Inexpensive Flower Bed Border Ideas

Plant a natural border using a single color of low growing flowers.

Consider inexpensive and free material options when designing your flower bed border. Creativity is limitless as long as your choice of material has no ill effects on your flowers or landscape. You can find materials in nature, secondhand stores and at garage sales. Some materials can be collected over time from products used often at home. Pick the best materials based on the shape and size of your flower bed borders.

Reclaimed Materials

Check local building or reclaimed material supply stores for inexpensive materials suitable to use as borders. Brick, terra cotta roofing tile, treated lumber and glass block are good choices for borders. Choose materials that can conform to the shape of your flower bed without excessive work. Avoid materials that react adversely to outdoor exposure, are capable of leaching toxins into your garden or may break with normal use.

Rock

Collect large rocks or stones to use as a garden border. Select rocks that can be set on or into the ground in such a way that they won't shift. Search for suitable rocks in an accessible public natural area where you are legally allowed to remove them. All this idea costs you is your time and a bit of physical labor. Wash the rocks prior to placing them in your garden.

Mosaic of Tile and Glass

Break thick glass and reclaimed tiles into pieces large enough to easily handle. Dig a border 3 inches wide and 3 inches deep in front of your flower bed. Pour a section of quick-set cement 2 feet long into the trench and top it with broken tile. Make a mosaic using colors suitable for your garden. Once you have placed your tile in the wet cement, move on to another 2-foot segment until your design is complete.

Applications for Small Flower Beds

Don't be afraid to think outside the box. Small flower bed borders are an opportunity to display borders of unusual nature. Medium-size wooden blocks, a collection of stone finials, glass door knobs or fishing net floats can be made into one-of-a-kind borders. The items can be laid in a trench or made into a chain using glue suitable for outdoor use. Select items that hold up against the elements, knowing weathering is possible.

References

• "Conservation Magazine"; Stylish and Sustainable: Create Beautiful Landscapes with Used Materials; McMaron Avalon