Looking to install a new garden bed? You can prepare a 300+ square foot garden for about $300. We'll show you how you can DIY install your new garden and save money (and your back!).
Plan on starting this process about 6 weeks prior to when you want to put in your plants. Why 6 weeks? You need 811 to come out and check your landscape for underground utilities. That can take a week or two. After that, you'll place your order for bulk soil delivery, and that can take 30 days to get delivered. If you pickup your plants from us before your garden site is ready, just keep them well watered. They should do fine for a few weeks before putting them in the ground.
1. Flag Your Garden Area. These flags on Amazon work great.
2. Notify Texas 811. They'll send someone to come out and mark if your garden area has underground utilities. It's the law, and you don't want to install your garden on top of utilities that have an easement (which means the utility can come out and dig up your garden!).
3. Smother the grass. Cover your existing grass with thick, biodegradable paper. On top of this paper, you'll spread 3" of topsoil, which will block sunlight and over time decompose the grass below. This avoids having to dig up and remove existing vegetation. A 350 square foot area can be covered in about 30 minutes, costing $28 for the paper roll. Avoid using non-biodegradable (plastic) barriers, as you want plant roots to grow down into your native soil. The paper will last about 3 months, long enough to kill the grass.
4. Get soil delivered, from Texas Pure Products.
Because their price is so good, it can take 30 days to get your soil delivered. For a 325 square foot area with 3" of soil, plan on spending about $210 (including delivery and sales tax). Delivery is only $50, if you live in Richardson, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, or Allen. We recommend their Planting Mix product, which costs about $50 per yard. Their minimum order is 3 yards. Another option, if you need delivery sooner, is Soil Building Systems which offers delivery and has a very wide selection of organic products (including their Ready-To-Plant soil blend). Once 811 has confirmed no underground utilities, you can schedule your delivery of soil with Texas Pure Products or other delivery company. Avoid using bagged products that contain lots of peat moss. Native plants want real soil!
5. Mow the grass short in your new garden bed. Once your soil is delivered, you're ready to spread the soil across the paper using just a wheelbarrow and shovel, 3" deep across the site. You can install edging now, or wait until later. Metal edging is 4" tall, perfect to add 1" of mulch to the top of the garden bed. For this type of edging, plan on about $3.50 per linear foot. For about $50, Lowes can deliver it to your home. An 8x40 garden bed has a perimeter of 96 feet, so plan on about $336 for metal edging. You can also wait, install your plants now, and add rock or another type of border later. Edging is less urgent than getting the bed built to put plants in the ground!
6. Install your plants into the 3" of delivered soil. Small 4" potted plants are easy to simply plant into the 3" deep soil. If you purchased a Gallon sized plant, you may want to cut down through the paper, and also dig out about 1-2" into the native soil.
7. Add 1" of mulch on top of the soil, to lock in soil moisture. You'll need 14 bags (of 2 cubic feet each) for a 1" depth across 325 SF, costing with tax $65.
8. Now you're ready to create your garden design. As you think about your garden layout, make sure to check each plant's mature Height and Width, which is listed for each plant on our website. Just search the plant name (from the email confirmation of your order) and look up the size of the plant. You can draw your garden on paper, and then use small circles to lay out the garden. Or use the Pollinator Patch app ($6 for 30 day access) to better visualize your new garden.
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You now have a 300+ square foot garden that cost less than $300 to create (before the cost of plants, metal edging, and labor). Need some help creating the space? You can order all the supplies you need (soil, metal edging, paper, and mulch) and hire a handyman at $30/hour to help you get the project completed. If you hire a company to mow your lawn, ask them if they would be willing to quote you for the job.
Flag your area off well, take a photo of it, and measure the dimensions as you get quotes for this. Laying the paper, spreading 3" soil, putting in metal edging, and 1" mulch should take about 4-6 hours, for $120-$180.
Because it's such a small job, you might even have better luck paying a high schooler who is looking to make a little extra cash. Ask your friends or neighbors if they have a high schooler who wants to make $100+. Invite them and their parents to come over and help. You might inspire a neighbor to put in a garden next year! We hope this guide helps you save your back (and your wallet) and get ready to plant. Happy gardening from Soils Alive!
