USING GARDEN SLEEPERS IN THE GARDEN

The addition of garden sleepers often gives a rustic vibe to your garden. From making garden beds to making garden planters and edging your garden, garden sleepers can be used for many purposes when it comes to garden renovation.

Railway Sleepers come in various sizes in both new and reclaimed, softwood and hardwood. Reclaimed sleepers have generally been used to support railway lines; they have a worn appearance which makes them ideal for that traditional rustic look. New, square edged sleepers in either softwood or hardwood are more suited to a contemporary scheme. Over recent years railway sleepers have seen a revival due to their versatility and ruggedness when used in landscaping projects.

Tools you will need for your garden sleepers project Spirit Level - you need to make sure the levels are right Hammer - a steel hammer to knock those nails in Screwdriver - a cross head screwdriver is recommended with wood screws Saw - the sleepers are thick so a good saw is important PPE (gloves, goggles) - safety should always come first

Making Garden Planters Or Raised Beds

Step 1. Clearing The Area

Step 2. Setting The Foundation

Step 3. Build The Layers

A little fun fact – the more corners your garden beds have, the stronger the structure is. So, if you’re building the beds too high, make sure you add enough 90-degree angles in the structure.

There are various ways to connect the garden sleepers along the length. Long landscaping screws and steel rod pins provide you with enough strength.

However, if you want to take extra precautions, consider making a hole and hammering a dowel through the bed. You can do so once you reach the top layer. This way, you don’t have to use steel screws or nails on the top layer and won’t have to deal with rusting and black marks as well.

 Step 4. Finish The Beds/Planters

Sand the structure and give specific attention to corners as they tend to be quite sharp. Finally, finish the project by applying beautiful stain or paint to the garden bed.

Step 5. Fill The Beds

Railway Sleeper Edging

Garden Edging: Sleepers are ideal for forming garden edgings as they can be used in a single height, either flat or on their edge. Alternatively, they can be stacked and secured using the method described above for planters.

Vertical Edging:  Another way sleepers can be used is vertically in varying short lengths; for this method you need to dig a 300mm wide trench dug to an appropriate depth. Cut your sleepers to your required length, which could be random for a rustic look. Then mix up some lean mortar, such as 6:1, to be used as a concrete base and haunching. Place at least a 50mm bed of concrete in the bottom of the trench and start inserting the sleepers, haunching them up as you go. Remember to taper the haunching away from the timber.

The Finish:  If laid in a stepped fashion this will add interest to any dull corner of your garden- especially if reclaimed sleepers are used.

Railway Sleeper Retaining Walls, Terraces & Steps

Garden Themes: If you have a particular idea for your design, such as breakwater groynes to act as a retaining wall, you would need to follow previous instructions for vertical garden edging with a few additions. It is a good idea to nail a timber batten to the back edge of the sleepers to help keep them in line while the concrete haunching is setting. The concrete setting may take 2-3 days. If you are using sleepers around a pond it is a good idea to use new as opposed to reclaimed sleepers. Reclaimed sleepers have generally been treated with creosote which can be highly toxic to fish.

Terraces: Railway sleepers are an ideal component for supporting terrace edges. Laid on their side they are a good height for a stepped lawn or patio. They can be secured to short fence posts driven into the ground, thus providing a rigid structure.

Steps:  Due to their height, if sleepers are laid on edge, they make an ideal front for a slab inlay. This pattern can be repeated with each step using different infills, if required, such as stone chippings or natural stone slabs. Make sure to secure all sleepers to timber stakes (driven deep into the ground or concrete) in short lengths of fence post.