I had a few broken, irregular shaped bricks left over since we made the greenhouse laying around and I was thinking about what I could do with them. Making a tree edging or tree ring felt like the the perfect project… said and done, no time wait. I had to do it right away. When I get a idea I like to create it as soon as I possibly can. I,ve never done a tree edging before. Not with bricks or any other material for that matter but how hard can it be? After all my life motto is: ‘If you want something in life, do it yourself’ so I headed out to the garage to get some tools and started laying it out to see how it would look. And today I actually even remembered to take a before photo for you.

This is our old appletree that’s going to get a border of old bricks. The apple tree stands in between our porch and the potager. Laying edging around a tree forms a protective border between the lawn and tree. Add mulch around the tree within the edging lines to suppress weed growth and retain moisture in the soil to benefit the tree. I just got my new gardensuit from By Benson so I thougt it would be the perfect oportunity to put it to the test right away.

The final result; imperfectly charming maybe one could say.. either way I’m happy with the result and that’s all that matter.. I decided to plant some of my Nepetea, walkers low as they are one of my favourites, bloom all summer and are very resistant. Bees and butterflies loves them too. Thyme is another favourite of mine. Below is a description of how I did the tree edging using old bricks.

1. Create an Outline. Lay a hose or rope on the ground around the tree or measure to create an outline for the edging. A circle is common around trees in landscapes, but you could also do a square.
   
2. Remove the Grass. This was the hardest part. Remove the grass from around the tree if any exists, being careful not to disrupt or injure the tree’s roots. You can dig the ground and remove the grass. Replace the hose if it had to be moved while removing the grass.
   
3. Dig a Trench. Dig a trench around the tree, following the hose as the outline. The trench should be approximately 1 1/2 times as wide as the bricks, about 3 inches deep and with straight sides if the bricks are straight. My bricks had all kinds of shapes so I had to adapt accordingly. Pack the dirt inside the trench to make the ground level. You should be able to do this with your foot, a shovel or a hand tamper tool.
   
4. Lay the Bricks. Lay the bricks in a pattern you like. So many different styles to choose from.
   
5. Adjust the Spacing of the Bricks. Adjust the spacing of the bricks as necessary to achieve a more or less even spacing between each brick. To make a circle you need to leave a small gap. I found it easier creating a circle with the half bricks than with the regular long ones.
   
6. Add the Soil. Fill in the trench around the bricks with the soil removed when you dug the trench. Pack the soil firmly in the small, triangle-shaped gaps left by the diagonal placement. Part of each brick should be visible above ground when you fill in the trench.
   
7. Add a Layer of mulch and flowers if you like. Add 2 to 4 inches of mulch around the tree within the circle created by the brick edging. Don’t pack to mulch directly against the tree trunk. Just cover any exposed roots with an inch of mulch at a time over several weeks to allow the roots to adjust. If you add flowers make sure to pick a kind that doesn’t need to much sun as the tree will shade them.

This weekend we finally moved outside and let the outdoor season begin. The terrace becomes the new livingroom and diningroom. Just like most people I love eating and drinking outside and I think it’s a deep, almost primal desire we all share. As much as I love eating outdoor I also love cooking outside so I improvised a little outdoorkitchen. Nothing complicated or fancy, all the contrary. A small, simple and flexible kitchen that I can move around and easily store away if I want. You really don’t need that much to cook outside.

I also put up some windshields made of straw or reed, well actually it gives more protection from the sun than the wind. But I mainly put it up so it would create a sense of a room. It gives a bit of privacy as well. Usually I put up white curtains and a ‘sailroof’ but this year I wanted to try someting different.

It turned out to be a bit too long and I was just about to cut the part hanging done as a curtain when I realized that it kind of was cozy with it hanging down. It really created a sense of a room and thats exactly what I like when creating spaces outside. So I left it long but added some thin ribbons so I can roll it and tie it when I want too. Just like a blind curtain. Next step is to clean up our barbeque and move it here next to the stove. Now I can do all the cooking out here, otherwise I always had to boil the rice or potatos innide in the kitchen while we barbequed the rest outside. It feels a lot easier now and since I love simplifying and making life uncomplicated this turned out to be a great idea.