Uses for Railway Sleepers in your garden

Why are railway sleepers so popular? Not only do they look fantastic, they are incredibly versatile too. In fact, there are around 1000 horticultural uses for railway sleepers, making them a fantastic choice for gardeners.

What are railway sleepers?

Railway sleepers are used for holding railway tracks in place and are known as the ‘backbone of railway travel. Millions are used every year both in the build of new lines and replacing existing sleepers.

What can railway sleepers be used for?

Railway sleepers provide a multitude of uses making them a gardener’s best friend, but they are not just limited to the outside. Railway sleepers can be used indoors too – for example, have you ever considered using a railway sleeper as a table, a storage box or even as a funky mantelpiece?

Looking to utilise railway sleepers in the garden, why not consider some of the following ideas?

Raised beds – Railway sleepers are an ideal choice for showcasing plants as an alternative to bricks and stone. It is easy to build raised beds using railway sleepers, simply choose where you want the raised bed to be and lay the sleepers on the ground and fasten together. Don’t forget to line the bed walls with polythene and to use a permeable membrane into the railway sleeper.

Railway sleepers are ideal for raised vegetable beds as they prevent pathway weeds and also provide a barrier to garden pests too.

Lawn edging – Why not try railway sleepers to form garden edgings? They can be used flat or alternatively on their edge.

Raised pond – Constructing a raised pond from railway sleepers is really straightforward. Simply choose where you want to put the raised pond and lay the railway sleepers on an area of level ground in a square or rectangular shape. You could also create water features from railway sleepers too.

Walls – Railway sleepers are a superb choice if you are looking to divide your garden up into ‘rooms.

Composting area – Have you ever considered using a railway sleeper as a compost bin?

Children’s sandpit - Let your little ones play in rustic style with a sandpit made from railway sleepers.

Steps – Try an alternative to traditional steps made of brick and stone and use a series of railway sleepers to step up and down in rustic style in your garden.

Garden benches – Railway sleepers are ideal for constructing garden benches or indeed any kind of garden furniture.

How to maintain railway sleepers

Like any wood-based product, railway sleepers are susceptible to rotting and fading from the weather, so it is imperative to use an effective wood preserver. You will need to identify what type of wood your railway sleepers are utilising – typically this will be either hard or soft wood. Most hardwoods tend to be a golden brown or a red brown colour, where as softwood that has been untreated tends to be a pale greeny brown (turning a more honey brown after outdoor exposure) Choose a wood preservative that offers protection against wood rot, fungi and mould.

Should I choose railway sleepers that are old or new?

Used railway sleepers are very aesthetically pleasing and integrates seamlessly with a garden environment. New railway sleepers tend to be in better condition and typically come untreated. Newer railway sleepers also come in a larger range of sizes, providing more flexibility than used railway sleepers.

We are leading suppliers of both new and reclaimed/used railway sleepers in both oak and pine. Why not take a look at our range of pine and oak railway sleepers today?

To find out more about the range of products we offer, from building materials and decorative stones to shingle & gravel and driveway materials, contact our team today on 01258 857465 or take a look at our special offers!