Granite lawn edging stones give beds an attractive structure and are undoubtedly one of the most aesthetic solutions. They also reduce the maintenance effort, because you don't have to cleanly cut the lawn edge several times a year. In this article you will find out how to set granite as a bed border yourself.
Granite looks classy and is insensitive to the weather
Mark the border of the bed
First cut off the edge of the lawn and hammer in some wooden slats along the border. A batter board is stretched around this as a guide. In the case of curved courses, it is advisable to draw a mark with sand or chalk.
Put the lawn edge in sand
For level lawns that are flush with the bed, it is sufficient to place the granite stones in a bed of sand. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Dig a trench at least a spade deep along the line.
- Fill this about halfway with building sand and carefully compact the material.
- Place stones close together in the sand bed and hammer them in with a rubber mallet.
- Use the spirit level to check that the edge is straight.
- Then fill in soil on both sides and press down firmly.
Concrete bed border made of granite
This is the somewhat more complex but more durable solution, especially in loose soils.
- Here, too, first dig a trench that should be about 10 - 20 centimeters deeper than the stones are high.
- Fill in and compact a layer of gravel 5-10 centimeters high.
- Put an equally thick layer of sand on top and compact it as well.
- Mix lean concrete from five parts gravel and one part cement.
- Fill the trench halfway with this material.
- Place granite stones close together so that they protrude two to three centimeters above the edge of the floor.
- Tap in with a rubber mallet while checking the height with a spirit level.
- Then fill in front of and behind the granite stones with lean concrete.
- Shape the material into a wedge shape with the mason's trowel.
- Allow the concrete to harden thoroughly.
- Backfill with topsoil.
tips
If you want a flat mowing edge, the granite stones should be flush with the ground. However, this does not look quite as attractive, since the stones are not at the level of the mowed lawn, but are a little lower. Alternatively, you can pave a bed edging that is easy to drive on due to several rows of stones and still offers a visually very appealing solution.