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There is no better way to add colour and excitement to your garden than with a new flower bed. Flowerbeds can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes hosting a wide variety of plants. Sadly, in recent years there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of flower borders. Our modern, hectic, lives and busy work schedules mean there is less and less time for gardening. However as we all become more ecologically aware it is clear that flower borders are good for the environment. Soft landscaping allows gardens to absorb excess rain water and plants encourage biodiversity. 
Green vegetation helps to clean the air and studies have shown also enhance our mood. Therefore creating a new garden bed should be something positive and to be celebrated!
The question is, how much does it cost to make a new flower bed? How much does it cost to make on existing Lawn, paving or concrete? Fear not, in this article we describe how much it costs to create new flower borders in each of these scenarios. The average garden flower border is around 50 square metres so we will price up a case study for each surface. Soil ameliorationNew flowerbeds should be ameliorated with well rotted manure of some kind. This will help to break up compacted ground and invigorate the soil with nutrients. If you are replacing concrete, paving, or lawn it is very typical for the ground to be nutrient poor. This will mean plants will not get the nutrients they require to grow well. Therefore if you are building up a borders level after breaking out hard standing, fill up with humus rich topsoil. Then finish the bed with a 50 - 100mm layer of well rotted cow or horse manure. PlantingWhat you plant in your new flowerbed is really up to you. However it is important to consider what type of effect you want to start off with. More mature planting will provide instant impact but will be much more expensive. Alternatively you can go for denser plantings of smaller plants which will be cheaper but take longer to establish. Either way you will normally fill smaller plants at higher densities which will even out the cost somewhat. Hence I think it is a average guide to allow about £35 a square metre for new plants. Bark mulchBark mulch is a fantastic way to top new flower borders. Not only does it look good it will retain moisture and help to suppress weeds. Standard ornamental bark mulch will typically cost around £100 a jumbo bag. This will cover an area of 10 square metres at 50mm thickness. Hence bark mulch will usually cost around £10 a square metre at a good thickness.
How much does it cost to make a garden flowerbed on grass?
One of the easiest landscaping conversions is converting lawn into flower bed. This is because the topsoil is already in place. You will need to scrape off the top inch of grass with the roots and dispose of them. You will then have to turn over the compacted ground to alleviate compaction. It is then recommended to apply a 100mm layer of well rotted manure to the new garden bed. Table based on 50 square metre flower bed with topsoil, plants and bark mulch
How much does it cost to make a garden flowerbed on paving?
It is very typical to want to make new flowerbeds inside paved areas. If the paving is laid on mortar you will need to cut a line 100mm deep to the perimeter of the bed. If you need to cut a curve, take your time cutting the curve to the top paving first, then chip out the paving. Do not try to cut a curve while the grinder blade is in deep as it can jam and kick violently. Once your edge is cut, break out all hard standing and paving including hardcore. Turn over the subsoil at the base of the hole and fill with humus rich topsoil. Spread a 100mm layer of well rotted manure to the new flower border. For block paving you will need to create a concrete edge and haunch to the edge of the bed. This will provide a solid, retaining edge for the compacted sand base. We will cost assuming that all hand standing goes down to a standard depth of 170mm Table based on 50 square metre flower bed with topsoil, plants and bark mulch.
How much does it cost to build a flowerbed on concrete?
The same as paving you will need to cut a 100mm deep perimeter line to the new bed. Break out the concrete with a breaker. Most typically concrete is about 4 inches thick but you could get unlucky with 6-10 inches. The broken concrete and any sub base will have to be moved and loaded into a skip. You will need to turn over the subsoil and break up any large clods. Fill the new bed up with humus rich topsoil and a 100mm layer of well rotted mature. We will cost assuming that all concrete and hardcore goes down to a standard depth of 170mm. We are also assuming you own a robust wheelbarrow. Table based on 50 square metre flower bed with topsoil, plants and bark mulch.
Conclusion
Any landscaping or garden projects costs will fluctuate depending on a multiple of factors. Local labour rates, material availability, site access and logistics will all influence the final project cost. However from the data provided we can conclude that an average flowerbed with planting and bark mulch will cost around £90 a square metre.
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Paul Nicolaides has over 30 years of recreational gardening and 20 years of professional landscaping experience. He has worked for landscape contractors including design and build practices across London and the South East. In 2006 he qualified with a BA Hons degree and post graduate diploma in Landscape Architecture. In 2009 he founded Ecospaces an ecological landscaping practice which aims to improve social cohesion and reduce climate change through landscaping. In 2016 he founded Buckinghamshire Landscape Gardeners which designs and builds gardens across Buckinghamshire and the South East. This blog aims to provide easy problem solving information to its audience and encourage others to take up the joy of landscaping and gardening.
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