Brick border

Gers

This evening whilst I was pottering in the garden trying to tidy up the lawn edges I found what appears to be a brick border.

Whilst I haven't cleared it all - bit back breaking - it obviously goes right down the length of the stone slabs. I'm not sure about the other side as there's a little bed inbetween (where the thug of a buddleia was previously).

It's been carefully planned but not as carefully executed as the border is a bit far away from the stone slabs, and is wonky both up and down ways and not straight.

I'd appreciate some advice - do I plant something (what?) inbetween the brick and slabs or just let it go back to grass? I'm guessing it'd take some effort to lift and re-lay the bricks!



And this is a photo from August last year showing the grass right up against the edge of the slabs.



I'm not sure what to do for the best, or even what the options would be - I need a gardener!

I_have_spoken

Unless the bricks were set in mortar, they'll lift easily if you have a mattock or pick.

I wonder if there's was gravel or other surface between the bricks once, now covered by the slabs? TBH those grey, mass-made slabs aren't doing the garden any favours

Davesnave

I_have_spoken wrote: »

TBH those grey, mass-made slabs aren't doing the garden any favours

From where I am, those slabs look pretty old and authentic, but I'd remove the bricks to get a better mowing edge, as growing anything in there, like thyme or campanula, would just be hit by mower or strimmer....

Well, it would in my garden! :rotfl:

REEN

I made my boring concrete slabs look a bit more interesting ( well, I think so) by crowbarring alternate ones to one side. You could then plant thymes or something in the spaces.

Gers

They are old and authentic - the horrible concrete ones are right at the back on the raised area underneath the wooden louvre window in the steading wall.

What I'm not sure about is the bird bath thing, it's standing on a piece of concrete covering up a huge drain. The whole farm complex has many many Victorian drains underneath it, some, I've been told, big enough to walk through and vaulted.

Anyway, back to my brick dilemma - the mention of gravel would make sense as there is a pile of small pebbles higher up next to the wall which may have come from the border originally. I wouldn't want to put them back as they would make it difficult to have a good lawn edge, even though I don't need complete straight lines.

I'm not interested enough or strong enough to lift and reset the bricks. What I may do is use Dave's negative suggestion and plant something in-between and wait to see if if works. If it doesn't I can always let the grass grow back again.

The slabs almost around the black lace are a bother. They don't go all the way around (at least that's what I think) and one area is just large pieces of stone / rock. Maybe leave that for later in the year to explore.