Make a Unique Garden Border from Old Wine Corks

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Corks are one of those things that feel too handy to just throw away. But if you’re not sure how to use them around the garden, they can end up collecting dust in your junk drawer until the perfect idea comes along. Well, here it is! You can actually use old wine corks to create garden borders that are not only practical, but also unique and visually interesting.

Borders are important for garden design – they can help keep grass and weeds from invading your flower beds or veggies, and they can also slow erosion. While you can use wood, plastic, metal or bricks, wine corks make a great alternative that’s inexpensive and easy to install. Plus, since corks come as single pieces, you can get really creative with the shapes and locations. You can use them around a flower bed, or inside the garden to separate different veggie plots. And the lovely purple shade on one end can add a fun pop of color, even in the winter.

You can make DIY cork borders a few different ways, depending on your soil. If it’s relatively firm or the bed is next to a walkway, you can just press the corks right into the soil. This is handy because you can place them one by one to get the perfect shape.

But if your soil is really soft, the corks may need some extra support. Try drilling a hole halfway down each one and threading some wire through. This will let you press the corks into the ground while the wire holds them upright, even in softer soil. Just be sure to anchor the ends of the wire so the corks stay put. And only use natural corks, since the synthetic ones have plastics that can damage the soil. Natural corks are biodegradable, so your unique borders will last for years before slowly breaking down. When they do, you can just replace them with new corks.