How to mark out plots for landscape
gardening using a brick line?

Installing a flowerbed or vegetable patch

Step 1 – Stake out shape

Once you know what shape you need for your flowerbed or vegetable patch, measure out the dimensions and stick a stake in the ground at all the corner points.

Step 2 – Attach brick line

Run a brick line around all the stakes until the external edges of the whole shape is plotted out. Make sure you keep the brick line taut.

Step 3 – Dig out to required depth

Now that your layout is in place, you can start digging out the internal portion of the shape. Dig down as deep as you need to go for your requirements and keep inside the lines!

Marking out and edging borders

Step 1 – Insert stakes

Place one stake at either end of your desire border. Hammer them securely into the ground.

Step 2 – Attach brick line

Attach a brick line to one of the stakes and suspend it between the two about a 3cm (1inch) off the ground.

Step 3 – Edge border

Using the blade of a spade, cut down into the ground using the brick line as a reference guide. Continue along the required length of the brick line and hey presto – you have very neat borders!

Curved borders

If you want curved borders, you can use a length of garden hose as a guideline instead.

Trimming hedges

Step 1 – Insert stakes and attach brick line

If you want a simple way to keep your hedges neat, tidy and uniform, you can use a brick line to plot out the guidelines prior to cutting.

Insert some tall stakes at the corner points of your hedge and suspend brick lines between them.

Step 2 – Check alignment

For absolute precision, measure the distance between the parallel lines to make sure they are the required distance apart.

Step 3 – Trim hedge

Once all the guidelines are in place, you can trim your hedge with ease, knowing that it will be neat, tidy and uniform.