{"id":953,"date":"2021-10-28T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-28T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/?p=953"},"modified":"2021-10-28T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T08:00:00","slug":"building-masonry-flowerbed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed","title":{"rendered":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>New construction homes in the UK offer a variety of nice benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Lots of insulation, reducing heating bills.<\/li><li>A well designed home which is suitable for 21st century living.<\/li><li>A warranty for any defects (big or small) in the house&#8217;s construction.<\/li><li>A home that often sells easier &#8211; when you come to move than other homes (most people prefer buying newer houses).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But the backyard is not one of the benefits. If you&#8217;re lucky, the housing contractor will lay a few paving slabs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The problem, and the &#8216;before and after&#8217;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>However more often than not, when you move in the backyard will be something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"2 How much the soil ramps up from peak to trough\" class=\"wp-image-935\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/2-How-much-the-soil-ramps-up-from-peak-to-trough-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Our backyard after moving in<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Ours was a bit of a special case because our neighbor&#8217;s garage is at the rear of our backyard, leading to  the big build up of soil that you can see above. (Note: we <em>were<\/em> aware that there&#8217;d be this soil pile before buying the house).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, after moving in I set about levelling the backyard as best as I could. I removed tonnes of soil, but I quickly uncovered an issue in the back right of the garage (by where the big wall for our neighbor&#8217;s garage was):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"5 this was our neighbors garage footings\" class=\"wp-image-932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/5-this-was-our-neighbors-garage-footings-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>This was our neighbors garage footings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Okay, so I couldn&#8217;t go about smashing down these footings for obvious reasons! Hence I resorted to plan B: making a flowerbed (or planter) out of it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"17 the final tiled flower bed with\" class=\"wp-image-938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>The final tiled flower bed with<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m quite happy with the end result, so I wanted to document it in today&#8217;s project log. Unfortunately I didn&#8217;t take any videos or loads of photos when I did this project, but hopefully I can cover the key parts of this project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nCVTKr-N5FE&amp;ab_channel=CohesiveHomes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slideshow version <\/a>of this post right below, or please read on for the text-and-picture version instead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Backyard Project - From Dirt To Flower Bed - Step-By-Step Video\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nCVTKr-N5FE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: the footings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I wanted this flowerbed to be fairly sturdy, especially since it would be holding back a fair amount of soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, I decided to build it out of concrete breeze blocks &#8211; meaning I needed some footings. It didn&#8217;t need anything major, but I dug down 6&#8243; or more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"563\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/6-I-started-digging-a-trench-as-footings-for-a-masonry-wall.jpg\" alt=\"6 I started digging a trench as footings for a masonry wall\" class=\"wp-image-949\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/6-I-started-digging-a-trench-as-footings-for-a-masonry-wall.jpg 563w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/6-I-started-digging-a-trench-as-footings-for-a-masonry-wall-169x300.jpg 169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 563px) 100vw, 563px\" \/><figcaption>I started digging a trench as footings for a masonry wall<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>After digging a bit more, I started mixing up concrete using the standard approach: sand, aggregate (small gravel) and cement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I mixed it all up by hand which&#8230; wasn&#8217;t fun. It took ages, and I sprained my wrists for weeks. Maybe I&#8217;m just weak &#8211; who knows!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"7 mixing then pouring concrete into the trench\" class=\"wp-image-948\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/7-mixing-then-pouring-concrete-into-the-trench.jpg 1161w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption>Mixing then pouring concrete into the trench<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, I then laid the first course (row) of breeze blocks &#8211; making sure that everything was as level as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: laying the concrete blocks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m&#8230; not a perfectionist, but I did my best to take my time and level it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"9 laying the first course of breeze blocks\" class=\"wp-image-946\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/9-laying-the-first-course-of-breeze-blocks-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laying the first course of breeze blocks<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This was the first course of wall I had ever built &#8211; woohoo! And 4 years on, it hasn&#8217;t fallen down so I clearly didn&#8217;t do too badly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After this, I spent some time getting the rest of the backyard sorted (I lay turf grass, and added a path up the side). Then I carried on adding more courses and eventually finished the wall:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"11 laying more courses of the masonry flower bed\" class=\"wp-image-944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/11-laying-more-courses-of-the-masonry-flower-bed-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laying more courses of the masonry flower bed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"The final height of the masonry flowerbed at around 90cm\" class=\"wp-image-955\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/The-final-height-of-the-masonry-flowerbed-at-around-90cm.jpg 1651w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>The final height of the masonry flowerbed at around 90cm<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: topping up the soil<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, I then lined the inside of the flowerbed with a damp proof membrane and I then started topping up the soil:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Topping-up-the-flowerbed-with-a-mix-of-soil-and-gravel-for-drainage-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Topping up the flowerbed with a mix of soil and gravel for drainage\" class=\"wp-image-956\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Topping-up-the-flowerbed-with-a-mix-of-soil-and-gravel-for-drainage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Topping-up-the-flowerbed-with-a-mix-of-soil-and-gravel-for-drainage-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Topping-up-the-flowerbed-with-a-mix-of-soil-and-gravel-for-drainage-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Topping-up-the-flowerbed-with-a-mix-of-soil-and-gravel-for-drainage.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Topping up the flowerbed with a mix of soil and gravel for drainage<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/15-adding-sub-soil-then-top-soil-to-the-flower-beds-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"15 adding sub soil then top soil to the flower beds\" class=\"wp-image-940\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/15-adding-sub-soil-then-top-soil-to-the-flower-beds-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/15-adding-sub-soil-then-top-soil-to-the-flower-beds-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/15-adding-sub-soil-then-top-soil-to-the-flower-beds-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/15-adding-sub-soil-then-top-soil-to-the-flower-beds.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Adding sub soil then top soil to the flower beds<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: the top coping (finishing) stones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I then stopped for the year (it was late September and the weather had turned). Early next year, I cut the coping stones and finished off the top of the bed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting the top coping stones to finish the flowerbed\" class=\"wp-image-957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cutting-the-top-coping-stones-to-finish-the-flowerbed-scaled.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption>Cutting the top coping stones to finish the flowerbed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Laying all the coping stones on top of the flowerbed\" class=\"wp-image-958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Laying-all-the-coping-stones-on-top-of-the-flowerbed-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laying all the coping stones on top of the flowerbed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now it was time to finish off the flowerbed &#8211; instead of staring at the<a href=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/remote-whitewash-from-brick-or-stone\"> boring grey concr<\/a>ete blocks! I looked at decorative stone, but that would have been a complete pain. I&#8217;m not good enough with mortar to do a good job, so instead I decided on tiling it with outdoor porcelain tile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: tiling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall this went well, but it was difficult at times because the concrete blocks weren&#8217;t 100% level so I was sometimes having to apply different depths of tile adhesive. This isn&#8217;t always recommended, but it worked well enough overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"16 I decided to tile the masonry flower bed\" class=\"wp-image-939\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>I decided to tile the masonry flower bed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Almost-finished-just-the-annoying-end-cuts-left-to-do-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Almost finished just the annoying end cuts left to do\" class=\"wp-image-959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Almost-finished-just-the-annoying-end-cuts-left-to-do-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Almost-finished-just-the-annoying-end-cuts-left-to-do-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Almost-finished-just-the-annoying-end-cuts-left-to-do-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Almost-finished-just-the-annoying-end-cuts-left-to-do.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Almost finished: just the annoying end cuts left to do<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Once all the tiles were completed, I started grouting it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Grouting-the-outdoor-masonry-flowerbed-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Grouting the outdoor masonry flowerbed\" class=\"wp-image-960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Grouting-the-outdoor-masonry-flowerbed-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Grouting-the-outdoor-masonry-flowerbed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Grouting-the-outdoor-masonry-flowerbed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Grouting-the-outdoor-masonry-flowerbed.jpg 1328w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Grouting the outdoor masonry flowerbed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>And then it was just a case of finishing off the grouting, applying some white outdoor silicone sealant along the edges and the job was complete:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"17 the final tiled flower bed with\" class=\"wp-image-938\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/17-the-final-tiled-flower-bed-with--2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>The final tiled flower bed<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes I still needed to clean off some of the grout haze, but as I say, I&#8217;m not a perfectionist!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall I&#8217;m happy with the end result though. Whilst we couldn&#8217;t level the soil here, making a useless space into something useful and positive seemed better than simply having level soil here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What do you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New construction homes in the UK offer a variety of nice benefits: Lots of insulation, reducing heating bills. A well designed home which is suitable for 21st century living. A warranty for any defects (big or small) in the house&#8217;s construction. A home that often sells easier &#8211; when you come to move than other &#8230; <a title=\"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\" aria-label=\"More on Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":939,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cohesive Homes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1328\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"747\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tristan Perry\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TristanPerryIX\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tristan Perry\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tristan Perry\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f3395d2fd52adb86020d30dd52068ffb\"},\"headline\":\"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\"},\"wordCount\":899,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Outdoor\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\",\"name\":\"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00\",\"description\":\"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/\",\"name\":\"Cohesive Homes\",\"description\":\"&quot;Home is where the heart is&quot;\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Cohesive Homes\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cohesive-Homes-logo-Home-is-where-the-heart-is-text.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cohesive-Homes-logo-Home-is-where-the-heart-is-text.png\",\"width\":350,\"height\":75,\"caption\":\"Cohesive Homes\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f3395d2fd52adb86020d30dd52068ffb\",\"name\":\"Tristan Perry\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-Tris-profile-pic-2019-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-Tris-profile-pic-2019-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Tristan Perry\"},\"description\":\"Tristan is an avid DIYer, with a range of projects under his belt including a kitchen refit, various plumbing jobs, building walls, mixing concrete, tiling, laying laminate, some electrical work and more. As long as it's safe to do myself, I'll do it myself! I believe in learning on the job and buying tools as I go along, and I now have a head full of DIY facts - and a garage full of power tools!\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/@TristanPerryIX\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/author\/admintdp123\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes","description":"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes","og_description":"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.","og_url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed","og_site_name":"Cohesive Homes","article_published_time":"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1328,"height":747,"url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/16-I-decided-to-tile-the-masonry-flower-bed.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Tristan Perry","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TristanPerryIX","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tristan Perry","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed"},"author":{"name":"Tristan Perry","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f3395d2fd52adb86020d30dd52068ffb"},"headline":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)","datePublished":"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed"},"wordCount":899,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Outdoor"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed","url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed","name":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter) - Cohesive Homes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2021-10-28T08:00:00+00:00","description":"A project log showing how I turned a useless part of my backyard into something useful: a masonry flowerbed\/planter.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/building-masonry-flowerbed#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Turning A Useless Backyard Area Into A Masonry Flowerbed (Planter)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/","name":"Cohesive Homes","description":"&quot;Home is where the heart is&quot;","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#organization","name":"Cohesive Homes","url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cohesive-Homes-logo-Home-is-where-the-heart-is-text.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Cohesive-Homes-logo-Home-is-where-the-heart-is-text.png","width":350,"height":75,"caption":"Cohesive Homes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f3395d2fd52adb86020d30dd52068ffb","name":"Tristan Perry","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-Tris-profile-pic-2019-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/cropped-Tris-profile-pic-2019-96x96.jpg","caption":"Tristan Perry"},"description":"Tristan is an avid DIYer, with a range of projects under his belt including a kitchen refit, various plumbing jobs, building walls, mixing concrete, tiling, laying laminate, some electrical work and more. As long as it's safe to do myself, I'll do it myself! I believe in learning on the job and buying tools as I go along, and I now have a head full of DIY facts - and a garage full of power tools!","sameAs":["https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com","https:\/\/twitter.com\/@TristanPerryIX"],"url":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/author\/admintdp123"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=953"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":963,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/953\/revisions\/963"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/939"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cohesivehomes.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}