Rods (either metal, bendable PVC or..?) options for creating a garden border? USA

Question

I am trying to find some type of sturdy yet bendable tubing in some kind of metal that I can shape into this type of fence in the photos below. I am trying to protect a sidewalk garden in front of our home by discouraging people from walking onto my flower beds. I'd like something at least an inch or more thick and I plan on priming it and painting it white so that it matches the color of the house but more importantly, so that it can be seen at night time so people don't trip over it.

Here are images I've seen online. But to buy something like this already made would be costly. Plus I try to make as much as I can by hand because I take pride in being crafty. So I'm hoping that there is something I can cut and bend to the shape I want and place them in the ground. I want the sides of the hoops to be no more than 12-16" wide, give or take. I like the aspect ratio the most in this first photo below.

Here is a pic of my sidewalk garden. I am putting taller stanchions along the sides and back (toward the curb) but want to do this smaller "hoop" design in the front and along the two pathways I created that are in the middle. You can't see them because the plants are too tall. But this hoop idea is pretty much my only option because our home is on a hill. You can sort of tell by the photos I took below. Take notice of the vertical stair railing in the bottom photo to get more perspective on the slope of the sidewalk. So placing something like this individually to allow for the elevation to one side would be ideal. I won't do longer garden fence panels because then the vertical portion would look crooked. I see some people do this in gardens that are on hills and I don't like that look at all.

Suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Here's a video of my garden, by the way to help give better perspective:

My sidwealk garden

Answer 1

Most people appear to use metal electrical conduit for loop houses, and this can be purchased in most major home improvement stores.

To bend it to the right curvature, you can purchase pipe benders on Amazon or other major online retailer. They're a system of clamps and you can use the length of the pipe to obtain the necessary leverage to bend the conduit. They're built specifically for making hoop houses but should do the same job for you.

If yours is going to be exposed to the elements instead of covered in plastic, you might want to consider painting after before you plant them.

Answer 2

To use PVC pipe, you can bend it to the shape you want with a PVC Pipe Bender which consists of a heater of some sort which makes the pipe flexible. I have a small electic sleeve which I slip over the PVC. With this you can bend the pipe around a jig so you get the same shape every time. Let it cool and there you go.

When I've used this sort of thing I anchored it by driving 3/8" rebar into the ground vertically and slipping the pvc pipe over it. Might not be best for a potentially high traffic area.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I was surprised to find I actually LIKE this little 'fence'. Do people actually walk IN your bed? You've got a vibrant colorful collection!

The top picture has the best diameter and placement. The lower picture the rods are too skinny. I love the rust color. That will allow your plants to be the focus. White comes forward. Black recedes. Your collection is beautiful but adding a white little fence will make it look way too cluttered, busy and the only thing people will see, can't be helped, is a glaring little fence.

Just thought I'd offer that up. I can see that top photo's fence being a perfect addition to this bed. Yes, you can see the white at night but to not see the white would make someone much less comfortable getting near your plants.

Here is an idea for material that you could spray paint with rust antiquing that really looks great, uniform and would enhance your bed, protect it but not distract from it. 1/2" would be similar to the upper photo's thickness of metal. It bends down to 3" radius which should be more than sufficient for your fence. Cut lengths that include at least one foot on either end to be shoved into the soil.

By being brutally anal with measurements, your little barrier fence will look professional, stable and consistent. No guessing. Mark off measurements on the sidewalk with chalk. I would string a line at the top height of the fence to keep each and every section of curve either level or identical in height to all the other curves.

flexible steel conduit

Please allow your creeping thyme to organically cover the straight edge of the sidewalk. Softens that line...seems to be healthy and happy covering the soil, reducing weeds and helping to hold moisture in the soil. Is it woolly thyme?

I do not like structured 'edging' usually. This particular little fence has won my heart. Please, keep it rust, don't do white. Hey, I went to school to be able say this stuff, grins!! I'd also redo that post and chain to match in rust.

One other thought, 'up lighting' using spot lights could vastly enhance the power of this bed as well as protect it. Do not use cheapo lighting fixtures. You do not want to see the fixture, just what the fixture lights up. You don't want people to see bulbs, too bright, and will be disorienting. Putting a spot light on your palm for instance would make enough ambient light for people to easily see the walkway. Lighting is powerful as long as you do it so you never see the light fixtures. Up lighting, down lighting, spot lighting back lighting...very much worth the money in any landscape.

Answer 4

Tubing has high chance of buckling. Likely it is steel bar like concrete rebar.

Answer 5

Around here, people normally use rebar. Some people thread the rebar through pieces of garden hose.

And some shops sell kits, complete with netting or plastic to make mini green houses. Here is an example

From Super Hoops

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