Things You'll Need:
- Outdoor location with sun or part sun
- String, stakes, measuring tape or tool
- Bags of garden or topsoil
- Trowel, shovel, rake, plants, fertilizer
- A half day plus a couple of hours next day
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Step 1
CHOOSE A LOCATION, PLAN and MEASURE YOUR SPACE
A Spanish roof tile garden is a fun addition near a pool or in almost any casual back yard space. It will also look great in the front yard of many contemporary, Spanish, Adobe or Mediterranean style homes. Just pick a location with at least 6 hours of direct sun. You could use these tiles for a shade garden, but they will really shine in a sunny location.
The size is up to you but at least 2 or 3 feet wide by 3 to 4 feet long is probably the minimum. You can even try a geometric plan with 4 squares, each 4 feet long and wide around a central feature such as a fountain, birdbath, statue, or a tall planter such as a pottery jar. Or try a 4' diameter circle with a central jar or statue. Really long beds, say 8' on a side are probably too big for this type of garden since the corners strengthen the design and keep it from sagging. Instead of one big bed, consider several smaller ones. This is a great creative look, and no digging!
Just take your stakes and mark the corners or key points of the design, then connect the stakes with string creating the outline of the area. On hard paving, draw the outline with chalk. With your measuring tape--the retractable metal ones work well--or a yard stick, measure the total outline in feet and inches (or meters and centimeters if you prefer) to get the total length of the perimeter. For a 4' x 4' square garden that is 4 sides times 4 feet or 16 feet total. Once you know the total perimeter in feet, you will need to convert the feet to inches by multiplying x 12 to see how many roof tiles you will need to buy. In the example, 16' x 12" = 192". For an irregular shape, circular bed or curved bed, just take a continuous measurement. -
Step 2
PURCHASE TILES and MATERIALS
Sometimes Garden Centers have these curved clay roof tiles, but you will often need to contact a company that installs tile roofs. It will be necessary to ask the sales person the dimensions of the tiles to know how many you need. Once you have a supplier, visit in person to see which colors and sizes are most attractive. Clay tiles vary and you may have more than one size to choose from. Generally the bigger ones are the best but they should not be longer than 10 to 12". For hard very hard surfaces such as paving, shorter tiles such as 6 to 8" are best.
You will be laying each tile on it's end and then using the long edge to "connect" to the next tile to create a seamless, rippling border as shown in the picture. Once you know the width of the end tile of the tile you can decide how many you need . For a 16' perimeter, you would then divide our 192" border in the example by 6" to get the total number of tiles needed. 192" /6 = 32 tiles in this case. It is a good idea to buy a few more tiles than you need in case you break a couple now or later on.
You will need to buy topsoil or garden soil since this is a "no dig" and "raised bed" garden. The soil will rest above the ground' s surface inside the tiles. Here you need to measure the depth of the roof tile. For a tile 10" long, you would need to fill the top to within 1" of the length or 9".
Now you need to use the formula for volume (length x width x height) to calculate how many cubic yards of soil you will need. In our 4'x4' example with a 10" tile that we will fill with dirt to within 1" from the top, we can multiply by feet using .75 to reflect the 9" of height required. That is 4'x 4' x .75 or 12 cubic feet of topsoil. To figure the volume in cubic yards divide the feet by 27. In our example we need less than one half cubic yards so it is easier to just buy bags of topsoil and bring them home.
If you need a cubic yard or two of soil (or more) for a bigger project, you will need to ask the garden center to deliver the dirt to your driveway. If math isn't your thing, eyeball the space and buy bags of dirt accordingly. You can always fine tune as you go. -
Step 3
LAY TILES and ADD SOIL
Carefully unload the tiles and move them to your staked out area. Some people like to hose them down several times so they will absorb the maximum water before using them while others swear it works best to use them dry then hose down the finished garden. It is less messy to work with the dry tiles.
Although there is little digging with this garden, you will have to press the tiles into the earth. It can be helpful to use a trowel or hand tool like a weeder to make an impression in the earth where the outline of the tile will go or be set. In a soft dirt, sandy soil or rather loose gravel it may be easy going. Elsewhere you may need to dig a bit to get the tile course going. After a side or two of your tile border should be fairly stable and the rest will go quickly. You should step back periodically and make adjustments to insure your bed is true to the shape you need.
Now it is time to add the soil. This is best done by shoveling it into the center and then raking it out to the edges. Be careful not to step on your beautiful tile edge! When the bed is half full, water lightly and thoroughly, let it drain, then continue to fill to within an inch to an inch and a half of the top. Again, water and let drain. You will need to let the bed settle. If you are not in a hurry, let the bed settle over night. If time is of the essence, wait at least half an hour to an hour, then put in your plants. -
Step 4
BUY PLANTS, WATER, FERTILIZE and ENJOY!
Of course you can buy the plants when you buy the tiles, but it is usually better to wait until you finish so you have a better idea of the space you will need to fill. Have fun with colorful annuals and include some trailing plants that do well in your area. Check out what is growing in your neighbor's yard and in containers at the Garden Center. Just make sure that you buy plants that can handle a shallow depth bed. Annuals will usually accept the situation so Geraniums, Petunias, Ornamental Grasses and other colorful pot plants can work fine.
Ask your Garden Center staff to help you choose perennials or small shrubs such as miniature boxwood that may also work well in your raised garden. Use the camera in your phone to photograph your bed and then ask the staff for some suggestions to fill it. You may want to buy and plant a colorful glazed clay Strawberry Jar or a terra cotta pot to add height within the bed.
Make sure to firm the soil around each plant' s roots and press firmly to create little "saucers" around each plant to hold water. Decide whether you want a "border" around the edge of one color or a mix of colors. The rule is usually to have an area of a single color next to a mixed color area.
In drier areas be sure to add mulch in a day or two to conserve moisture and keep weeding to a minimum. Water the plants gently with a rain nozzle on a watering can or a wand attachment on your hose. Make sure to water every day in either the early morning or evening--just not in the hot part of the day-- until your plants are established.
Now enjoy your Spanish Roof Tile garden. Perhaps add a small table or chair and a glass of lemonade. Perfect!
