- 1). Demarcate the area in your garden where you want to install the raised brick flowerbed with powdered chalk or a garden hose. Arrange the lines in the desired lengths and widths.
- 2). Remove vegetation from the existing site by spraying an organic weed killer over the area or pulling the plants out of the soil by hand.
- 3). Dig 16-inch-wide and 10- to 12-inch-deep trenches over the marked lines with a shovel. Collect the dirt in a wheelbarrow as you dig; dispose of it appropriately or use it for other gardening projects. Smooth the base of each trench with a length of 2-by-4 lumber until the base is level.
- 4). Mix 1 part cement, 3 ½ parts gravel and 2 ½ parts sand, or simply concrete with water until the mixture reaches an ice-cream-like consistency. Pour this concrete footer into the trenches until the concrete's level is 4 inches below the ground level. Level the top of the footer with a trowel so it is even and allow it to cure for three to four days.
- 5). Lay the first row of bricks in the trench, starting at a corner. Apply a ¾- to 1-inch-thick layer of mortar down on the concrete. Lay the first brick at the corner of the slab, pressing it down so only ½-inch layer of mortar remains between it and the slab.
- 6). Spread mortar to the side of a second brick and place it 3/8 inch from the first one. Tap it into place with the back of a trowel and remove excess mortar from the sides. Continue the procedure until the entire perimeter of the flowerbed is laid with bricks.
- 7). Apply a ¾-inch layer of mortar to the lower edge of a brick and place the brick so it is over the seam of the two bricks below. Press it down slightly so excess mortar squeezes out from the side.
- 8). Repeat the process to complete the second row, and eventually all subsequent rows until your raised bed is your desired height.
- 9). Spread a weed cloth that keeps soil in but excess moisture out over the base of the bed. Mix equal amounts of topsoil and compost together and place them in the bed.
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