Step One
Lay out the bed and dig a flat-bottomed trench for the
edging. Cut the walls of the trench straight up and down,
and tamp the bottom down firmly.
Step Two
Run a mason's line between end stakes along the edge of the
bed. With a line level, level the mason's line at the height
of a brick placed in the trench.
Step Three
Put the bricks in the trench, aligning their tops with the
mason's line. Adjust the depth of the trench by removing or
adding and tamping soil as necessary so that the bricks sit
level.
Step Four
Backfill with soil on both sides of the bricks. Seat the
bricks by tapping with a rubber mallet. Realign the bricks
as necessary.
Step Five
Set the last brick of a course in the trench so that it fits
snugly. If possible, adjust the length of the course to
accommodate a whole brick and avoid having to cut it.
Step Six
If necessary, cut a brick with a brick chisel and
sledgehammer. Lightly strike to score a line across each
face of the brick. Set the brick on flat ground and strike
it sharply at the scored line to break it.
Step Seven
When edging at a corner, run a second mason's line between
end stakes at a 90-degree angle to the first line. Set
bricks in the trench, using the lines as guides, and check
for square with a framing square.
Step Eight
Add soil to the bed and tamp gently along both sides of the
edging. Work amendments, such as peat moss, manure, or
fertilizer, into the soil with a spade. Smooth the bed with
a garden rake.