How To Lay Garden Sleepers For A Planter

Based on the great features that they can provide to any garden, you’d be forgiven for thinking that creating a truly stunning raised flowerbed using garden sleepers was extremely difficult. However, it is extremely easy. The simplicity of the project is down to the robust and reliable nature of railway sleepers, whether they’re brand new or reclaimed versions.

There is a difference, however, between building a completely practical raised flowerbed and one that combines usability with a truly stunning design. Building a simple raised flowerbed is a straightforward process, and much of the truly unique work comes in later, once the base has been built.

How To Build A Raised Flowerbed With Railway Garden Sleepers

By following these simple steps, you can build a great raised flowerbed to truly make your garden a stunning environment. A raised area can add a sense of depth to your garden space and turn even the most limited and boring space into an exciting one that you’d love to spend time in.

1. Find The Perfect Position – First of all, you’re going to want to try and find out where the best position is for your flowerbed. As it is going to be raised, you are a lot freer to take advantage of central points within your garden. Level flowerbeds need to be positioned against the edges of the garden space to protect them and enable easy movement. With a raised alternative, you can create a true focal point in the centre of your garden, complement a seating area or position the bed against a wall or corner. The options are limitless when it comes to garden sleepers.
2. Lay The Garden Sleepers – Place the sleepers in the position that you have chosen, and make sure that they are connected at 90°. This means that you are likely to end up with a square or rectangular shape, and the simple ‘blockiness’ of these great materials is one of the biggest advantages. They can be simply laid down on grass, earth, concrete or a sealed deck. Industry specialists often choose to lay a foundation of concrete or hardcore on whatever surface they’ve chosen, but there is no need. There are advantages to choosing a simpler base, which will allow drainage; otherwise, when it rains, you might be more likely to create a raised pond rather than a flowerbed.
3. Fasten The Sleepers Together – Using sleeper screws (or simply robust, long screws) you can fasten the corners together to create a solid, unbreakable shape. It is a good idea to use two screws per corner, based on the height and width of the wood. Whether you use the narrow or wide edge, the process is the same, but you need to ensure that your screws are long enough to dig through the entire sleeper’s width/height. If you are using multiple layers on your flowerbed, then you need to make sure that your sleepers are attached to the layer below. As well as connecting these sleepers to their adjacent partners, you also need to drill down into the layer below with two more screws per corner. Repeat for a third layer, fourth layer or as high as you’d like.
4. Attach A Plastic Membrane – Your garden sleepers are going to be extremely resilient to the effects of the weather. However, it is always a good idea to improve the strength and reliability of such an important garden feature. Many gardeners choose to fix plastic sheeting within the inside of their flowerbed, which can be extremely effective at providing even more protection against rot from the damp soil. You can get your hands on a builder’s damp-proof membrane at any good DIY store, and they aren’t too expensive either!
5. Fill The Sleepers With Soil – Depending on the surface of your flowerbed, it might be worth placing loose bricks, stones or hardcore at the bottom of your sleepers to encourage drainage. This can really help to improve the reliability of your flowerbed in the long term. You can easily fill your bed with any kind of soil, which means you can grow practically any type of plant within the bed that you like. Acidic and alkaline soils, as well as more neutral alternatives, are all great choices for these flowerbeds.

Choose Challenge Fencing For Reliable  Garden Sleepers To Build A Raised Flowerbed

Here at Challenge Fencing, we can provide a range of railway and garden sleepers to make a real difference to your garden’s landscape. A raised flowerbed could be the perfect solution to breathing new life into your garden and turning even the dullest of outdoor spaces into a truly exciting and beautiful atmosphere.

For more information on any of our new or reclaimed garden sleepers, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local branch of Challenge Fencing today!