders, low-growing and unpretentious plants. Ideal option will be - boxwood, also popular: horizontal cotoneaster, lavender, cloves, sage, Carpathian bellflower, alyssium, bergenia and others. They are planted along the paths so that their width and height are about 30–40 cm.

When choosing a material for a future border, remember that it should be organically combined with general style plot, with separate elements landscape design. Borders made from the same material as the house fit in very harmoniously. For their long service, consider water drainage and prevent excessive grass growth. You can read about the various ones by following the link.

It is impossible to imagine without beautiful curbs; today they are presented in a wide range of choices, both shapes and materials of their execution vary, there are plastic, metal, concrete, wooden and stone frames for sidewalks. But not all of them can be made from start to finish with your own hands; in this article we will look at several options for how you can build curbs for paths exclusively with your own hands.

Garden path borders different shapes designed to protect tiles or other elements of the path from dirt getting on it after rain or watering. They also allow you to give a finished look to the shape of the path; without this element, the sidewalk will look like an unfinished structure.

Here are a few functions that curbs perform:

Protecting the passage from growing greenery
Preventing hitting the sidewalk melt water and dirt after watering.
Strengthening the edges of the path
Completed appearance the entire decorative element

Brick version

The easiest way to make a border around the perimeter of the path with your own hands is to use a brick as a building form; this can be done as follows. With your own hands, using available tools, dig a small trench along the line of the edge of the passage, half a brick deep, and lay it at an angle of 45 degrees on top of each other. It is important to rake a little earth under the first brick so that the shape of the border is uniform and does not collapse. After laying it out, sprinkle the edges of the brick with soil with your own hands and tamp it down. This can be done with something flat and heavy; if you don’t have anything suitable at hand, you can press the soil with a garden shovel by stepping on it with your foot.

Wooden border

One more is enough in a simple way will be used in making garden borders with your own hands wooden elements different shapes. This can be done in such a way that it will look natural and tasteful, but it is worth remembering that making such a fence is not difficult, but it is short-lived, and within a year, after wintering, the color of the board will fade and be more grey. But if you decide to do just that, here are a few simple tips. To begin with, you should dig a trench half the width of the board you have, insert it inside and compact it as in the case of bricks, but rain and watering in this case will warp your wooden border over time. To avoid this, find long metal pins, reinforcement or thick wire with a diameter of at least 8 mm will do, insert it at small intervals on both sides of your border.

Hemp

Another option made from a tree border, which is also easy to make with your own hands, will look advantageous on the garden path. If you have felled trees, then from their branches you can cut logs of approximately the same length and shape. This can be done better, of course, using . Having cut them into the same shape, simply place these blocks in the trench and dig them in, not forgetting to compact them. This budget method will allow you to truly do it yourself unique design, it fits perfectly into the design of garden plots.

Ready-made reinforced concrete slabs

A more capital option for solving the issue with borders would be to make them from concrete slabs, they are already sold ready-made and their installation should be taken a little more seriously. For garden area they will not be some kind of universal solution, because delivering and installing such forms yourself is very complex process. But if you are nevertheless inclined to this option, then we will give you some advice on this matter. First, decide on what basis they will be fixed to you; if they are simply buried in the ground, then proceed identically to the above methods for installing garden borders.

Only in this case you will have to go deeper into the ground. But if you want to make a more thorough border, then you should install the cast forms using cement mortar. Dig a deep and wide trench with your own hands, add sand to the bottom and, using a special tamper, properly prepare the cushion for future filling. Next, install all the elements of the border along a string stretched at the horizon level and start pouring, making a solution with your own hands is quite simple, use a mixture of sand and cement in a ratio of 1 to 3 or 1 to 4, you can add granulated slag to it to saturate the solution with a larger structure. A (shovel, hoe) is suitable for mixing the solution; only after work, wash it under strong pressure of water or with a rag.

Important! Concrete should be poured just below ground level; after hardening, sprinkle it with garden soil and it will not be visible.

It’s worth noting that if you decide to do it yourself, the sidewalk is already laid after the curb forms are installed.

Wicker fence

Wicker structures should also be considered an original and natural design for garden fences. There is plenty of room to roam here, if you like to do everything with your own hands, you will need:

Thin logs made from tree branches
Long willow vines
Hard wooden sticks

We soak the willow rods in advance, for ease of work, we place logs of the same shape at a distance slightly less than the length of our willow rods. We stick sticks between them; their shape should also be approximately uniform. Weaving is done in sections, a bundle of two or three twigs must be held behind the first stick, then after the next and so on, they should be secured with soft garden wire insulation so that over time it does not rust or oxidize, this will ruin the appearance.

Plastic as an alternative

The option of using plastic borders for garden paths has a number of advantages, firstly, it is easy to install. The shapes of such structures vary, but almost any can be used as garden barriers. Convenient storage in the off-season is also a plus for garden plots where no one lives in winter. In addition, the forms that are used in the manufacture of such borders make them indistinguishable from natural stones, tiles and other materials often used in garden solutions.

Living plants

The most difficult thing to “make” can be called a living border, it can only be made with the help of gardening skills, especially giving it the desired shape and a long time, but the reward for this will be magical beauty design solution. So, what do you need to make it yourself, firstly, this right choice plants most often use boxwood or horizontal cotoneaster.

Important! The width of such a fence should not be more than 30 cm, otherwise it will not look organic.

These plants should be planted at a short distance from each other; when they grow and take their final form, there will be no distance left between them.

A living border is not easy to make, it requires careful care, it needs to be watered several times a season, but this can be included in the list of ordinary gardening events. But its shape also requires careful care, so you will have to trim the overgrown leaves with your own hands.

Metal originality

The option of a metal border also has the right to life; if you choose the metal wisely, then, made with your own hands, it will last a very long time.

Important! Choose a metal that will not corrode or rust; aluminum, copper, bronze or brass will work great.

Please note that over time, each material acquires a shade characteristic only of it, this is due to the oxidation of the oxide film covering it, so copper will become green, and aluminum will become dull gray. If you are lucky enough to make the border shape quite large, then it makes sense to decorate it, for example, by embossing or cutting out patterns from soft metals. You can fix it to the ground with your own hands, by analogy with the above methods (wooden border).

You can shape your garden path using glass bottles, as in the case of wooden logs, make a trench with your own hands and insert the bottles into them, immersing them about halfway, neck down, if you leave the neck up, the water getting into them will leave a residue, garden plot Such bottles certainly won’t decorate.

Important! Before using in the garden, rinse the bottles thoroughly, otherwise you will encounter a problem identical to frozen plaque.

Here are a few of the many options on how you can decorate a garden plot with your own hands, the number of shapes and colors of the materials described here is enough to implement the most daring garden ideas!

Practically mandatory element garden and park design are original borders for garden paths. Made from a wide variety of different materials, they can be a real decoration. In addition, curbs have a purely practical function. A path without a curb looks somewhat “disheveled” and as if unfinished. And the practicality of using such a coating can be questioned.

How to make this decorative garden element and what is needed for it? Let's talk about this.

Why are borders needed?

This element is called differently in different sources. Curb, border or side stone, curb - all these are different names for the same functionality. Simply put, this is an element of the road surface that is placed on the border of a pedestrian and gardening area or roadway.

As already mentioned, in addition to a purely decorative function, curbs for paths also have a practical purpose.

Firstly, it separates the roadway from other areas. In the garden it is a flower bed or lawn, on the street it is a road surface.
Secondly, garden path borders provide an aesthetic component. Flowerbeds, ponds and other elements are decorated with beautiful curbs.
Thirdly, the side stone is a kind of limiter for covering the path. Permanently installed elements prevent the “body” of the track from creeping apart under load. This is especially noticeable in the case of paths lined with tiles, paving stones or bricks.

Despite its apparent insignificance, this element is quite important. That is why the selection and installation of a border must be approached with all responsibility. A high-quality and correctly installed curb will not only decorate the garden path, but will also ensure the durability of its use.

Plastic fencing

Plastic curbs for paths are an almost universal solution for any occasion. This is explained by the fact that, depending on your desire, they can be either decorative or completely invisible. Ready-made plastic borders have many advantages:

low cost;
light weight, which greatly simplifies transportation and installation;
the ability to design a garden path of any geometric shape;
high resistance to temperature changes, chemicals, high humidity;
relative strength and durability;
mobility and ease of installation;
no need for special care;
wide selection of shapes, sizes and colors.

The only drawback can be considered that the plastic curbs are made of synthetic material. However, they do not cause any harm to people or plants. And, of course, they are still less durable than concrete or stone.

Plastic curb fences, presented today in the retail chain, can be divided into 3 large groups:

A long continuous strip rolled into a roll. Most of Such a curb is dug into the ground, which means that the fence will be as inconspicuous as possible and will not interfere with your research in decor.
Separate sections. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Without attaching special effort, they can be assembled into a single structure as a construction set.
Ready borders. Products a certain shape, capable of imitating wood, tiles, boards and other textures. Such curbs are mounted on the basis of special anchor pins, which must be selected depending on the type of soil.

Wooden border

Do-it-yourself wooden borders for the path look no less nice. To install such a fence, you can use different options. Saw cuts, pegs, boards or bars are suitable different sizes. It is not at all necessary to purchase all this specifically. Leftover lumber or thick branches left over from pruning the garden are quite suitable for installing a border.

The advantages of such a border are obvious:

excellent appearance;
environmental friendliness;
the ability to use available materials;
strength and durability with certain care;
easy installation;
installation speed.

A wooden curb will perform its main functions remarkably well, but its durability can be questioned. In order for this indicator to be as high as possible, the tree must be pre-treated with anti-fungal and rotting agents, and then this must be done annually throughout its entire service life. But even with such care wooden fence unlikely to last more than 10 years.

Installing a wooden border is a simple matter. It is enough to dig a trench, pour a drainage cushion of sand and crushed stone, and lay waterproofing layer. Now cut the bars or even thick branches into pegs required length. Install the stakes tightly into the prepared trench, and fill the remaining gaps with soil and compact them. That's all. Made your own wooden border for a path or flower bed.

In the same section you can highlight another type of wooden borders - wicker. They are made from pegs and flexible rods and are similar to the Ukrainian “tyn”. Such curbs have a purely decorative function and cannot be used to strengthen the edges of the path.

Brick border

An excellent option for a border for paths made of wild stone, tiles or paving stones would be ordinary brick. For these purposes, you can use both the regular version and the facing one. Like the others, a brick curb has its advantages:

resistant to seasonal temperature changes;
not afraid of moisture;
is a fairly environmentally friendly material;
practically not susceptible to fungus, mold and other troubles;
strong and relatively durable.

The most common option for installing a brick border is “on edge,” that is, at an angle of 45˚ to each other. In order for the curb to stand for a long time and not fall over, it is laid on cement, and under the first brick I lay a pile of mortar so as to fix it in a certain position.

However, bricks for the border can be laid not only at an angle. If desired, it can be installed flat or on the end. It all depends on your design decision.

Stone border

Such curbs for paths - perfect solution for those who would like to add some zest to the landscape design of their garden. To create such a curb, granite, marble, shell rock, limestone or sandstone are most often used.

Masonry is done using cement mortar or directly on the ground, without a backing. If you decide not to use a solution, it is preferable to lay the stones on a sand bed. This makes it possible to align them as much as possible relative to each other. However, installation on cement mortar allows you to achieve a more durable frame. And less weeds will grow.

Before installing curbs for paths, decide on the shape of the future path. Now, at the site of the future curb, a shallow trench should be dug. While laying the curb, gradually fill the trench cement mortar, and install the stones in the required shape. Make sure that the stones are located as close to each other as possible. Fill the gaps with mortar or fill with fine gravel. The work, of course, is not very easy, but the final result is worth the effort.

"Green" border

The easiest option to do without construction at all is the so-called green border. This is a kind of hedge made of living plants. It is best to select plants that are low-growing, but with a dense interweaving of branches. Cotoneaster or boxwood are well suited for these purposes. You can also use garden cloves, lavender, heuchera, sage, marigolds, barberries and some other plants.

It may seem to an inexperienced gardener that the construction of such a curb is much easier than a wooden or stone one. But actually it is not. A green border will require a lot more effort from you. After all, you will not only have to tinker at the stage of its creation, but also maintain proper condition throughout the year. The border of plants will have to be regularly fertilized, trimmed and watered. But if everything is done correctly, the result will be amazingly beautiful.

Metal border

This is one of the most practical and durable types fencing. Most often, stainless steel, aluminum, copper or brass are used to make metal curbs. By functional purpose all metal borders can be divided into two large categories:

sectional;
tape

The former perform, rather, a decorative function and can, for example, be made in uniform style With forged elements fence Most often they are made of rods, forged or cast elements and are simply stuck along the edge of the track.

The latter can serve as a hidden fence and, like plastic tapes, two-thirds dug into the ground. In addition to decorative, they also have a practical purpose. Metal strip borders perfectly keep the edges of the path from “creeping”.

Curbs made of metal have the following advantages:

strong and durable;
do not respond to interseasonal temperature changes;
excellent hold the required form paths;
if necessary, they can be used to create winding paths;
Quite easy to install.

Almost their only disadvantage is that their cost is significantly higher compared to their plastic counterparts.

Border made from scrap materials

How to make a border for paths with your own hands without spending a lot of money? If the cost of future fencing matters to you important, then with a little imagination, you can build it from what is at hand. Anything can be used:

old tiles;
stacks of unnecessary plates;
slate remains;
tires;
glass or plastic bottles;
records;
plastic pipes, cut into pieces of the required length;
other interesting things.

It is best to choose the material for the future border at the planning stage. After all, sometimes it is easier to install a curb along with the path or before it.

Concrete curb

Here we come to the most popular material from which fencing for garden paths is most often made. Prefers concrete curbs for paths greatest number designers. Most likely, this is due to the strength and durability of this material, as well as the ability to give it the shape that is necessary. All this is achievable when curbs for concrete paths are made with your own hands, observing all the subtleties of the process. Doing this is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.

Like other types of curbs, concrete has both its advantages and disadvantages. Among the first are the following:

attractive appearance;
strength and high durability;
ability to withstand high and fairly low temperatures;
lack of response to high humidity;
ease of care;
relatively low cost;
possibility of self-production.

The second category includes the large weight of products and the paucity of choice among models. industrial production and a labor-intensive installation process.

Materials and tools

In order to make a concrete curb yourself, you will have to stock up on materials and tools for the job.

You will need:

wheelbarrow;
bucket and shovel;
concrete mixer (if you don’t want to mix the solution by hand for a long time);
container for mixing (if there is no concrete mixer);
Master OK;
wooden trowel for leveling the surface;
screwdriver or furniture stapler;
hammer;
electric jigsaw or hacksaw;
a roll of twine for marking;
roulette;

The following materials should be prepared:

cement grade not lower than M300;
sand, river or quarry, sifted (do not use sea sand!);
fine crushed stone fraction 10-15 mm;
reinforcement bars with a thickness of at least 4 mm;
screws, nails or furniture staples;
clean water for preparing the solution;
special pigments for concrete (if the border is colored);
dishwashing liquid (used to give elasticity to the concrete mass);
wooden boards and slats for making formwork;
pegs for formwork and markings.

Forms for concrete curbs

In addition, to make smooth and beautiful curbs you will need molds. You can buy them in a store or make them yourself. Each of these options has its own characteristics:

The factory form allows you to obtain products of a strictly defined size and with ideal smooth surface. The downside is that, firstly, you need to spend money on it. And secondly, getting the finished product out of such a mold can be very problematic. For this purpose, enterprises use special lubricants that make removal easier. At home, you can use, for example, used machine oil.

Homemade forms for borders for paths are made from smooth sanded bars, which are attached to a plywood or textolite base. These forms are assembled using self-tapping screws, which are simply unscrewed when stripping. After removing the finished border, the formwork is reassembled.

Manufacturing process

First of all, you need to fill the prepared crushed stone with water. This way it will bond better with the cement.
We prepare a solution of sand and cement in a ratio of 4:1 or 3:1. The lower the grade of cement, the less sand.
Pour the mixture into a construction mixer or concrete mixer and knead until smooth.
Now we add crushed stone at a ratio of 2:1, two parts of crushed stone to one part of cement-sand mixture. Add pigment if desired.
We install the border form on a flat, stable surface. Inner part Lubricate generously with sandstone or other slippery substance.
Fill the mold halfway with the mixture.
Using a rubber hammer, carefully tap the edges and walls of the mold to remove excess air bubbles.
Now we lay the reinforcement, welded or wire-tied, into a rigid frame.
Fill in the rest of the solution and carefully tap the mold again.
We put the filled forms in the shade and water them with water every day for a week. This is necessary so that the concrete does not harden too quickly and the curbs are strong.
After removing the blocks from the mold, leave them in the shade for about another 3-4 weeks, watering them daily. During this time, the concrete will finally “mature” and it will be possible to begin laying.

Monolithic border

This is another option for concrete fencing. This design is carried out directly at the installation site and is somewhat reminiscent of pouring a foundation.

A shallow trench is dug and wooden formwork is installed.
Now we need to cook sand-cement mixture as described above.
Pour the mixture into the formwork and leave to dry.
After 1-2 days, when the concrete has already set, but has not yet completely hardened, the formwork can be removed and the curb can be given the required shape using curly trowels.
Until it dries completely, moisten the curb with water every day to prevent it from cracking.

A cozy path running from one corner of the garden to another, carefully transporting us along with garden tool or meat for barbecue wherever we need it.

Why not make just such neat paths in your own garden. Literally a small element - a border - can change the entire appearance of the garden beyond recognition.

If you have a bunch of broken bricks on your site, then curbs can be made from it; this is the most popular solution in Russia. It is laid on a corner and lightly sprinkled with earth, or a solid brick is laid on its end and also lightly sprinkled. In the second case, the brick can be strengthened with cement by smoothing the seams between them.

Very original are the borders made of wooden chocks, which you can use in the fall by cutting off excess branches. fruit trees. This “planting” of chopped branches can be done either on one side of the path, or on both sides, or only in a certain section of it - depicting a bridge over a stream, for example.

Natural stones look very beautiful as a border, but they don’t have to be selected according to size - let them be different, including in color, it’s more interesting. Small stones can be held together with cement, and large ones can simply be lightly buried in the ground. Small flowers and ornamental grass, so you can also decorate the path with such greenery.

You can, if you have time and opportunity, make a border out of concrete, because it can be easily transformed into any, the most interesting shapes, if you know how to work with wood to make formwork. At the same time, you should not forget about the metal reinforcement, otherwise the concrete will not please your eyes for long, but it is very important to hide the reinforcement deeper in the concrete so that it does not rust.

If you are making a terrace, or limiting alpine slide near the house, then it is best to build a wall - from concrete, stones or other material; seedlings of climbing plants will look great on top of the wall.

The wall can also be built from logs - they are best placed vertically, slightly dug into the ground, reinforced with cement for greater safety. To prevent the logs from rotting quickly, it is necessary to arrange drainage, and with the help of a pipe in the lower part of the wall, accumulations of melt or rainwater can be drained away.

Before you decide to make borders for a path or a wall, you need to carefully consider their configuration and the amount of material so that your garden does not become a permanently unfinished landscape misunderstanding.

Garden borders for the site: we improve paths and flower beds

Modern borders for garden paths are made from the most various materials, including metal, plastic, wood, stone, brick, etc. The choice of material largely depends on the features of the landscape design of the site. However, it is also important to consider some of them when installing this element. characteristics. “House of Dreams” will help its readers understand all these nuances today.

Features of metal borders

The design of metal borders consists of entire strips of steel, aluminum or copper. They are installed in the ground strictly along the contour of the lawn, protecting the path from grass and weed germination, as well as clearly marking their boundaries.

Thanks to its simplicity and conciseness, a metal garden border fits perfectly into the appearance of any landscape design. This design is especially harmonious for areas with strict lawn geometry. It is also recommended to use metal curbs to enclose crushed stone paths.

Choosing plastic borders for the site

Plastic borders for garden paths have many advantages. Firstly, their reasonable price, secondly, high durability, which is ensured by special durable material plastic, and thirdly, plastic borders are very easy to install.

To install these elements, there is no need to dig a trench, prepare a foundation or use special fasteners. Installation of plastic curbs is carried out using anchor pins, which very firmly fix the structure. In addition, the lightness and plasticity of borders made of this material makes it possible to lay them along curves and winding lines. However, despite their lightness, such borders perfectly fulfill their main tasks - they strengthen the contours of the paths and prevent the growth of grass.

Plastic curbs can be installed along the contours of paths with absolutely any surface. Due to the external “invisibility” of their design, takei borders will perfectly complement any landscape design style.

Wooden garden borders

Wooden borders not only protect paths from creeping, but also emphasize their appearance, giving the area an interesting expressiveness. Wooden borders for flower beds, lawns and flower beds can be made in a wide variety of shapes and designs.

The most simple option creating wooden borders involves laying specially treated boards along the edge of the paths. This option is not the most reliable in terms of strength, but if you are thinking about how to make a border for paths yourself, then start with a wooden structure.

Also, wooden borders are often made in the form of driven boards or bars installed longitudinally. The most important advantage of wood from a decorative point of view is the ability to paint this material with any colors, create designs using paint and firing, as well as bring to life any shape and independently adjust the height of the structure. In addition, wooden borders perfectly complement any landscape design and harmoniously combine with a variety of garden accessories and decorations.

How to make a border for paths

However, when choosing wooden borders for summer cottages, please note that their service life often does not exceed 10-12 years, even with regular treatment with antiseptic agents.

Curbs from natural stone: simple and natural

Perhaps the most fundamental and aesthetically attractive are borders created from natural stone. Such borders are great for decorating flower beds, flower beds and lawns of any shape. However, such an option for decorating borders can hardly be called budgetary, because, firstly, natural material in itself is not cheap, and, secondly, the installation of natural stone curbs requires careful preparatory work.

Border made of large pebbles

A stone border can be created using marble, sandstone, artificial or natural granite, pebbles or limestone. Stone granite combines most harmoniously with paths made of smooth paving slabs, paving stones or stone. To create a holistic picture of landscape design, stones of the same size are placed close to each other.

Borders for flower beds with imitation stone

As you know, natural stone is an expensive pleasure if it is not collected from nature. Therefore, owners of household plots and garden plots often resort to such a solution as imitation stone. Moreover, the borders are made of artificial stone they look very neat and aesthetically pleasing, in perfect harmony with lush greenery and flowers. And caring for them is quite simple and not troublesome.

Decorative stone border

Simple garden borders made of bricks

A very popular material for creating borders is facing brick. Brick curbs harmoniously complement paths made of paving stones, crushed stone and other materials.

Most often, the brick is laid along the line of the garden path at a slight angle, in the form of oblique teeth. Installation of brick borders is quite simple and not labor-intensive. However, despite the relative strength facing bricks, this material is not entirely suitable for areas with frequent rainfall.

Without beautiful garden paths, it is impossible to achieve a neat design of the site. The material for their creation is usually clinker brick, paving stones, decorative tiles or concrete. Sometimes more exotic and unusual elements are used: wood, grass, gravel, etc. To complete the design of the path itself, curbs are used. In most cases, this element is required. We’ll talk about what types of curbs for paths there are next. We will also look in detail at what technologies can be used to produce this element of landscape design.

Purpose

The garden border performs several functions at once:

gives the path design a spectacular finished look;
prevents the growth of lawn grass;
strengthens the edges of the path;
prevents melt water from entering the path.

Types of garden borders

This element of the path is made from a variety of materials: brick, concrete, wood, metal, plastic or even plants. Both a ready-made border bought in a store and one you assembled yourself can look very beautiful. In size, these elements are high and low, wide and narrow. The most important thing when selecting material is to try to make sure that the border fits as harmoniously as possible into the design of the path, as well as the entire area as a whole.

Using bricks

It is very easy to assemble such borders for paths with your own hands. This material is usually used if the path itself is lined with stone or filled with concrete. Most often, for the installation of a border, they choose not ordinary bricks, but facing ones. This material is different increased strength and resistance to the effects of adverse environmental factors.

The technology for making brick borders is very simple. In most cases, this element is assembled before paving or pouring the path itself. First, the contours of its passage are marked on the ground. Next, small trenches are dug along them (approximately 2/3 of the height of the brick in depth). You can add a little sand or gravel to the bottom. In this case, the trench should be dug deeper.

The bricks themselves are not installed vertically, but at an angle, so that the edge of the border turns out to be “jagged”.

Application of wood

Borders for paths of this type fit very well into the design of areas in the style of Provence, country, Russian, Ukrainian, etc. Elements of this material are usually framed by paths lined with wood or gravel, or simply planted with short grass. Sometimes, to make such a border, a board placed on its end in trenches dug along the edges, or timber, is used. However, such paths do not look very solid. In addition, boards and even timber are short-lived materials.

Borders made from logs look much more impressive and original. The latter can be cut yourself from thick branches or thin tree trunks, or purchased ready material in the shop. In purchased borders, the logs are tied with wire and come already treated to prevent rot and insects. Therefore, they are much easier to install.

As in the case of bricks, the border of logs is assembled before laying out the path itself. After marking is completed, a trench is also dug. Sawed logs are treated with an antiseptic. It’s a good idea to coat the edge that will be in the ground with drying oil or used machine oil. The material prepared in this way is simply installed vertically in the trench.

In order to make such borders for paths with your own hands neat and attractive, the logs can be coated with wood oil. It is better not to use varnish for this purpose. Even imported products of this type do not tolerate high humidity very well.

Concrete border

This is one of the most popular and durable types. The depth of the trench along the edges of the path under such a curb should be about 4 cm. Optimal height and the width of the concrete strips is 20 x 15 cm. It is not necessary to arrange a substrate of sand or gravel under such a border. It will be enough to simply level the bottom of the trench. Can you route it somehow? waterproofing material, for example, roofing felt. Blocks or paving stones are installed closely in the trench.

You can also pour curbs for walkways with your own hands using concrete. In this case, you will need to make formwork. For her production will be suitable plywood or (if the path has curves) sheets of thick tin. After pouring is completed, the top of the concrete curb is carefully leveled using a level.

How to prepare a concrete mixture

The solution is prepared as follows:

Pour sand and dry cement into the trough and mix thoroughly.
Add water so that the mixture is not too thick and not too thin.

The sand/cement ratio should be 4/1. Finished borders should be watered several times a day - at least for a week - with water from a hose or bucket. Otherwise, cracks will appear on them.

Wicker elements

Such a border for a path in a country house looks very beautiful and unusual. To make it you need to prepare:

thin logs;
a lot of willow twigs(same length);
wooden hard sticks.

The logs are dug along the path at a distance equal to the length of the willow twigs. Sticks are stuck between them. Next they braid them. It is better to soak them first, then it will be more convenient to work. For weaving, several rods are used (2-3 each). Each bundle is passed behind the first stick, then in front of the second, etc. The rods can be fastened together with thin wire. After the first section is ready, begin weaving the second.

Plastic borders for garden paths

This ready-made option can last a very long time and is easy to install. Plastic borders are a flexible wide strip, usually sold in spools. To make cutting easier, you need to unwind it and lay it out in an area under sun rays. Next, a narrow groove about 8 cm deep is dug along the future path.

A plastic border is installed in it. For paths, you can use ribbon of any color. The main thing is that the shade fits harmoniously into the design of the site. Typically such borders have green color. But yellow, gray, and any others can look beautiful. The installed tape is buried in soil and compacted.

"Live" border

This is the most beautiful and most difficult option to implement. To make a “living” border, it is best to use plants such as boxwood. In order for the path to be harmonious, the width of the green ribbon should not exceed 30 cm. In this case, a border is created simply by planting plants at a short distance from each other. The grown bushes should subsequently close tightly.

Of course, unlike a regular one, a “living” border for garden paths will require much more care. It will have to be trimmed and watered periodically (2-3 times per season). Borders made from decorative herbaceous plants also look very beautiful. low growing plants. In this case, long narrow flower beds are simply arranged along the edges of the path.

Metal border

This is also quite a beautiful and at the same time very durable option. Such borders for paths can be made of aluminum, copper, steel and are well suited for an area whose design is made in a minimalist style. Purchased versions of such ribbons can be decorated with embossing, have figured edges, that is, look very attractive. Installing this type of border is an extremely simple procedure. The tape is simply dug in along the edges of the track in a strictly vertical position.

How to make a border for paths from bottles

Using this waste material, you can arrange a border even for the longest path in just a couple of hours. Of course, it won’t be particularly beautiful, but it will cost a pretty penny. In order to make a border, the bottles are simply dug into the ground with the neck down. You can diversify the design of the ribbon using the material different colors. It is advisable to cut off the neck of the bottles before digging in. They need to be dug up to half the height.

The advantages of such curbs for paths include not only low cost, but also durability. Plastic does not rot like wood and does not rust like metal.

As you can see, making borders for a path is a simple procedure in most cases. If you do everything slowly, you will get a very effective element of landscape design, durable and reliable.