How to Measure a Curved Garden Bed or Border

The new plants you bought look so small as you lay them out in a garden bed or border. Even with the best eyeballing, the proportions are deceiving and it's all too easy to plant too closely. Time passes and you end up with a bed that's crowded and overgrown before its time. Check the plant tag or do a little web research to learn the mature width of a plant and measure your space to be sure you can accommodate it. Here's a technique to use when your garden's bed or border swoops and curves.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Lined paper
• Graph paper
• Tracing paper
• Two long reel-type measuring tapes (or a ball of string and a ruler or yardstick)
• Clipboard (optional)
• A helper (optional)
• A folding carpenter's rule (optional)

1. 

   Make a quick table to record your measurements. Draw a line down the center of the lined paper to divide it into two columns. Label the left column "Distance out" and the right column "Distance from tape." Add numbers to the left column that represent every three feet of your bed. ** Click to enlarge illustration **

2. Identify a fixed point to measure from, ideally the corner of a building or edge of a sidewalk or road that adjoins the bed and along the straight edge of the bed. (If the bed is curved on both sides, see the Tips section below.)

3. Extend a measuring tape from the fixed point straight out to the far edge of the bed. Use a carpenter's rule folded to an L shape to help you guide the tape straight out, if necessary. This first measuring tape will stay in place while you use the second tape to record measurements from it.

4. Use the second measuring tape to measure from the fixed point to the edge of the bed. Call out the distance indicated to your helper to record in the second column of the table. If you have to measure and record at the same time, a clipboard will make the task a bit easier.

5. Move three feet out from the fixed point and move the second measuring tape to measure from the first tape to the edge of the bed. Make sure the second tape is perpendicular to the first, so that they form an L shape. Record the measurement.

6. Move three more feet from the fixed point to six feet on the first measuring tape. Again use the second measuring tape to find the distance to the edge of the bed and record the measurement.

7. Continue measuring the edge of the bed every three feet till you reach the far end of the bed.

8. 

   Using the graph paper, draw a straight line the length of the bed, using one square of the paper to represent one foot of the bed. Add a dot to represent each measurement from the second column of the table, the appropriate number of squares from the line. Draw a curve that meets each dot. ** Click to enlarge illustration **

9. Put the tracing paper over the graph paper. Using the squares of the graph paper to guide you, sketch in circles to represent the mature size of each plant you are adding to the bed. Using tracing paper makes it easy to try several placements without erasing.

Tips & Warnings

• If your bed curves on both sides, add another column to the table and record measurements from each side of your first measuring tape.
• If you want to record the location of existing plants as you measure, note those measurements below the table as you go.
• Measuring goes much more quickly with two long measuring tapes -- try to borrow them from friends if you don't own them. But if you're patient, you can lay out string instead, and measure the string with a yardstick or ruler.
• Feel free to change the increment you measure. Large beds may work better measuring every five feet; an extra-curvy one may need two foot increments.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide

[IcyCucky]

on 5/23/2009 Making a curve for border gives the garden a better look! Great advice!

[johnrapp]

on 5/21/2009 i really doubt that i'll ever have to measure a curved garden bed or border, but if i do i know where to run to. 5 stars!