I'm no pro... so take or leave my advice!!

I can understand why your wife might might want the raised bed to be contained in some way- soil and mulch would likely fall onto the driveway making it difficult to keep tidy.

I find the shape of the bed odd. Instead of a semi-circle, I would've used the entire corner. The current shape is going to be a pain to mow. I don't think you should add another row... it would make it look awkwardly tall.

If you're only looking to raise the height by an inch or two, and keep dirt/mulch from spilling over... you might be better served by using regular bricks. The grass does have a tendency of growing between them (especially around curves), but it makes for a decent border and is easy to mow (my DH just puts the tire of the mower on it and goes).

If you're planning on keeping those bricks, you need to go back and lay them properly. They don't even look close to level and even now. Imagine what they'll look like after their first year or two of winter heaving! Do yourself a favor and be incredibly anal... break out the level for this job!!

Just a couple of observations from a rank amateur:

The brick, as shown, will not stay in place. (Perhaps you intend to install it differently than shown in the photo?)
Without a root barrier the grass will grow between and beyond the bricks and will be hard to keep tidy.

The shape of the bed makes for awkward mowing. Also, leaving the sidewalk edge open, besides looking a bit unfinished, may allow soil to wash downhill, which appears to be across the sidewalk. (At least that's how it looks in the photo.)

If you want a brick bed, a properly footed and installed mortared brick enclosure would look better to my eye. I would go at least 2, perhaps 3 courses high.

Alternatively, remove the bricks, install a straight line of plastic edging material straight across the lawn and plant out the area. It might be best in this case to have the soil level slightly below the paved edges. As the plants fill in, the plastic edging will be functional, but not visually distracting.

Maybe some of the pros will have more constructive comments, just my 2 cents.

Are those bricks the 'stackable' ones from the big box stores? I personally dont like them, I'd of used regular brick instead, and it would match your house.

But if you're going with the current set up, are you gonna continue the border along the sidewalk too? I think you should, it would make it look more like a planter and complete all the way around. Then take another look at it. It would look nice too with perhaps a 2nd or 3rd row. You'll just have to fill in more dirt. But it looks weird because that back part has no brick. Try it out!

I like it.

I'd put my tallest evergreens in the back (toward the walkway) and fill-in toward the brick ... with some more medium-sized bushes, ... and, lastly, ... place any annuals
out toward the bricks.

If you're going to stick with annuals in the foreground ... I'd forego the extra row of bricks.

Your planting could be modeled after something like this ...

{{gwi:21139}}

If you ever decide to make your foreground plantings fuller (bushier) ... and of more medium height, ... you might want to add the second layer of bricks then.

I definitely wouldn't do it until you've got something substantial planted there.

Oh thank you everybody. great comments. Aegis, loved that picture. I will take your advice and start planting the tallest evergreen on the background by the walkaway and then go forward. Meanwhile I personally dont like the red brick. What kind of stone border is that on the picture? It looks elegant.

Also would it make sense to dig a little and border with stone so that the grass height will cover most of the outer brick border? This way I wont have to raise the bed. I also planned on putting plastic weed protection before covering with mulch.

The pic was put together for illustration. I am not done with anything yet. Please adivice.

Sorry, but I don't care for the look of that bed at all, and adding another level of bricks would only make it look worse, in my opinion. I don't care for the bricks setting on top of the driveway, nor do I care for the open C shape. It is going to be a bother to mow that little triangle area; I suppose a weed whacker would work there.

I think the bed is the wrong shape, and I think any edging used there should be inconspicuous. Although sunken plastic or steal edging is not pretty, it would serve the purpose in this area.

What are you going to plant there?

There isn't much other than amateur advice left on this forum, not that the pros who were here were ever too keen to answer "help" questions anyway. So we're all amateurs, but the rest of us have the benefit of an outsider's eye.

That is one weird bed shape and placement. Not necessarily unpleasant, just weird. Edging, as you will have gathered if you have read other threads in this forum, is a nightmare, and is a different kind of nightmare depending on what a bed is being separated from. You have chosen to stick a bed way off in the end of your lawn where it is edged by not one, not two, but THREE different surfaces, and you've chosen to raise it along the driveway, but not the sidewalk, and you've left an odd-shaped wedge of grass that will be hard to mow. Sometimes this kind of thing happens because you have no other space, but that doesn't look to be the case here. And certainly the one-brick height makes it neither a raised bed nor a level one.

We can't see the rest of your property, but if you have some other space available for a bed then I'd first consider moving it. If you put a bed in the middle of lawn all around, you can put in a mowing strip of brick, or concrete like the one you like in the photo, or a raised bed built of whatever you like all around. That will leave the edges of sidewalk and driveway done cleanly in grass, rather than dirt that will spill over or bricks that will heave.

Now, when we do things ourselves in our own yards, sometimes we do them weird on purpose for various reasons, including spouses and such. So if you want to leave it where it is no one is going to stop you. If you want the bed to stay there, I would just make a pleasing rounded line across the grass from sidewalk to driveway, use edging that the two of you can agree on (usually the person who will be doing the install/maintenance work gets more say). The dirt along the driveway and sidewalk will be a pain, but you could either use a groundcover to retain it or consider an edging like the stuff shown below. As said in that posting, it may look kitschy in some settings, but it works (and you can get it in different colours).

Here is a link that might be useful: Edging thread

How about making the bed larger to incorporate the smaller tree that you have in the foreground? Then as above poster said, work something out that keeps the dirt from spilling onto your drive, perhaps if build the bed up a bit on the back slopes you could have groundcover that grows over the edging gracefully and help keep the soil off the walks/drive

the link has an idea but you wouldn't want to do the trendy brick walls but could substitute another edging or just do the english edge mentioned in the other thread

Here is a link that might be useful: bed idea

What was the question again? I fell asleep waiting for the picture to show.
I did get the nice pictures from aegis but they don't seem to demonstrate what is being said, tall ones at the back? there is only one.
KarinL I did kind of expect some knowledgeable guys over here but you seem to know some stuff and you have to pay for professional guidance so screw that.
That's me latching on to someone elses question again, sorry just trying to learn.

Ok, First of all, don't worry. if you don't mind a little more hard work this can be salvaged. 2nd: remove the brick and re-grade until level. I would then re do the bed line curving from the sidewalk in a semi-circle in reverse of the current circle and then wrap the bed line around the tree by at least 4 ft. Taper the bed along the areas that it comes in contact with the driveway and sidewalk 3 inches is good. This will help hold mulch. Then I would re install the garden wall in a semi-circle similar to what you had. this time dig a trench and fill with slag sand and tamp it and level it. This will help keep the wall stable. I would't go more tha 2 high. Keepthe garden wall at least 2 ft from the cement surfaces. Then you can backfill the wall tapering the soil twords the front of the bed line. Do not use plastic under mulch it will just blow of the plastic. It does not stop weeds and prevents water from gettting to deeper roots. Lay the mulch over the top of the soil. A double shredded or aged hard wood mulch will work best. 3" coverage will keep most weeds at bay for the summer. Those that do pop up will usually pull out easily. I usually do not use the plastic edging as it never stays in the ground. Just mulch up to the edge where you cut out the bed line. You will have to re cut the edge every year but it will be easier than digging in the edging every year. As for planting. it depends on sunlight and soil conditions. I would need more info. to help you there.

Hellow Folks,

I did some re-work, taking into consideration all the constructive criticism from here. Here is what I have done so far. I plan to put plastic edging on the road and pavement side, leaving bring edge to the grass side. Once again,you are dealing with a novice here.

I thought I could plant to clematis to climb on the solar lamp. Keep evergreens on the background and plant annuals on the foreground. Please let me know what yall think..

thanks

Sorry. I replaced the pics by accident. HEre is the old and new

A bit better than the first shape. Will your mower make this curve without having to trim by hand? Don't put plastic edging on the drive and walk side, the paving acts as edging and adding another edging would be redundant and harder to maintain.

I'm not crazy about the custom of putting in lights on lamp posts, because the light tends to be at eye level instead of on the path where you need to be able to see where you're walking. This may not be a problem with a solar light, as it won't throw enough light to glare in anyone's eyes. I probably won't light the walk either, unfortunately.

I use push mower. I guess the curves are manageable. The solar lamp is not meant for light source. I might attempt to have a clematis climb on it.

Yes, Vinny, I like that better. That's a nice curve, and the shape works with the existing angles, rather than fighting against them. The brick is now definitely an edging, not a raised bed, which fits with the other side that is flush with the driveway and walkway.

I agree with Saypoint that you don't need plastic edging along the concrete edges. Instead, when you plant, consider something that will help keep the dirt in like a creeping groundcover or a row of grasses (mondo grass, green or black, always does wonders, though takes a while to increase if you don't want to spend an arm and a leg to start with).

And a clematis up the light will make a nice addition to the evergreen/annual scheme originally planned.

Have fun planting - assuming you're happy with it too!

Much improved, I agree.

That is much better, Vinny.

I assume you know that clematis need a fair amount of water and they do not like hot roots. Heavy mulch and shading of the root area from other plants will be necessary in that spot. You'll also need to provide clematis with a way to attach themselves to the lamp post. They will not wind around the post on their own, unless you provide something that the tendrils and leaf stems can grab.

Hi vicki

thanks again. The evergreens I have bought are faily big and should provide decent shade. I planned on wrapping the lamp post with chicken wire as the clematis grows just so it has some perch. My only concern is the clay soil I have. I presume I wont get good drainage.

V

check this out vinny

Here is a link that might be useful: lampost plantings