10 Great Garden Sleeper Ideas

Garden sleepers are a highly versatile landscaping material that you can use to enhance your outdoor space in numerous ways. Whether you’d like to add a touch of rustic charm to your garden or improve its functionality, look no further. From planters and edging to retaining walls and even DIY patio furniture, wooden sleepers offer endless possibilities. Read on to discover 10 of the best garden sleeper ideas, and the different sleeper products available at AWBS.

The 3 main types of timber sleepers

Hardwood sleepers, usually made from European oak, are known for their natural strength and durability. This makes them ideal for creating robust retaining walls, benches and steps that get lots of foot traffic. They’re also resistant to moisture, rot and insect infestations, making them a long-lasting option for outdoor projects. In fact, hardwood sleepers can last 15-20 years, which their higher price tag reflects. Additionally, given their density, these sleepers are heavy and must be cut with a machine. You’ll also need to pre-drill holes when connecting them to avoid splits.

Softwood sleepers, on the other hand, are cut from faster growing trees like pine. With that in mind, they’re not as durable as hardwood sleepers and must be pressure-treated to ensure weather resistance. This extends their lifespan up to around 10 years. Softwood sleepers are, however, more affordable and easier to work with as they are lighter, uniform and can be hand-cut. As such, they are popular for raised beds, planters and border edges. Better yet, we’re currently offering 20% off softwood sleepers (2 colour & size options), so act fast!

NB: all of our new sleepers are made using ethically sourced timber from sustainable sources.

Otherwise, you might like our reclaimed railway sleepers. As well as being more eco-friendly, these salvaged dark-stained sleepers offer a rustic finish that will add character to any garden. And as they were designed as supporting beams, these dense sleepers are incredibly robust. Perfect for building planters, stepping stone paths and more, with a timeless weathered look.

Just be aware that reclaimed sleepers often have cracks and rough edges, therefore aren’t suitable for children’s play areas. They’re also harder to source as railways now use concrete, so reclaimed sleepers are relatively costly. Browse our full sleeper range online to learn more.

Garden sleeper ideas to suit every space

1. Create raised beds and planters with wooden sleepers

Seeking a stylish and practical solution for growing flowers or vegetables? Why not construct raised beds or planters using cost-effective wooden sleepers? You can make them any size and height you like by stacking multiple sleepers on top of one another. And reduce the risk of soil compaction, improve drainage and encourage growth at the same time. This is due to their greater depth and the ability to tailor the soil for different plants. The high sides will also deter ground level pests and protective netting can be attached too. Just remember to line the inside with landscaping fabric before adding soil to keep it contained and stem weeds.

2. Sleeper borders and lawn edging

Defining lawn borders and flower beds with wooden sleepers is another of our top garden sleeper ideas. Not only do they offer a natural look, but they can be cut to any size to any size. Install longer lengths horizontally to create clean lines with minimal effort. This helps stop soil spilling onto paths and gives rough lawn edges a neater finish. Alternatively, if your garden is curved, sleeper border edging can be contoured to fit the shape by positioning shorter cut-offs vertically. Either way, be sure to select hardwood or pressure-treated timber to prevent rot.

3. Patio and path edging

Likewise, if you have a raised patio and the edge of your paving is visible, why not disguise it? Of course, you can do this with kerb stones, but that can prove quite expensive depending on your garden’s size. Not to mention time-consuming. Instead, utilising garden sleepers for edging is a cheaper and more straightforward approach. Not to mention visually appealing! You can also use timber sleepers to create a low-level border to keep your gravel path contained and limit spreading. This is particularly useful for separating lawns and paths.

4. Retaining garden walls

If you have a split-level garden or you’re keen to break up a sloping verge, then a retaining wall is essential. Designed to hold back soil and prevent slippage, you can create your own out of stacked sleepers. Lay them horizontally to create a straight-edged wall, or line them up them vertically to account for bends. Sleepers can be pieced together to construct virtually any wall height, but taller walls may need extra support and potentially a concrete foundation. Once in place, you can paint the wall any colour you like or add a stain to match your fence.

5. Wooden sleeper steps

Gardens with multiple lawn levels or raised patio areas will likely need steps too. Providing a softer look than concrete, sleeper steps can be made from single sleepers if they’re deep enough. Or you can build larger timber framed steps filled with gravel. The choice is yours!

6. Decorative features/ wind breaks

As well as retaining walls, sleepers can be used to screen off areas of your garden. For example, to fence in hot tubs for privacy. Vertical sleeper walls also act as wind breakers – ideal for creating secluded outdoor seating areas. Or you could incorporate timber sleepers into a decorative focal point, like a stand for displaying potted plants or even a water feature.

7. Raised garden ponds

Along the same lines, another of our favourite garden sleeper ideas is the raised garden pond. To achieve this, you’ll first need to create a timber frame using hardwood or pressure-treated softwood given the proximity to moisture. This will typically be rectangular or square to make installing the pond liner easier, but there are countless possibilities. Once secured with staples, add another layer of sleepers to hide any untidy seams, then fill your pond with water.

8. Outdoor play areas/ sandpits

And if you want to make your garden more appealing to your children, you can build a sandpit using the same approach. Just avoid using reclaimed railway sleepers for this, as mentioned above. Otherwise, you could dedicate a section of your garden to a play area by enclosing it with a low-level sleeper wall. It’s also worth adding bark chippings to help protect the grass against wear and tear. And to create a soft landing around climbing frames, swings and slides.

9. Sleeper benches/ garden furniture

Searching for budget friendly garden seating? We’ve got you covered with this quirky garden sleeper idea. Much like the popular trend of creating furniture out of old palette wood, you can easily build rustic sleeper benches. All you need to do is mount one long piece of timber onto two shorter end pieces and secure it in place with screws to create a simple bench You can stack the sleepers to your preferred height, and make block stools, side tables and storage boxes using clean-cut softwood sleepers too. Or integrate seating into your retaining walls.

10. Sleeper stepping stone paths

If you want to access the far end of your garden year round, then a stepping stone path could prove useful. That way, you won’t have to worry about excessive mud in winter or wearing down dry patches in summer. All you need to do is lay your sleepers out flat on a layer of sand, leaving even spaces between each one. When you’re happy with the layout, tamp them almost all the way into the soil. They will then sink and become flush with your lawn when walked on. You can even add gravel between each sleeper to finish the look and limit weeds.

Shop landscaping sleepers at AWBS

Ready to get started with your next garden project? Explore the sleepers on our website to find the right product and fittings for you. Or call into one of our branches – Oxford, Swindon or Yarnton – to view your options in person. Either way, our team can arrange fast and free delivery to all OX postcodes, to make transporting your sleepers home much simpler. Check your address’s eligibility online or contact us to learn more.