The aesthetic and functional qualities of a vegetable garden are determined by the diversity and beauty of its design.
The most practical and original solutions are presented here. Plastic fencing for garden beds, in various designs, is in steady demand.
Benefits of fencing for garden beds
In addition to creating a neat and attractive appearance of the site, fencing also has practical benefits. This:
- protection of beds from erosion by water and mechanical damage, especially when household members try to cut corners while making their way through the plantings;
- preventing the appearance of weeds that will not be able to break through the additionally poured layer of soil;
- protection against night frosts;
- protection from pests, many of which will decide not to storm a suddenly emerging obstacle;
- facilitating plant care.
Creating a fence for garden beds with your own hands from scrap materials, photos of which amaze with their variety, will be a fascinating process that you can do in the rain, when working on the ground becomes not very pleasant.
Materials for making a garden fence can be:
- bricks (whole or broken);
- tree;
- plastic;
- iron.
They all have certain advantages and disadvantages that must be considered before installing the fence in place.
Fashionable, whatever you say
In the 21st century, it is popular to create a garden in an apartment, house, or room, growing not only beautiful flowers, but also edible plants. Why look into the refrigerator more often than necessary? You will always have delicious fruit at hand.
Pots of a special shape are purchased - low, long. Requires special lamps for maintenance. It’s easier to create a flower garden on the balcony, but a new approach is in fashion. We need to master new technologies. Vertical gardens and vertical walls have captured the hearts of millions of people around the world. Ecostyle is incredibly popular.
It's interesting to watch the plants. The vegetable garden attracts less attention; its beauty is not in last place, but not in first place either.
It is difficult to arrange everything in such a way that from a bird’s eye view, a stepladder, a tree, a roof, one can admire the splendor of private property, a well-groomed and beautiful, properly planned plot, and a rich harvest.
The garden bed fencing simplifies the maintenance process:
- easy to cover perennial plants for the winter;
- carry out pruning;
- apply fertilizers;
- water;
- mulch;
- change the location of annual crops.
But that's not the only point. The need for aesthetic pleasure is clearly felt. We need a wind of change. The previous attitude must be reconsidered, everything must be changed.
Large, classically shaped flower pots are sometimes used for growing grapes and other plants that do not spread along the ground.
In a few years the vineyard will resemble a garden of fruit-bearing trees. It's a beautiful sight. Garden beds can also be extravagant and stylish. The main thing is to want to take a risk.
Tree
Wooden fences for garden beds are most often found in summer cottages. Their advantages were:
- Environmentally friendly.
- The ability to be repainted in a variety of colors, which helps make even the most boring garden an attractive and vibrant place.
- Easy to process wood and install a mini fence.
- Quick dismantling of the structure or moving it to another location.
- Budget-friendly design.
- The warmth of the material, which allows you to create the most comfortable conditions for living plants.
Wooden fencing for garden beds can be created from boards, timber, or logs.
In this case, the boards and logs will not require any effort at all (except for digging a small trench); the timber will have to be fastened together.
The disadvantage of this option for creating raised beds will be the relative fragility of the fence. Annual wood processing will help increase the lifespan of this material, pleasant in all respects.
Fencing in the form of a fence will look unusual and attractive. But they will not protect against the collapse of the earth, so additional protection will have to be provided.
Which method should you choose?
If we consider the easiest option, not consuming in terms of time, effort and finances, but at the same time, reliable, it is worth choosing to make fences for planting from wooden boards.
Required material
Wooden fencing for garden beds is not made from just any type of wood. It is recommended to choose ash, oak, coniferous wood (cedar, larch, pine) or acacia. Ash and oak are the most expensive, while pine is the cheapest material, but more susceptible to moisture.
Calculation of the required amount of material
To make a box measuring 1x1.6 m, you will need 150x25mm boards, 2.5 m long - 4 pcs and 3m - 2 pcs, as well as 1 100x50mm board 2.5 m long. In addition, you need screws, a screwdriver and a saw.
Brick
A brick fence will look especially good next to a brick house or extension. The simplest fence for a garden bed can be created by digging bricks a little or laying them next to the garden bed in a row or at an angle. A more solid bed will be obtained if you build the wall higher, fastening it with cement mortar.
The advantage of this design is:
- durability of the structure;
- environmental friendliness;
- no need for maintenance.
The main disadvantage will be the rather high cost of the fence. It can be reduced if you use fragments of bricks remaining after construction.
A brick fence will be quite difficult to move to a new location.
Glass or plastic bottles
This is an idea for those who have a sufficient amount of plastic or glass containers accumulated in their household. Having filled them with sand or crushed stone for weight, the bottles are turned upside down and buried in the ground.
If you alternate colors in a certain order, you will get an unusual bed. You can lay the bottles horizontally, strengthening them with cement mortar.
Stone
Stone beds have the same features as brick. But for a heavy fence made of this natural material, you will have to provide a small foundation, which will significantly increase the cost of the structure.
If you make a high stone fence without a foundation, the structure may sag over time. A low fence will not require such difficulties.
Metal
Fencing for garden beds made of galvanized steel will not require any time investment. The prefabricated structure is easy to install and move as needed. But the price of such an acquisition makes you think again about the profitability of such an investment.
A disadvantage of the design will be the high thermal conductivity of the material. On a hot day, the metal will heat up quickly, drying out the soil and burning nearby plants.
In cold weather, the metal will begin to take heat from the ground.
The advantages of iron fences will be:
- durability;
- environmental friendliness;
- neat appearance.
Profiled sheets left over after the construction of fences can reduce the cost of purchasing a metal fence.
Plastic
Fencing for garden beds made of plastic panels will help you create mini fences of the cutest look. A huge variety of colors and shapes allows you to decorate your garden in the most original way. The advantages of this type of design include:
- low cost;
- ease of installation and dismantling;
- immunity to temperature and moisture;
- the ability to maintain an attractive appearance without effort on the part of the site owners;
- durability.
The disadvantage of plastic is that it is not environmentally friendly.
For the winter, it is better to put such a fence in a house or barn.
Uneven beds and tree fencing can help create border strips. Soft plastic bends beautifully in all directions and creates uniquely beautiful fences.
The disadvantage of this design will be the inability to hold the soil during heavy watering or strong winds. In this case, you will have to install additional pegs.
Fences made of plastic bottles will add originality to the beds. This option will save garages and sheds from plastic deposits, and the planet from excess pollution.
Bottles can be placed bottom down or up, painted in different colors, and created with curved lines. But such fences are rarely created for garden beds. Fences and borders made from bottles will look much more organic as a flowerbed design.
Hardware
Metal and galvanized fences are no less common. They are used to install high structures. Galvanized models use a polymer coating that eliminates the effects of water and moisture.
Along with decorativeness, another advantage stands out - ease of assembly and installation. Therefore, metal will allow you to decorate your beds and flower beds in strict accordance with the chosen home design.
At the same time, there are two main disadvantages:
- high thermal conductivity, as a result of which the metal becomes very hot under the sun;
- high cost of material.
Concrete
Concrete fencing will provide long-lasting protection against erosion. Most often, such fences are used on slopes or to create original terraces.
The material is environmentally friendly, but not exactly cheap. It will require additional effort to form the fence, and will look rather gloomy. The last drawback can be eliminated by placing the original mosaic or using colored material.
Slate and tires
Leftover slate will not be the most suitable material for creating a fence for beds with healthy vegetables. They are usually used to decorate flower beds; after all, slate emits quite a lot of harmful substances.
It is also better to save tires for creating flower beds.
Nice fences for garden beds will help to beautifully decorate the most prosaic vegetable garden and bring more order or bright colors into it, create comfort and make the work of gardeners easier.
Stone structures of experienced summer residents
Gardeners who have been growing useful crops for many years create fences for their beds from durable materials that are not subject to changeable weather conditions.
Stone fences may not be restored for decades. The stones are laid row by row with the help of a concrete mixture and create a solid and impregnable appearance.
Stone framing looks especially beautiful in flower beds with large plants and multi-tiered areas. Picturesque rocky walls framing the plantings will add decorative beauty to an area of any size.
Sides made of flat stones with an unusually expressive texture will create an excellent background for any plants.
